Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A contemporary debut novel about living in the shadow of Mark Twain's legacy, in his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.
Growing up, Laura Brooks felt stifled by her hometown of Hannibal, MO--a place ruled by its past, its hokey devotion to everything Twain, the small-mindedness of its inhabitants, and the rich/poor divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. What drove her away, though, was the complicated demise of her love affair with Sammy, that fateful 4th of July when the levees broke.
Laura hasn't kept much in touch with Hannibal in the ten years since she fled, and her family doesn't know what to make of her turning up unannounced. While she claims she's just home for a brief trip to take in Hannibal's high school reunion, she's carrying way too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is embroiled in small-town goings-on and when Sammy reappears on the scene, a deeper wound threatens to reopen. As the Mississippi rises once again, Laura wonders if running away might be the only answer.
Synopsis
Laura Brooks hasn't kept much in touch with her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, in the ten years since she fled. So now when Laura turns up unannounced, her family and friends don't know what to make of it. She claims she's just home for a brief trip and the Hannibal high school reunion, but she's carrying too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is once again embroiled in small-town goings-on--her unruly best friend Rose's contentious divorce, her 12-year-old godson Bobby's campaign to be the town's official Tom Sawyer, and the renewed interest of the man Laura once thought she'd marry: Sammy McGuire.
But Laura knew that leaving was her only option. She feared a stifling existence in a town ruled by its past, its mythological devotion to Mark Twain, and the economic and racial divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. And of course, there was that fateful 4th of July, when the levees broke. As the Mississippi rises once again, and a deep wound threatens to reopen, Laura wonders if running away once more might be the only answer.
A sparkling debut set in Mark Twain's boyhood town, FLOOD is a story of what it means to be lost... and found.
Synopsis
A sparkling debut set in Mark Twain's boyhood town, Flood is a story of what it means to be lost . . . and found.
Laura Brooks fled her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, ten years ago after a historic flood and personal heartbreak. Now she's returned unannounced, and her family and friends don't know what to make of it. She says she's just home for a brief visit and her high-school reunion, but she's carrying too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is embroiled in small-town affairs--the contentious divorce of her rowdy best friend Rose; the campaign of her twelve-year-old godson, Bobby, to become the town's official Tom Sawyer; and the renewed interest of the man Laura once thought she'd marry, Sammy McGuire.
Leaving town when she was eighteen had been Laura's only option. She feared a stifling existence in a town ruled by its past, its mythological devotion to Mark Twain, and the economic and racial divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. She can't forget that fateful Fourth of July when the levees broke or the decisions that still haunt her. Now as the Mississippi rises again, a deep wound threatens to reopen, and Laura must decide if running away once more might be the best way to save herself.
Synopsis
Winner of the Literary Fiction Category for the 2017 Best Book Award
A sparkling debut set in Mark Twain's boyhood town,
Flood is a story of what it means to be lost . . . and found.
Laura Brooks fled her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, ten years ago after a historic flood and personal heartbreak. Now she's returned unannounced, and her family and friends don't know what to make of it. She says she's just home for a brief visit and her high-school reunion, but she's carrying too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is embroiled in small-town affairs--the contentious divorce of her rowdy best friend Rose; the campaign of her twelve-year-old godson, Bobby, to become the town's official Tom Sawyer; and the renewed interest of the man Laura once thought she'd marry, Sammy McGuire.
Leaving town when she was eighteen had been Laura's only option. She feared a stifling existence in a town ruled by its past, its mythological devotion to Mark Twain, and the economic and racial divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. She can't forget that fateful Fourth of July when the levees broke or the decisions that still haunt her. Now as the Mississippi rises again, a deep wound threatens to reopen, and Laura must decide if running away once more might be the best way to save herself.