Catastrophe Theory: A Novel

by Rebecca Lowry Warchut

Overview

Due to a rare brain tumor, Vera Garcia' s soccer career is suddenly sidelined at the start of her senior year. When her single mother Eliza, terrified at the thought of losing her only daughter, clings too tightly, both Vera' s identity and her freedom are in jeopardy. They make it to St. Petersburg, Florida for surgery, just as Hurricane Phoenix' s trajectory turns directly toward them. As it churns closer and closer, past and present collide in a whirlwind of love, betrayal, and illusion. Will they succumb to loss, or like the phoenix, reinvent themselves,rewrite their stories, and rise anew?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781954907416
Publisher:	Woodhall Press
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	3 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Lowry Warchut brings characters and stories to life. For almost two decades, she's done this in the classroom and on the stage, and now she does it again in her debut novel Catastrophe Theory, inspired by the Dali museums in Florida and Spain. An alumni of Wake Forest University, Teach for America, and Bank Street College of Education, she currently teaches writing and social studies in Simsbury, Connecticut. She nurtures young voices by serving on the 2022 Girls Write Now Anthology Editorial Committee and running a NaNoWriMo Club. Rebecca lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

"While they ride out the storm, growth, betrayal, and new relationships—both romantic and familial—reach a fever pitch. A love letter to Salvador Dalí, the story acts as a vehicle to convey his philosophy... Like a Dalí painting, rich details permeate this unusual story." —Kirkus Reviews

"As sensational as its plot can be, the Catastrophe Theory raises heartfelt questions: What does it mean to be a family? How can we learn to trust again when our hearts are broken? And if the Big One finally came along, what would we want to save?" —Amanda Hagood, The Gabber

“From Surrealism, to the history of the banyan tree, to extreme storms, Warchut expertly covers a lot of fascinating territory in her debut novel. Catastrophe Theory is a triumph.” —Chandra Prasad, Author of Mercury Boys and Damselfly
 
“A beautifully-written modern saga of mother and daughter, told with grace and humor and wit. This book's finely-wrought portrayals of old friendships and young love reminds us of what binds us together and also what can tear us apart... and keeps you on your toes til the final page!”—Cambra Overend, Producer, SRO Productions
 
“In her stunning debut novel Catastrophe Theory, Rebecca Lowry Warchut weaves a vivid world of fascinating characters and the unexpected ties that connect them all. At the Dali Museum in the eye of a hurricane, the real and surreal combine, revealing that the truths of life often exist somewhere between the two.”—Sydney Shepherd, Bandits on the Run

From the Publisher

2022-08-17
A storm reveals buried secrets and budding romance against a surrealist backdrop.

Vera, once a talented high school soccer star, has lost her vision—and with it, her ability to play—due to a tumor in her pituitary gland. Doctors are hopeful that brain surgery will restore her sight, and Vera and her doting mother, Eliza, must travel from their Tennessee home to Florida for the procedure. It soon becomes apparent that Eliza, an admirer of Salvador Dalí, may have had ulterior motives when selecting a hospital so near the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg. On the eve of Vera’s 18th birthday, a serious hurricane forces her and others, some strangers and some with deep connections, to take shelter in the museum, which has been built to withstand extreme elements. While they ride out the storm, growth, betrayal, and new relationships—both romantic and familial—reach a fever pitch. A love letter to Salvador Dalí, the story acts as a vehicle to convey his philosophy and detail the finer points of the museum’s building and grounds in addition to introducing a lengthy list of his works. The uneven character development unfortunately leaves some motivations murky. Departing from typical young adult novel norms, most of the alternating viewpoint chapters are written from the adults’ perspectives; Vera is the only significant teen character. Main characters are assumed White.

Like a Dalí painting, rich details permeate this unusual story. (discussion questions) (Fiction. 16-adult)

Kirkus Reviews