A Prayer for Owen Meany

A Prayer for Owen Meany is a novel by American writer John Irving, first published in 1989. It tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New England town during the 1950-60s. Owen is a remarkable boy in many ways; he believes himself to be God's instrument and journeys on a truly extraordinary path.

The story is narrated by John Wheelwright, a former citizen of New Hampshire, USA who has become a voluntary exile from the United States (having settled in Toronto, Canada and taken on Canadian citizenship).

The story is narrated in two interwoven timeframes. The first timeframe is the perspective of John in the present day (1987). The second (much larger) timeframe is John's memories of the past, growing up in New Hampshire in the 1950s and 1960s alongside his best friend, Owen Meany.

See MIRRORS for the audio.