THE LAST HICCUP

Set in 1930s Russia, this darkly humorous, tragic, and ultimately heroic novel tells the tale of Vladimir, an eight-year-old Russian boy suddenly stricken with a chronic case of the hiccups. He soon finds himself spirited away to a Moscow hospital by the famous physician Sergei Namestikov, who puts him through a series of extraordinary - and often bizarre - treatments in an effort to find a cure. When Sergei's chief medical rival, the brilliant Alexander Afiniganov, discovers that beneath Vladimir's blank eyes lurks a pure, unbridled evil, he takes steps to remove the child from polite society. Abandoned by everyone but his hiccups, Vladimir decides to return to the world he once knew, encountering many strange people and situations along the way.

"Meades reveals himself [as] a gifted writer, deft with descriptions splashing surrealistic images. . . . An allegorical tale ripe with symbolism." - Kirkus Reviews
"This novel will amuse and touch lovers of original literature, both light and serious." - Library Journal
"The clean plotline and wacky, dark humor carry readers through every stage of his unusual story. . . . A strange and surprisingly touching novel about how people find good and evil where they look for them." - Booklist