Grace Blewer, the author’s daughter, gives a heartfelt portrayal of Vermont teenager Emily Shepard. The local nuclear plant has had a meltdown, and Emily’s father, an alcoholic who worked there, may have been responsible. With both of her parents dead, Emily takes off on her own, finding herself in a dystopian world. Blewer captures all of Emily’s complexity—her emotional troubles, her ferocious determination to protect a homeless boy she stumbles across, and her longing for her beloved dog. While on the run, Emily creates a new identity—inspired by her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson. There’s no doubt that listeners will know this book shines in the audio format when they hear Blewer singing a Dickinson poem to a popular tune. M.N.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Over the next month, author Chris Bohjalian is sharing the journey he took, from inspiration to publication, for his 2014 novel Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, about a teen-girl runaway and aspiring poet surviving on the margins of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Tune in next Thursday for the next installment! Here’s Bohjalian on the inspirations that kicked off the book. It’s one […]
In four installments, author Chris Bohjalian is sharing the journey he took, from inspiration to publication, for his 2014 novel Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, about a teen-girl runaway and aspiring poet surviving on the margins of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Last week he talked about the inspirations that kicked off the book. Here he discusses why he often chooses female narrators […]
Kick off a year of reading awesomely with 10 new titles from luminaries including Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout, perennial bestseller Danielle Steel, and the legendary Joyce Carol Oates. With books ranging from a historical tale set during the birth of England, a disastrous bachelor party thriller, and a sensitively wrought expat drama, you’ll achieve your […]
In four installments, author Chris Bohjalian is sharing the journey he took, from inspiration to publication, for his 2014 novel Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, about a teen-girl runaway and aspiring poet surviving on the margins of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Previously he’s shared the inspirations that kicked off the book, and conceiving the book’s narrator. Here he discusses his writing and revision […]
In four installments, author Chris Bohjalian is sharing the journey he took, from inspiration to publication, for his 2014 novel Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, about a teen-girl runaway and aspiring poet surviving on the margins of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Previously he’s spoken about his inspiration, his choice of a female narrator, and his process. In the final installment, he discusses the process […]