2008
AML Award:
Novel
Presented to:
Angela Hallstrom
For:
Bound on Earth
The mission of the Association for Mormon Letters is to foster the production and promotion of quality literature by, for, and about Mormons. We have awarded many great novels that have been produced by Mormons, but many of them are not necessarily Mormon works. There couldn’t be a more appropriate work for the AML to recognize than Bound on Earth by Angela Hallstrom. Here is great literature that is also Mormon literature. Hallstrom’s Mormon characters have real problems, the kinds of struggles that everyone has, regardless of religion. But they also have a Mormon worldview, and they view their problems from a background of belief. Part of Hallstrom’s genius lies in her ability to present this faithful background without either mockery or defensiveness—the way many of us feel about our own faith. With her un-erring eye for situation and skillful use of varying points of view, Hallstrom expertly weaves the characters’ faith into the stories in a way that makes their motivations clear and their faith believable. For its complex, well-crafted, and truthful look at Mormon life, the Association for Mormon Letters is pleased to present the 2008 Award in the Novel to Bound on Earth.
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