NEW BOOKS

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Twenty-one-year-old Mallie Williams—scrappy, headstrong, and wise beyond her years—has just landed on her feet following a tumultuous youth when the unthinkable happens: she is violently assaulted. The crime leaves her comatose, surrounded by friends and family who are hoping against hopes for a full recovery.

But soon Mallie’s small community finds themselves divided. The rape has left Mallie pregnant, and while some friends are convinced that she would never keep the pregnancy, others are sure that a baby would be the only good thing to come out of all of this pain. Who gets to decide? How much power, in the end, do we have over our own bodies? Mallie, her family, and her town find themselves at the center of a media storm, confronting questions nobody should have to face. And when Mallie emerges from the fog, what will she think of the choices that were made on her behalf?

The Opposite of Fate is an intense and moving exploration of the decisions we make—and don’t make—that forever change the course of our lives.

One of Parade‘s “20 Most Anticipated Books of Early 2020”
One of Working Mother‘s “20 Most Anticipated Books of 2020”
One of Beyond the Bookends‘ “New Releases for Winter 2020”
One of She Reads‘ “7 Books About Strong Women”
One of Crime Reads’ “9 Novels to Read in February”

Screen Shot 2020-03-24 at 11.42.33 AM Somewhere in the world
the world so far
the world so wide
someone is the youngest person alive.

What will be the first sights they see?
Sun and moon and sky…
the love in someone’s eye?

From the magic of a baby’s first sights and sounds to a wish for a far-off day, evocative text and gorgeous illustrations are imbued with the tenderness felt between parents and child. A perfect gift for new mothers and fathers and anyone who cherishes those unforgettable moments—or dreams of a time when their children will see their own little ones smile at them for the first time.

Dear Sister, illustrated by the Oscar-winning artist Joe Bluhm. A graphic novel for ages 8 through 80, Dear Sister is a collection of notes and drawings from a brother to his little sister, beginning on the day she was born and continuing for ten years, until he goes to college. Funny, tender, honest and full of love.

To order a copy

From your local indie bookstore
From Amazon
From Barnes & Noble

What I Leave Behind, starring 16-year-old Will, who’s one of those charming people that everyone loves – maybe because he’s naturally cool, but probably because he’s fundamentally kind. This novel, written in near-verse, composed of 100 chapters of 100 words exactly. The brevity of the passages and the need to infuse them with profound emotion worked a kind of magic on me. Will conjured himself up like a gift to the world. I hope he feels that way to readers. What I Leave Behind has received three starred reviews so far.

To order a copy

From your local independent bookstore
From Amazon
From Barnes & Noble

Never Coming Back, starring Clara Winter, the narrator of my previous novel Shadow Baby, Clara is 32 now and back in the Adirondacks to care for her mother Tamar, who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

“A luminous novel.” (Kirkus)

“Never Coming Back is a deeply moving exploration of growing up and growing old, and the ties that bind parents and children – and the mysteries that sometimes keep us apart.”—Chris Bohjalian, bestselling author of The Sleepwalker, Midwives, and The Sandcastle Girls

“Much to praise here but it is the remarkable characterization of the mother, the indomitable Tamar, who McGhee paints with such feeling, that lingers for me. A wise, humane book and a very special novelist.”—George Hodgman, New York Times bestselling author of Bettyville

“Alison McGhee returns to the landscape of the Adirondacks in this beautifully devastating novel about the things that remain unspoken between parent and child. Never Coming Back is an exquisite book, brim-full with nostalgia, love, regret, humor, yearning–and unforgettable prose.”—Julie Schumacher, author of Dear Committee Members

To order a copy:

From your local independent bookstore.
From Amazon.
From Barnes and Noble.