Powerful and devastating. The language is so concise and brilliantly moving. Every word makes a massive impact in this slim, arresting poem.
The BrushThe Brush by Eliana Hernández-Pachón, (List Price: $17, Archipelago, 9781953861863, March 2024)
Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
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Some stories I’ve told again and again.
Like how the detectives stood in our kitchen, the table piled high with tackle boxes and plastic bags. I was eight then, and they pulled strands of hair from our scalps and held our fingers in their gloved hands. How tiny the arcs of my fingerprints must have been, each one placed in a square on the card, their lines like cresting waves. I remember holding it up to the light above our kitchen table, as if it were a map of some kind, but I never thought to look for letters or for symbols.
But other stories are unsayable. I’ve tried to write about Nina Athanassiades again and again, but the language fails me each time. I tell myself to write around it. To cluster those pieces. But they are simply too beautiful to touch.
― Kristine S. Ervin, Interview, Crime Reads
What booksellers are saying about Rabbit Heart
About Kristine S. Ervin
Kristine S. Ervin grew up in a small suburb of Oklahoma City and now teaches creative writing at West Chester University, outside Philadelphia. She holds an MFA in poetry from New York University and a PhD in creative writing and literature, with a focus in nonfiction, from the University of Houston.
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In We Are Okay Nina LaCour carefully reveals Marin’s grief and coming of age with depth and clarity. LaCour’s work is striking and memorable, with a singular attention to detail and arresting emotional honesty. This novel is beautifully executed and will resonate with every one of its readers.
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, (List Price: $17.99, Dutton Books for Young Readers, 9780525425892, February 2017)
Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina
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I could never anticipate how satisfying the ending of this story unfolded. Reading this reminded me of The Postcard by Anne Berest; jaw-dropping simplicity and sincerity directly from a person who survived a major trauma inflicted on their family as truth is revealed that you assume would be lost to the passage of time… Books like this give me hope that beauty can truly overcome even the direst of circumstances. How proud her mother would be of her for pulling together such a triumph of a book: to honor memories of the before, to allow space to heal, and to give voice and power back to those who deserve it.
Rabbit Heart by Kristine S. Ervin, (List Price: $27, Counterpoint, 9781640096370, March 2024)
Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina
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This is now one of my favorite books. I was devastated for myself and every character I had met along the way while reading this wonderfully crafted story. This book will rip your heart out and put it back together perfectly. I highly recommend When Sea Becomes Sky for readers young and old.
When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn, (List Price: $16.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 9781547610853, February 2023)
Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
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This is a beautiful little book. It is partly a helpful guide for folks going through losing a loved one, partly a meditation on how to live. Her drawings are simultaneously simple, emotional, and direct. Words are used sparingly, which lends them more value and meaning. I will keep this book, and buy multiple copies to give away to friends and family. The resource guide in the back is also extremely helpful!
How to Say Goodbye by Wendy MacNaughton, (List Price: 28, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639730858, July 2023)
Reviewed by Daniel Jordan, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas
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A June 2023 Read This Next! Title
A touching story about grief. Losing someone is never easy and often we never know what to do with those feelings. Cape shows us the beauty of remembering someone we’ve lost and how through remembrances we can find some peace.
Cape by Kevin Johnson, (List Price: 18.99, Roaring Brook Press, 9781250840509, June 2023)
Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Another new book by Salvatore and another five-star read. They’re three for three with this reader! Twins Alex and Olly lost a lot when their father went to prison. Their mom works all the time at three jobs, and most of their friends abandoned them. But they’re keeping together. At least, until their dad dies. Suddenly Alex is spiraling and Olly doesn’t know how to help her. Add in the complication of a half-brother they knew nothing about and it’s a recipe for disaster. Can they pull themselves out of this mess before one or all of them self-destruct?
No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore, (List Price: 19.99, Bloomsbury YA, 9781547611072, May 2023)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
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Simon has my heart! His spirit, authenticity, and humor make him one of the most compelling characters I’ve met in a long time. Simon, along with his parents, show that trauma changes us in terrible & beautiful ways that create something new. This tough but tender novel shines with hope and resilience. As Dolly Parton says, laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.Please don’t let the subject matter push you away from this wonderful, funny, and important book. It’s a perfect example of its OK to read dark things, our lives are full of dark things and fictional characters working their way towards the light helps us do the same. Simon Sorta of Says is fantastic!
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow, (List Price: $16.99, Disney-Hyperion, 9781368082853, January 2023)
Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
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A February 2023 Read This Next! Title
When Sea Becomes Sky is a book that needs to be read spoiler free, but what I can tell you is that this is Gillian McDunn at her finest. The intersection of science and art is a perfect complement to the interpersonal relationships in the book, every single detail adds a layer and a complexity the story that makes this one to sit and think about. I love how careful McDunn is with her characters and their emotions – and the experience of her readers. Bex and her family will stay in my heart for a very, very long time.
When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn (List Price: $16.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 9781547610853, February 2023)
Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly is a gut-punch of a novel. Its portrayal of grief is raw and furious and heartbreaking. Following the death of his mother, Asher Hunting rotates through therapists and bereavement groups, trapped in a cycle of anger and pain. He wants nothing more than to get revenge on the drunk driver who killed his mother, but avoided jail time on a technicality. Along with an unexpected group of friends from the bereavement groups–teens Sloane and Will and 80-year-old Henry– Asher embarks on a road trip from New Jersey to Graceland in hopes of revenge and closure. Four for the Road is a moving examination of the anger that accompanies grief and the earth-shattering reality of loss. For anyone who has ever lost someone, Four for the Road holds a mirror up to the jagged edges that are left behind and validates that being in pieces is okay.
Four for the Road by K. J. Reilly, (List Price: $19.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665902281, August 2022)
Reviewed by Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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They say truth is better than fiction and with Magic Season I completely agree. Wade and his rigid engineer father had a contentious relationship for quite awhile. When Ted learns he is dying Wade returns home for one final season of the one thing the men share a passion for-The St Louis Cardinals. This is inspiring and heartwarming and told with Wade’s poignant sense of humor. It gives hope to any one suffering from a desire to have a close relationship with a parent. There is always a chance for your team in baseball and a relationship with your parent.
Magic Season by Wade Rouse, (List Price: $27.99, Hanover Square Press, 9781335475176, May 2022)
Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
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When Amy Bloom’s husband of 15 years is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he decides to end his life on his own terms – “to die on his feet, not live on his knees”. In Love is an account of how the couple made that happen, as well as a celebration of their love. It’s by turns honest, raw, unsentimental, funny, captivating, powerful and utterly devastating. I devoured it in less than a day – an experience that left me emotionally wrung out, but also very glad to have done so.
In Love by Amy Bloom, (List Price: $27.00, Random House, 9780593243947, March 2022)
Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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I loved this collection. Collins lets his reader know that he is writing for himself, fully knowing he is not an established poet. I normally do not read poetry, and I felt relaxed and ready to see what he had to say. It was a treat to see a very public person open up like this.
Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You by Misha Collins, (List Price: $14.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 9781524870546, October 2021)
Reviewed by Sissy Gardner, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
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Sing Like No One’s Listening is a unique story with intriguing characters that will keep you interested until the end. Nettie Delaney is accepted into a prestigious school for the performing arts. The only obstacle on her way to success is that she has not been able to sing in public since her mother’s death. Nettie must overcome her grief and other challenges in order to find her voice again.
Sing Like No One’s Listening by Vanessa Jones, (List Price: $10.99, Peachtree Publishing Company, 9781682633311, October 2021)
Reviewed by Lady Smith, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama
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