Rock Island Line by David Rhodes (most life changing books txt) 📗

headed forward. There’s nothing easy in this world—and to give up is to lose everything. Do what you feel you have to, but do it in order to improve yourself. No running. Learn how to suffer and nothing will ever be able to hurt you. Reach as far as you possibly can, without pride. Be more than you are able.”

In lurching slow motion, gaining speed, the Rock Island Line pulled out of the freight yard, headed southwest, toward Kansas City, Coffeyville, Scottsdale, Spring Valley and Moline.

As a young man, DAVID RHODES worked in fields, hospitals, and factories across Iowa. After receiving an MFA degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1971, he published three novels in rapid succession: The Last Fair Deal Going Down (Atlantic/Little, Brown, 1972), The Easter House (Harper & Row, 1974), and Rock Island Line (Harper & Row, 1975). In 1977 a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. He lives with his wife, Edna, in rural Wonewoc, Wisconsin.

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Interior design by Wendy Holdman

Typeset in ITC New Baskerville by BookMobile

Design and Publishing Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Printed on acid-free, recycled (100 percent postconsumer

waste) Rolland Enviro paper by Friesens Corporation.

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

© 1975, Text by David Rhodes

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher: Milkweed Editions, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.

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The Library of Congress has catalogued the cloth edition as follows:

Rhodes, David.

Rock Island Line.

I. Title.

PZ4.R4755Ro [PS3568.H55] 813’.5’4

74-15888

eISBN : 978-1-571-31824-4

This book is printed on acid-free, recycled (100 percent postconsumer waste) paper.