The Girl from Charnelle
Reviews
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Willa Award Winner for Contemporary Fiction
Library Journal Starred Review Southwest Book of the Year Selection Editor's Choice pick of the Historical Novel Society School Library Journal Best Adult Book for High School Students Finalist, James Jones First Novel Award A Mississippi Press/Gulf Coast Live Best Book of the Year It’s 1960 in the Panhandle town of Charnelle, Texas — a year and a half since sixteen-year-old Laura Tate’s mother boarded a bus and mysteriously disappeared. Assuming responsibility for the Tate household, Laura cares for her father and three brothers and outwardly maintains a sense of calm. But her balance is upset and the repercussions of her family’s struggles are revealed when a chance encounter with a married man leads Laura into a complicated relationship for which she is unprepared. As Kennedy battles Nixon for the White House, Laura must navigate complex emotional terrain and choose whether she, too, will flee Charnelle. Dramatizing the tension between desire and familial responsibility, The Girl from Charnelle delivers a heartfelt portrait of a young woman’s reckoning with the paradoxes of love. Eloquent, tender, and heart-wrenching, K. L. Cook’s unforgettable debut novel marks the arrival of a significant new voice in American fiction. Praise for The Girl From Charnelle "The Girl from Charnelle burrows not just under the reader's skin, but into the flesh as well. K. L. Cook has given us a taut, textured tale that's grounded in both character and place." ~ Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls “The Girl from Charnelle and K. L. Cook give us characters we care about—even grow to love—set inside a story that strikes deep, the way important novels used to do. This story of running from oneself to find oneself is beautiful and tender and moving and true.” ~ Bret Lott, author of Jewel and A Song I Knew by Heart “In The Girl from Charnelle K.L. Cook has written a brilliant portrait of a small-town teenage girl, whose secret affair shows such a complicated mix of will and entanglement, desire and accident, that it feels utterly true. The novel unfolds with a rare suspense, as it moves its characters through the threat of discovery and the after-effects of family disaster. A fresh and indelible book.” ~ Joan Silber, National Book Award finalist author of Ideas of Heaven “K. L. Cook is the best kind of storyteller—he creates compelling characters and dives deeply through the wreckage of their lives, exploring the darkest corners and returning with pieces of courage, love, and hope. The Girl from Charnelle will capture your heart, and stay with you, long after you turn the last page.” ~ Hannah Tinti, author of Animal Crackers “After reading The Girl from Charnelle, I'm so convinced by K.L. Cook’s writing that I believe Laura Tate is a real person with a beating, aching heart, so full of longing and loneliness that she might burst. I loved her, I was frustrated with her, I was happy for her, sad for her, but the best part is that I felt I knew her. She’s an amazing and lovely creation, and I'm honored to have met her within the pages of this book. The Girl from Charnelle grabs hold of the reader on the first page and never lets go, always building the tension, always adding another layer to this beautiful, entertaining, and ultimately profound meditation on family, friendships, and sex. This book is expertly rendered in the hands of a writer who—if we live in a just world—will soon be known throughout the country.” ~ Silas House, author of A Parchment of Leaves and The Coal Tattoo |