Anarcho Grow - Pura Vida in Costa Rica

by T.A. Sedlak

Novel Is Ben Starosta an English teacher, a petty criminal, or a revolutionary? Enter T.A. Sedlak's stunningly vivid portrait of Latin America. A world of iridescent birds, fruit farmers, tight... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615309232
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: This Press Kills Fascists Publishing
• Length: 243 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Best New Author

The back cover asks, "Is Ben Starosta an English teacher, a petty criminal, or a revolutionary?" I won't ruin anyone's reading experience by answering that question, but I will say that he's a fascinating protagonist, and the journey to find out exactly who or what he is is a fun one. Starosta, however, isn't the only character of intrigue. T.A. Sedlak has a gift for creating multifaceted characters, characters that stick with a reader for a longtime afterward. Starosta may not be the character that you fall in love with, but there's bound to be one in Anarcho Grow for you. Interesting characters aren't the only thing to open Anarcho Grow for. As others mentioned, the description's amazing. While I've never had a big interest in visiting Costa Rica, I do now. After reading Anarcho Grow, I feel like I've already been there, and I have a connection with it. The most important fact of the book, though, is that it's a good story. There's far too many talented writers out there who can't come up with a good story. Multifaceted characters and quality description are great, but without a good story it doesn't add up to anything. T.A. Sedlak has it all going on, and I think his debut work, Anarcho Grow, could be the best of the year.

A Fun, Intelligent Tale.

I hadn't heard of T.A. Sedlak or Anarcho Grow when a friend of mine invited me to see him read at a book shop in Boulder. However, his bio sounded interesting, and the cover seemed somehow familiar. Later, I'd learn that the man who did most of Tom Robbins' covers, Leslie LePere, did the artwork for it. Anyway, T.A. Sedlak was a charismatic, affable character at the event, and the chapter he'd read, the first one, really drew me in. I picked up a copy and was treated to one of the most fun and interesting reads I've had for awhile. Anarcho Grow is literary but not overwhelmingly verbose. Sedlak uses a simpler diction, like Vonnegut or Hemingway. As those writers knew, more can often be said with less. His dialogue is simply superb. It moves the story forward similar to a play. And while Anarcho Grow is a quick read because of Sedlak's style and the exciting plot line, it still causes you to set it down at times, so that you can let all that's said sink in. The author is a clever guy that surely has something to teach the world, and he can spin one heck of a yarn.

A gripping and entertaining novel of Latin America, highly recommended

Sometimes the best way to success doesn't sit well with everyone. "Anarcho Grow: Pura Vida in Costa Rica" is the tale of Ben Starosta, a man who takes the burden of helping a Costa Rican village called Quebrada Grande prosper. When traditional methods fail, he introduces the idea of growing marijuana to the village, and the village reaps the rewards. But the gray morality crop soon attracts the attention of the U.S. government, and leads to many criminal and political problems for Starosta. "Anarcho Grow" is a gripping and entertaining novel of Latin America, highly recommended.

Real Page Turner

The vivid cover enticed me to pick this book up, thinking Anarcho Grow would bring me back to the summer I spent in Costa Rica a few years ago. Author T.A. Sedlak didn't disappoint. The sounds, sights, and smells in the first few pages took me right back, actually in the country, among the people-not the view from a club med. He didn't romanticize it or make it a dark Conradian place. It was just right, real. I felt I was with the protagonist in the bus winding up the mountain roads, walking down the cracked sidewalks, or eating the morning's gallo pinto. The characters were as rich as the descriptions. In a book which holds a socio-political belief at its center, it doesn't draw lines between good and evil as simple stories do. T.A. shows us that the line plays tricks on us. Characters we hold dear or despise come to surprise us. Like us, the characters are complex. My only complaint is T.A. only has this book out. I flew threw it in three days and can't find anything else by him. Hope he's working on his next novel.

Sensational

Take this wonderful journey through Costa Rica to discover who Ben Starosta really is. T.A. weaves a descriptive tale of romance, adventure & suspense, which will keep you guessing until the very end.