Synopses & Reviews
With the same winning combination of humor and honesty that marked her recent nonfiction bestsellers,
Operating Instructions and
Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott's new novel gives us an exuberant, richly absorbing portrait of a family for whom the joys and sorrows of everyday life are magnified under the glare of the unexpected.
Rosie Ferguson, in the first bloom of young womanhood, is obsessed with tournament tennis. Her mother is a recovering alcoholic still grieving the death of her first husband; her stepfather, a struggling writer, is wrestling with his own demons. And now Rosie finds that her athletic gifts, once a source of triumph and escape, place her in peril, as a shadowy man who stalks her from the bleachers seems to be developing an obsession of his own.
Crooked Little Heart asks big questions in intimate ways: What keeps a family together? What are the small heartbreaks that tear at the fabric of our lives? What happens to grief when it goes underground? And what road must we walk with our flawed and crooked hearts?
Brilliantly written, inhabited by superbly realized characters, funny and human and wonderfully suspenseful, Crooked Little Heart is Anne Lamott writing at the peak of her considerable powers.
Review
"[A]n enchanting novel....Lamott again demonstrates her irrepressible, edgy humor and a new, deeper understanding of psychological nuance." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[T]his beautiful, warbling sequel [to Rosie] squeezes as much poetry as could possibly be extracted from a difficult adolescence." Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Wry and elegiac...a bittersweet testament to the family, wherever we might find it, and to finding grace in the commonplace." Chicago Tribune
Review
"[T]ender and buoyant....Vibrant with bright metaphors and funny dialogue, this is a sweet, complex, and compassionate tale." Donna Seaman, Booklist
Review
"As usual, Lamott's brand of winsome wisdom begins to grate just a bit....But the greater depth, complexity, and seriousness here make up for the smiley faces and rainbows." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Lamott's focus on the special dynamics of family interrelationships makes for a powerful story." Midwest Book Review
Review
"Eloquent, detailed, emotionally honest...Lamott deserves praise for telling it like it is." People
Synopsis
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - From the acclaimed author of Bird by Bird comes an exuberant, richly absorbing novel about a family for whom the joys and sorrows of everyday life are magnified under the glare of the unexpected. - "Eloquent, detailed, emotionally honest... Lamott deserves praise for telling it like it is." --People
Rosie Ferguson, in the first bloom of young womanhood, is obsessed with tournament tennis. Her mother is a recovering alcoholic still grieving the death of her first husband; her stepfather, a struggling writer, is wrestling with his own demons. And now Rosie finds that her athletic gifts, once a source of triumph and escape, place her in peril, as a shadowy man who stalks her from the bleachers seems to be developing an obsession of his own...
Synopsis
With the same winning combination of humor and honesty that marked her recent nonfiction bestsellers, Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott's new novel gives us an exuberant, richly absorbing portrait of a family for whom the joys and sorrows of everyday life are magnified under the glare of the unexpected.
Rosie Ferguson, in the first bloom of young womanhood, is obsessed with tournament tennis. Her mother is a recovering alcoholic still grieving the death of her first husband; her stepfather, a struggling writer, is wrestling with his own demons. And now Rosie finds that her athletic gifts, once a source of triumph and escape, place her in peril, as a shadowy man who stalks her from the bleachers seems to be developing an obsession of his own...
About the Author
Anne Lamott is the author of the novels, Hard Laughter, Rosie, Joe Jones, and All New People, as well as two works of nonfiction, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. A past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, she lives with her son, Sam in northern California.