Synopses & Reviews
Kristina Riggle, the acclaimed author of
Real Life & Liars, returns with a thought-provoking novel inspired by real-life events
Seventeen-year-old Morgan Monetti shocks her parents and her community with one simple act: She chooses to stand by the man everyone else believes has exploited her—popular high school teacher TJ Hill. Quietly walking across a crowded courtroom to sit behind TJ, and not beside her parents, she announces herself as the adult she believes herself to be.
But her mother, Dinah, wants justice. Dinah is a fighter, and she believes with all her heart and soul that TJ is a man who took advantage of her daughter. He is a criminal who should be brought to justice, no matter what the cost to his family.
Rain, TJ's wife, is shocked that her handsome, loving, respected husband has been accused of a terrible crime. But has her desperation to start a family closed her eyes to the fault lines in her marriage? And can she face the painful truths about herself and her husband?
Told from the perspectives of these three remarkable women, The Whole Golden World navigates the precarious territory between childhood and adulthood, raising questions about love and manipulation, marriage and motherhood, consent and responsibility. It's a novel both shocking and unforgettable in its power.
Review
“Love, loyalty and the murky nature of the truth, are at the fracturing heart of this astonishing novel about culpability, desire, and the ways we choose to see our world. Just breathtakingly good.” Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow
Review
“Kristina Riggle evokes characters so real that they are unforgettable in this compelling and absorbing story about predators, victims, and survival.” Priscille Sibley, author of The Promise of Stardust
Review
“Kristina Riggle writes womens fiction with soul.” Tiffany Baker, New York Times bestselling author
Review
“THE WHOLE GOLDEN WORLD is an engrossing coming-of-age story-- a complex portrayal of the hazy line between youth and adulthood, vulnerability and strength. It is a captivating story from start to finish.” Rebecca Coleman, author of THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD
Review
“In The Whole Golden World, Kristina Riggle sets complex characters on a heart-wrenching collision course--the result is an engrossing and unflinching story about the ways our choices affect individuals, families, and entire communities.” Meg Donohue, author of ALL THE SUMMER GIRLS
Review
“A stunning, ripped-from-the-headlines tale of the intersecting lives of three very different women. THE WHOLE GOLDEN WORLD showcases Riggles masterful ability to raise important questions about fidelity, deception, and truth - and make us question our own answers to them.” Sarah Pekkanen, internationally bestselling author of THE BEST OF US
Review
“Told from the viewpoints of these three strong women, this work is an intriguing look at an issue that strikes fear in the hearts of many parents. It is sure to attract fans of Jodi Picoults “ripped from the headlines” novels.” Library Journal
Review
“Riggle masterfully unfolds the families stories with just the right pace, tone, and drama, uncovering plenty of family secrets and emotional struggles without making it a soap opera. Fans of Jodi Picoult and Barbara Delinsky will devour this story.” Booklist
Synopsis
About the Author
Kristina Riggle is a published short story writer and coeditor for fiction at the e-zine Literary Mama. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband, two kids, and dog.