In this "witty, heartfelt story of hope, forgiveness, and redemption,"* celebrated musician, actor, and activist Steve Earle shows that his talents are truly far-ranging and adds a "richly imagined"** novel to his list of achievements.

Rumored to have given Hank Williams the final morphine dose that killed him, Doc Ebersole lives with the famed singer's ghost--and not just in the figurative sense. In 1963, ten years after Hank's death, Doc has fallen to performing abortions and patching up the odd knife wound to feed his own addiction. But when a young Mexican immigrant appears in the neighborhood in search of Doc's services, miraculous things begin to happen.

"I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" is a brilliant excavation of an obscure piece of music history, a ballad of regret and redemption, and of the ways in which we remake ourselves through the smallest of miracles. *Booklist

**Kirkus