Written of and from the gut and the heart . . . Fante was my god -- Charles Bukowski A powerful and moving read * * Guardian * * A tough and beautifully realised tale - affecting, powerful and poignant * * Time Out * * This stunning novel, as Charles Bukowski's 1980 foreword outlines, was the reason he became a writer. Is there any better recommendation? * * Uncut * * Bandini is a magnificent creation, and his discovery is not before time * * Times Literary Supplement * *

Arturo Bandini arrives in Los Angeles with big dreams. But the reality he finds is a city gripped by poverty. When he makes a small fortune from the publication of a short story, he reinvents himself, indulging in expensive clothes, fine food and downtown strip clubs. But Bandini's delusions take a worrying turn when he is drawn into a relationship with Camilla Lopez, a beautiful but troubled young woman who will be responsible for his greatest downfall. Ask the Dust is an unforgettable novel about outsiders looking in on a town built on celluloid dreams.