Synopses & Reviews
“Brilliant . . . A tale that is as gripping as any Everest expedition--and that is also tender and terrifying and funny and, in the end, so true it seems inevitable . . . I’m not sure there’s another American writing today who can lay down a love story, or any story, with the depth and appeal and freshness of Bill Roorbach.” —Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars and The Painter
When the “Storm of the Century” threatens western Maine, Eric closes his law office early and heads to the grocery store. In line ahead of him, an unkempt and seemingly unstable young woman comes up short on cash, so Eric offers her twenty bucks and a ride home. Trouble is, Danielle doesn’t really have a home. She’s squatting in a cabin deep in the woods: no electricity, no plumbing, no heat. She’ll need food, water, and firewood just to get her through the storm, and there’s a whole long winter ahead. Fending off her violent mistrust of him, he gets her set up, departs with relief, and climbs back to the road, but--winds howling, snow mounting--he finds his car missing, phone inside. In desperation, he returns to the cabin. And as the storm intensifies, these two lost souls are forced to ride it out together.
The Remedy for Love is an intensely moving, frequently funny story about the truths we reveal when there is no time or space for artifice.
“A superbly grown-up love story . . . Another expertly delivered portrait of the world from Roorbach, that poet of hopeless tangles.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
“One of the best novels of this or any year . . . A flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller.” —David Abrams, author of Fobbit
Review
"[A] superbly grown-up love story . . . Lyrical, reserved and sometimes unsettling . . . Another expertly delivered portrait of the world from Roorbach (Life Among Giants, 2012, etc.), that poet of hopeless tangles." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"One of the best novels of this or any year . . . A flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller." --David Abrams, author of Fobbit
"The Remedy for Love is not the remedy for sleep deprivation. You'll stay up all night . . . It is relentless and brilliant. Leave it to Roorbach to tease out the subtlest nuances in the progress of love while stoking a tale that is as gripping as any Everest expedition--and that is also tender and terrifying and funny and, in the end, so true it seems inevitable. I'm not sure there's another American writing today who can lay down a love story, or any story, with the depth and appeal and freshness of Bill Roorbach." --Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars
Review
“Snowbound in Maine, two strangers struggle to survive--fighting, flirting, baring secrets. Their sexy, snappy dialogue will keep you racing through.” —People
“A snowstorm hits a small town in Maine, trapping strangers in a cabin: Danielle, who is homeless, and Eric, a lawyer who swoops in to help her. As temps drop, tensions rise and passions flare.” —Good Housekeeping
“The Remedy for Love is a page-turner, a love story and a vivid drama of man (and woman) against the elements. Those who read and loved Roorbach's sprawling, eccentric Life Among Giants, coming to HBO as a dramatic series, will be a little surprised to see that The Remedy for Love is nothing like it--except that it's a great read by a wonderful writer who obviously has many tricks up his sleeve.” —Newsday
“[A] superbly grown-up love story . . . Another expertly delivered portrait of the world from Roorbach (Life Among Giants, 2012, etc.), that poet of hopeless tangles.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Part survival tale and part romance . . . Roorbach does well in the limited space, keeping the narrative tight without being claustrophobic . . . There’s more depth to the fierce and mercurial Danielle than meets the eye, which gives [the characters'] interactions spark as the storm rages outside and something even more powerful develops within.” —Booklist
“One of the best novels of this or any year . . . A flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller.” —David Abrams, author of Fobbit
“The Remedy for Love is not the remedy for sleep deprivation. You’ll stay up all night . . . It is relentless and brilliant. Leave it to Roorbach to tease out the subtlest nuances in the progress of love while stoking a tale that is as gripping as any Everest expedition--and that is also tender and terrifying and funny and, in the end, so true it seems inevitable. I’m not sure there’s another American writing today who can lay down a love story, or any story, with the depth and appeal and freshness of Bill Roorbach.” —Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars Review quotes
Synopsis
A page-turner, a love story and a vivid drama of man (and woman) against the elements . . . A great read by a wonderful writer. Newsday
When the Storm of the Century threatens western Maine, Eric closes his office early and heads to the grocery store. In line ahead of him, an unkempt and seemingly unstable young woman comes up short on cash, so Eric offers her twenty bucks and a ride home. Trouble is, Danielle doesn t really have a home. She s squatting in a cabin deep in the woods: no electricity, no plumbing, no heat. Eric, with problems of his own, tries to walk away, but finds he can t. Fending off her mistrust of him, he gets her set up with food, water, and firewood, and departs with relief. But when he climbs back to the road, his car is gone, and in desperation he returns to the cabin. As the storm intensifies, these two lost souls are forced to wait it out together.
Deeply moving, frequently funny, The Remedy for Love is a story about the secrets revealed when there is no time or space for anything but the truth.
A superbly grown-uplove story. Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Brilliant . . . A tale that is as gripping as any Everest expedition--and that is also tender and terrifying and funny and, in the end, so true it seems inevitable. Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars and The Painter
Roorbach . . . is at the top of his literary game here. He is masterful in inviting readers along, allowing them to slowly get to know these two strangers as they get to know one another. Portland (Maine) Press Herald
Snowbound in Maine, two strangers struggle to survive--fighting, flirting, baring secrets. Their sexy, snappy dialogue will keep you racing through. People
One of the best novels of this or any year . . . A flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller. David Abrams, author of Fobbit"
Synopsis
“A flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller.”*
“One of the best novels of this or any year.” —*David Abrams, author of Fobbit
“A superbly grown-up love story . . . Another expertly delivered portrait of the world from Roorbach, that poet of hopeless tangles.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred, named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2014
“The Remedy for Love is not the remedy for sleep deprivation. You’ll stay up all night . . . I’m not sure there’s another American writing today who can lay down a love story, or any story, with the depth and appeal and freshness of Bill Roorbach.” —Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars and The Painter
Praise for Life Among Giants
“A bighearted, big-boned story . . . Life Among Giants reads like something written by a kinder, gentler John Irving . . . Roorbach is a humane and entertaining storyteller with a smooth, graceful style.” —The Washington Post
“Hilarious and heartbreaking, wild and wise, Bill Roorbach’s Life Among Giants, which is earning comparisons to The World According to Garp, is a vivid
chronicle of a life lived large.” —Parade
“Consistently surprising and truly entertaining . . . Part thriller, part family drama, Life Among Giants is deliciously strange and deeply affecting.” —The Boston Globe
“A dizzy romp . . . Alive, electric and surprisingly dangerous.” —The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Bill Roorbach is the author of nine books of fiction and nonfiction, including the Flannery O'Connor Prize and O. Henry Prize winner Big Bend; Into Woods; Temple Stream; and most recently, the bestselling Life Among Giants. The 10th anniversary edition of his craft book, Writing Life Stories, is used in writing programs around the world. His work has been published in Harper's, the Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, the New York Times Magazine, Granta, New York, and dozens of other magazines and journals. Life Among Giants was an Editor's Pick for Amazon's Best 2012, a Shelf Awareness Top Ten Best Fiction for 2012, and a winner of the Maine Literary Award for Fiction.