Friday, November 14, 2008

Star Struck

Pssst, did you hear? Publishers Weekly reviewed Lynne's novel Life Without Summer this week and they loved it! A STARRED REVIEW! Brava, brava, Lynne.

*Life Without Summer Lynne Griffin. St. Martin’s, $23.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-312-38388-6
Griffin’s fiction debut is a spellbinding tale of loss and hard-won redemption. When Tessa Gray’s four-year-old daughter, Abby, is killed by a hit and run driver, there are no witnesses. From first meeting, Tessa distrusts the detective assigned to the case and, with her journalism background and ties to newspapers in nearby Boston, she begins to dig for her own answers to the identity of Abby’s killer. Meanwhile, she vents her grief with Celia, a compassionate but reserved therapist. Celia’s story, with its tragic undertones, unfolds parallel to Tessa’s: Celia has a second marriage, a secretive teenage son and an ex-husband who makes her current family circle impossibly tense. At the office, Celia is practical and pulled together, but her home life buzzes with strife. Outside therapy, Celia’s and Tessa’s narratives remain separate until they shockingly intersect and lead the way to healing for both. Griffin’s carefully crafted characters ring heartbreakingly true and her finely wrought plot will snare readers from the first page. (Apr.)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting, Amy, Lisa & Hannah. I am over the moon about the review. Lynne

Anonymous said...

Lynne, congratulations! What a great review; now I really can't wait to get my hands on the book!

And, by the way, the new blog look is lovely.

Jacqueline Carney said...

Lynne, this sounds like such a worthwhile read. Can't wait.
Congratulations!

Jacqui

Judy Merrill Larsen said...

Oh, Lynne, how wonderful . . . I'm thrilled for you! I just wish I didn't have to wait until next spring to read it.

Anonymous said...

Lynne, your novel is sincere, beautiful, and touching. Congratulations on this wonderful review! There's more great news to come.

Anonymous said...

kristinspina and jacqueline--
Thanks for the kind words about my review. Glad you like the new look here at the writers' group.

Judy,
Thank you for always being so supportive! Though it's five months until publication, St Martin's is using the time wisely to position the novel. What more could a writer ask for?!

Ronlyn,
Your support and encouragement have meant a lot to me. And I know I speak for everyone here when I say thank you for generously offering advice to our readers this week.

Lynne

Anonymous said...

Wow. That is so cool! Congratulations. I looked for the book at Borders a while back, not realizing it wasn't out until April--isn't there a photo of you somewhere holding a copy? Tease!

I can't wait to read it.

Lynne Griffin and Amy MacKinnon said...

Hi Kira,
Yes, there was a photo of me holding a galley. And yes, they are a tease. I appreciate that you went looking for SUMMER in Borders--hopefully there will be plenty there in April. Lynne

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised - I snuck a peek at this a few weeks ago at Grub Street and was absolutely enthralled. The only reason I didn't gobble the entire book up on the spot was I wanted to wait so I can relax and savor it.

Looking forward to tomorrow's seminar!

Anonymous said...

What a nice thing to say, Leslie! I'm looking forward to class tomorrow too. I have high hopes we'll get a lot done in our time together. Lynne

Therese said...

Fabulous, Lynne! Congratulations. :)

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

Congrats! Sounds like a great novel!

Larramie said...

A starred review from PW on a debut novel speaks volumes, my congratulations, Lynne.

Patry Francis said...

Lynne, I'm thrilled for you! What a fantastic review--not just laudatory, but intriguing, too. It made this (already eager) reader even more avid.

Anonymous said...

Awesome review Lynne, congratulations. I have truly loved following you all through this process and hope that we blog readers will be able to stay connected and continue learning and being inspired through the journies of your future books as well!

Anonymous said...

Love this blog but dear god please make the green background disappear. It is very hard to read now.

Hank Phillippi Ryan said...

Yay! This is fantastic...is there a word that means "amazing but not surprising"? "Unbelievable but believable"? "Astonishing but appropriate"?

Can't wait to read it..

(My word verification word is "nutie." What a cute little word."

Tish Cohen said...

Wonderful, Lynne. I cannot wait to read this book!

Carleen Brice said...

Good for you Lynne! Yay!

Lynne Griffin and Amy MacKinnon said...

Thank you, Patry, Hank, Tara, Larramie, Therese, Tish, and Carleen. The support of my writer pals means so much!! Lynne