Lawlesspreviously published as the wettest county in the worldwas a new york times editors choice, and one of the san francisco chronicles 50 best books of the year. Buy a cheap copy of the wettest county in the world. His first novel, the third translation, was an international bestseller, translated into fourteen. The wettest county in the world is a remarkably compelling, highly intelligent, and deeply moving novel. E veryone in my family was aware that my grandfather used to run liquor when he was a young man. He is currently developing a drama series for warner brothers television based on his latest novelinprogress. The bondurant boys were a notorious gang of roughnecks and moonshiners who ran liquor through franklin county, virginia, during prohibition and in the years after. They are the main characters in the 2012 film lawless and in matt bondurant s novel, the wettest county in the world. During the prohibition period, the bondurant brothers were legendary for running moonshine. The show depicted the bondurant brothers as being intimidating figures who frightened the towns residents. Lawless the true story of the wettest county in the world.
Bondurant family has mixed emotions about lawless local. Matt bondurant author of the wettest county in the world. Jan 21, 20 the true story of twin brothers whose murderous killing spree created fear in rural tennessee and forged the foundation of a local legend that survives to this day. A former john gardner fellow in fiction at bread loaf, kingsbury fellow at florida state, and walter e. The bondurant brothers series of murders forged a legend mingled with fact and myth that thrives to this day in the rolling hills of tennessee where the scattered remains of their victims still are largely undiscovered. Based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, the wettest county in the world is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. The film stars shia labeouf, tom hardy, gary oldman, mia wasikowska, jessica chastain, jason clarke, and guy pearce. Aug 25, 2012 matt bondurant, the author of lawless. Lawless hits theaters august 31 book jacket based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, the wettest county in the world is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. His familys ancestral home was in franklin county, virginia. Based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, the wettest county in the world is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and.
The wettest county in the world an interview with dr. Matt bondurant s novel the wettest county in the world scribner 2008 was a new york times editors pick, and san francisco chronicle best 50 books of the year. He was convicted, along with twin brother pat, left, in the 1986 murder of gwen dugger, a. Charlie rakes is a special agent sent from chicago sent to crack down on illegal bootlegging in franklin county, virginia during the time of prohibition. Tom hardy shines as forrest bondurant, the oldest and smartest of the brothers. In 1931, in franklin county, virginia, forrest bondurant is a legend as immortal after surviving the war. Anderson hopes to reclaim his place in the literary world with an accurate portrayal of these tough men. Bondurant was born and raised in alexandria, virginia near washington, dc. Forrest bondurant is in a roanoke hospital with a wound alleged to have been inflicted by officer rakes when rakes and abshire halted two automobiles driven by the bondurant brothers at magpie creek bridge on the redfordrocky mount road. Dakin fellow at sewanee, matts short fiction has been published in journals such as prairie schooner, the new. Fast forward 80 years, jack bondurants grandson, robert, has taken over the family tradition of distilling moonshine, but legally this time. So much so that a movie, lawless, was made about them. The wettest county in the world by matt bondurant kirkus.
Based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles,the wettest county in the worldis a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. We discovered grandpa jack had a dark history read the above link haters. How old was the real forrest bondurant when he died. Fast forward 80 years, jack bondurant s grandson, robert, has taken over the family tradition of distilling moonshine, but legally this time.
Aug 23, 2012 my father started picking up all these articles on franklin county, says bondurant, 41, and there was a set of articles about the bondurant boys, in quotations, talking about them as a. Mar 24, 2017 the three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke, along with their sultry new hire jessica chastain, command the most lucrative bootlegging operation in franklin county, virginia. Pete bondurant, a 61yearold tennessee man convicted in one of. Pete bondurant, right, was released from prison dec. Pick up your bottle today at a virginia abc store near you. Matt bondurant is the author of the wettest county in the world 3. Evil twins show details brutal, merciless 1980s murders. The bondurant boys become the heroes of the mountain area as they fight to preserve their product and property.
Matt bondurants novel the wettest county in the world scribner 2008 was a new york times editors pick, and san francisco chronicle best 50 books of the year. The screenplay by australian singerscreenwriter nick cave is based on matt bondurant s historical novel the wettest county in the world 2008. Bondurant brothers prohibition franklin county virginia. Reduced to working for newspapers, the author of winesburg, ohio is there to report on the saga of the bondurant brothers and their bloody defiance of corrupt attorney charles carter lee.
Bondurant brothers are usually a name that comes up. The true story of twin brothers whose murderous killing spree created fear in rural tennessee and forged the foundation of a local legend that survives to this day. So much so that the movie lawless was made in 2012 based off of the bondurant brothers illegal moonshine business as written by matt bondurant, one of jacks grandsons, in his bestselling book. Matt bondurant is the author of three novels, the most recent of which is the night swimmer. The wettest county in the world is a suspense story dashed to tintype smithereens, each one a jewel.
Pete bondurant, featured on evil twins show for ala. Together with his brothers howard and the coward jack, the. The book tells of the trio during the depression and prohibition in rural virginia, who made a living bootlegging moonshine. Bondurant brothers distillery 9 e 3rd st, chase city, virginia 23924 rated 4. During the prohibition period, the bondurant brothers of franklin county, virginia howard, forrest, and jack were legendary for running moonshine.
The history of this story is fastenating and horrifying. Howard, forrest and jack, were bootlegging brothers during the prohibition era. Pat bondurant, left, and his twin brother, pete, in recent photos from the tennessee department of corrections. Matt bondurants latest bestselling book, the wettest county in the world, picked up by red wagon entertainment and sony pictures, is currently in postproduction and is scheduled to be.
The wettest county in the world, or lawless audiobook by. The three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke, along with their sultry new hire jessica chastain, command the most lucrative bootlegging operation in franklin county, virginia. Anderson hopes to reclaim his place in the literary world with an. The three brothers, known as the bondurant boys, were among the most notorious in the trade. Lawless is a 2012 american crime drama film directed by john hillcoat. The wettest county in the world book by matt bondurant. He was 65 years old when he had his throat slit from ear to ear at one of his bootlegging waystations. D uring the prohibition period, the bondurant brothers of franklin county, virginia howard, forrest, and jack were legendary for running moonshine. The bondurant boys were a notorious gang of roughnecks an moonshiners who ran liquor. Matt bondurant uses the history of his own family to tell the story of moonshining during the 20s and 30s in his book the wettest county in the world. The true story of the wettest county in the world youtube. The morning delivery december 19, 1930 surviving the shootout moonshine continues forrest bondurant nov. He is the youngest son of the late jack bondurant, one of three franklin county moonshinemaking brothers portrayed in the film, which is based on his nephew matt bondurants book the wettest. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the wettest county in the world.
The main source of the bootlegging business in franklin comes from the bondurant brothers, forrest, howard, and jack. Interviews and court records brings the saga of the bondurant brothers chilling murders back to life in a vibrant form that made one investigator who worked the case comment, its like reliving it again. A novel based on a true story ebook written by matt bondurant. The wettest county in the world based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, the wettest county in the world is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. Set in depressionera franklin county, virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits. Bondurant has sold three original screenplays and in 20 he secured a development deal with hbocinemax to write and executive produce an original onehour dramatic series. The real story behind lawless by matt bondurant by matt bondurant on 82712 at 1. Oct 14, 2008 matt bondurant uses the history of his own family to tell the story of moonshining during the 20s and 30s in his book the wettest county in the world. Bondurant does an excellent job painting a picture of the hardscrabble lives of people in virginias franklin county. He was convicted, along with twin brother pat, left, in the 1986 murder of gwen dugger, a 24. Elis avery, author of the teahouse fire brilliantly conceived, and so close to home, this novel proves matt bondurants burgeoning talent a book for thirsty american readers to guzzle down, a book for all young american writers to admire.
When sherwood anderson, the journalist and author of winesburg, ohio, was covering a story there, he christened it the wettest county in the world. Stymied by the overwhelming silence of the community, anderson took to the county roads, trying to find the bondurant brothers and break the secrecy surrounding the violence. Nov 09, 2008 the three brothers, known as the bondurant boys, were among the most notorious in the trade. Pete bondurant has completed his sentence for his role in a famously heinous crime.
My father started picking up all these articles on franklin county, says bondurant, 41, and there was a set of articles about the bondurant boys, in quotations, talking about them as a. Margot livesey, author of the house on fortune street and eva moves the furniture bondurant endows this gritty story with all the puzzlesolving satisfactions of a mystery. The bondurant boys were a notorious gang of roughnecks and moonshiners who ran liquor through franklin county, virginia, during prohibition and in the. The wettest county in the world is a 2008 historical novel by matt bondurant, an american writer who features his grandfather jack and granduncles forrest and howard as the main characters in the novel. Id gone in expecting a tough, bossy big brother, but hardys quiet portrayal of the strongest brother was a pleasant surprise. The novel is told from both the perspectives of the three bondurant brothers, mainly focusing on the youngest, jack, and of the writer sherwood anderson, who described fra. Sep 05, 2012 the bondurant boys become the heroes of the mountain area as they fight to preserve their product and property. These 3 men bootlegged gallons and gallons of moonshine all. Twin brothers pat and pete bondurant, whose crimes were. Based on the true story of matt bondurant s grandfather and two granduncles, the wettest county in the world is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. Eventually, they would be convicted of gwens murder, as well as two murders they. Bondurant boys as appalachian gangsters blue ridge. Bondurant brothers distillery virginia is for lovers. Lawless book by matt bondurant official publisher page.
Shia labeouf plays jack bondurant in lawless in theaters aug. Bondurant brothers distillery distillery chase city. Bondurant has immersed himself in the sights, smells and sounds of rural virginia, and the novel has almost a documentary feel. Now a major motion picture, lawless, starring tom hardy and shia labeouf.