I Am the Messenger

傳信人，他會把溫暖與希望傳遞進入你的生活裡。即使要透過拳頭、啤酒、手槍和冰淇淋……
 

二十歲的無照計程車司機艾德已經當了一輩子廢物。他媽恨他，他弟前途光明，他爸酗酒早逝，他暗戀他的好友奧黛莉，但奧黛莉又是個到處招惹男人的風騷豔姝。艾德沒受過太多教育，牌技也差，收入又低，身旁的幾位好友和他同屬社會廢材敗犬族群。他養了一條十七歲的老狗，取名「看門狗」，這隻狗不但不愛洗澡，而且根本不會看門。

不過，艾德這輩子第一次挺身而出，就改變了自己的命運。

有天他和三位好友在回家路上先去銀行辦事，正好碰到強盜搶銀行。強盜搶到錢之後強索艾德朋友的車鑰匙，想要開著那輛車逃逸。艾德奮勇追逐搶匪，奪槍射車，協助警察將搶匪逮捕。霎時之間，他成了地區名人，閃光登圍繞著他，媒體標題都稱他是英雄。

「英雄」光環加在這位廢材頭上，他非常不自在。次日，有個神秘人士在他家門前留下一張撲克牌，指名要給這位英雄。牌上面只有三個地址，每個地址後面附上一個時間。奧黛莉提醒艾德，說不定這上面的時間地點，只有他這位「英雄」能出面解決。

於是艾德按照牌上的時間，前往第一個地點……這趟冒險就開始了。他曾從醉漢莽夫手上救下花容失色的弱女子，他也曾救護黑暗角落的兒童重獲新生，還曾領導一群徬徨迷途於人生道上的社會邊緣人找到希望。每次「任務」完成，又會有一張新的牌送到他門口。過程中他認識更多需要協助的弱勢族群，也開罪了黑社會勢力，還因此發現他摯友不為人知的一面，更進一步讓他對自己產生了不同的理解。

最後，艾德幫了自己一個最大的忙……

這是一趟最驚奇、最神秘詭譎的人生之旅。沿途有欣慰笑容，有暴力拳頭，也有人性關愛。

★本書中譯本由木馬出版

得獎記錄

★美國圖書館協會普林茲獎（2006年）

★美國「布告欄藍絲帶書獎」（2006年）

★《出版人週刊》最佳年度圖書！（青少年類，2005年）

★澳洲「童書委員會」年度最佳圖書。（2003年）

DON'T MISS BRIDGE OF CLAY, MARKUS ZUSAK'S FIRST NOVEL SINCE THE BOOK THIEF AND AN UNFORGETTABLE AND SWEEPING FAMILY SAGA.

From the author of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger is an acclaimed novel filled with laughter, fists, and love.

A MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR BOOK
FIVE STARRED REVIEWS

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?

Markus Zusak is the award-winning author of The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger, both Michael L. Printz Honor Books. An international bestseller, The Book Thief has sold over 4.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and has garnered worldwide critical acclaim. The New York Times called it ＂Brilliant and hugely ambitious. . . . It’s the kind of book that can be life changing,＂ and The Guardian (UK) said, ＂Unsettling, thought-provoking, life-affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told. It is an important piece of work, but also a wonderful page-turner.＂

Markus Zusak is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. He lives with his wife and children in Sydney, Australia.