SKU: 72940083957

The Light Years: A Memoir

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The Light Years: A MemoirLambda Literary Award Finalist A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Named a best book of 2019 by Parade The Light Years is a joyous and defiant coming of age memoir set during one of the most turbulent times in American history This stunningly beautiful, original memoir is driven by a search for the divine, a quest that leads Rush into some dangerous places . . . The Light Years is funny, harrowing, and deeply tender. Kate Tuttle, The L. A.

Lambda Literary Award Finalist A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Named a best book of 2019 by Parade

The Light Years is a joyous and defiant coming-of-age memoir set during one of the most turbulent times in American history

This stunningly beautiful, original memoir is driven by a search for the divine, a quest that leads Rush into some dangerous places . . . The Light Years is funny, harrowing, and deeply tender. --Kate Tuttle, The L.A. Times

Rush is a fantastically vivid writer, whether he's remembering a New Jersey of 'meatballs and Windex and hairspray' or the dappled, dangerous beauty of Northern California, where 'rock stars lurked like lemurs in the trees.' Read if you loved... Just Kids by Patti Smith. --Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

"As mythic and wild with love, possibility, and danger as the decades it spans, you'll read The Light Years with your breath held. Brutal, buoyant and wise to the tender terror of growing up, Chris Rush has written a timeless memoir of boyhood in the American wilderness." --Emma Cline, author of The Girls

Chris Rush was born into a prosperous, fiercely Roman Catholic, New Jersey family. But underneath the gleaming mid-century house, the flawless hostess mom, and the thriving businessman dad ran an unspoken tension that, amid the upheaval of the late 1960s, was destined to fracture their precarious facade.

His older sister Donna introduces him to the charismatic Valentine, who places a tab of acid on twelve-year-old Rush's tongue, proclaiming: "This is sacrament. You are one of us now."

After an unceremonious ejection from an experimental art school, Rush heads to Tucson to make a major drug purchase and, still barely a teenager, disappears into the nascent American counterculture. Stitching together a ragged assemblage of lowlifes, prophets, and fellow wanderers, he seeks kinship in the communes of the west. His adolescence is spent looking for knowledge, for the divine, for home. Given what Rush confronts on his travels--from ordinary heartbreak to unimaginable violence--it is a miracle he is still alive.

The Light Years is a prayer for vanished friends, an odyssey signposted with broken and extraordinary people. It transcends one boy's story to perfectly illustrate the slow slide from the optimism of the 1960s into the darker and more sinister 1970s. This is a riveting, heart-stopping journey of discovery and reconciliation, as Rush faces his lost childhood and, finally, himself.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Picador USA
Published: 03/24/2020
ISBN: 9781250251190
Pages: 384
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.30w x 1.10d
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SKU: 72940083957

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Charles M.
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Froths Milk in Seconds
Color: Black
Frother I had for a couple of years broke. Based on reviews I bought this. Love it being rechargable. The POWER! It froths milk in seconds. Also great for that after workout protein drink. Also is a little longer than my last frother so it works great with larger glasses.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
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Kimberly
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Best kitchen device!!
Color: Black, Color: Black
This frother is absolutely amazing such power behind it . Quality is just as amazing made very rugged. And I love the stand and the best thing about it is no more batteries to change now we just charge it up. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this product to everyone and I will be buying more of these for gifts and more for our winter home also. You won’t be disappointed at all.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026
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Heather Montgomery
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Works as described
Color: Black
Love this whisk. I have arthritis and this is light weight enough for me to use. I love the push button, and the stand for it. It’s really easy to clean, and it blends my shakes nicely without leaving the powder behind.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2026
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James
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Very Powerful Frother!!
Color: White
I’ve been using a frother daily for my drinks, and this one really impressed me with its power for such a compact size. It blends heavier powders into smooth, clump-free mixtures in seconds. I’m a big fan of the build—the metal whisk gives it a solid feel, and it comes with a stand to keep it neat on the counter instead of being shoved in a drawer. Cleaning is a breeze, just a quick rinse, and the rechargeable battery lasts much longer than I anticipated between charges. Just a little tip: start in a taller cup and don’t fill it all the way to the top, as this thing can create a serious vortex if you’re not careful. Overall, it’s been a super handy little tool, and I’m so glad I bought it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2026
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JMB
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Mixes my protein shake powder
Color: Blue
My husband and I both drink protein shakes daily. We have vortex mixers that work great, but they are plastic and getting old, and really needed to be replaced. In an effort to reduce microplastics in our lives, I am trying to use less plastic mixing cups. I couldn't find anything small enough (other than regular blenders) with glass and metal parts that would work well for us. During my search on here, several frothers showed up. This one caught my eye because of the amount of sales, quick delivery, and of course, decent pricing. Some of the reviews had me a little skeptical, and time will tell regarding the longevity, but so far I am pleased. My protein powders are on the heavy side, but this little frother really gets the job done. Instead of having to use separate mixing cups (saving me on dishwashing), I just use my morning coffee cup (it's big enough) to mix my protein shake in. My husband just uses a regular glass. Neither of us can believe the power this little thing has. We are getting smooth shakes! Here is what I really like about it: It is powerful and mixes well; the frother is metal and not plastic; it cleans extremely easy; after making several shakes the battery has not died; can be used in glasses, coffee cups, even disposable cups (when we buy donut shop coffee); and I love the little stand which takes up barely any counter space. Less plastic, less clean-up, dependable (so far), and small, making it convenient even for travel. I'm really glad I got this, and hope it will last. One last thing, do not turn it on while cleaning under running water. (Yes, you can laugh.)
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Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2026

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