27 December 2011

Today's Read: Night Swim by Jessica Keener

In Jessica Keener's Night Swim, Sarah remembers her fifteenth summer in 1970s Boston and the events that would forever change her and her family. My review of this emotionally realistic coming-of-age story will appear next week.
I've been through this hundreds of times, this stirring about the house at three, four a.m., this deep hour when people closest in my life, Alan—my husband—and three sons, dissolve like particles in a sea. Time at this hour doesn't follow lines but circles and dips into underwater caves.

. . . Then I turn off my computer, switch off my desk light, and in the darkness move down the hall to bed, returning to the past for answers, skipping as it is easy to do in my older mind from one year to the next, to a place that is no longer there. It's as if I [were] swimming toward forever, only backwards. (pp. 16-17)
—Night Swim, by Jessica Keener (Fiction Studio 2012; quotes are from uncorrected proofs)

Night Swim at Powell's
Night Swim at Book Depository
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19 comments:

  1. Daryl12/27/11, 7:54 AM

    Looking forward to the review!

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  2. Laurel-Rain Snow12/27/11, 8:02 AM

    Oh, this one sounds wonderful! I'm looking forward to your review.

    Here's MY TT POST and
    MY WEBSITE

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  3. Sandy Nawrot12/27/11, 8:02 AM

    That is some beautiful writing! Can't wait to hear more.

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  4. Michelle12/27/11, 8:11 AM

    Sounds a little mysterious!

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  5. Karen White12/27/11, 8:23 AM

    I think coming of age stories are my favorite. Can't wait to see your review.

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  6. Beth Hoffman12/27/11, 9:06 AM

    I'm eager for your review of this one!

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  7. bermudaonion12/27/11, 9:11 AM

    I can't wait to read your review since I was 15 in the 70s.

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  8. Jessica ( frellathon )12/27/11, 10:02 AM

    Oh that does sound like an interesting read. Thanks for checking out my teaser.

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  9. Zibilee12/27/11, 10:09 AM

    I loved this quote and will be excited to hear what you eventually have to say about the book!

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  10. Kathy Martin12/27/11, 10:36 AM

    That is very evocative writing. I don't know if I could handle a whole book of it. I'll be eager to hear what you think.

    I have a teaser from Winterling by Sarah Prinieas and from Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews this week. Happy reading!

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  11. Heather12/27/11, 11:17 AM

    Great teaser. This one sounds really good. My post: Santa Cruise

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  12. Anonymous12/27/11, 12:39 PM

    A very interesting teaser.

    http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/12/teaser-tuesday_27.html

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  13. Shelley Munro12/27/11, 1:55 PM

    This one sounds interesting, and I look forward to reading your review. Thanks for visiting me.

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  14. Fireflywishes12/27/11, 6:28 PM

    I'm super intrigued by what happened in her past that she keeps thinking about and that changed her life so drastically!

    Thanks for dropping by my blog, have an awesome New Years :)

    April @ My Shelf Confessions

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  15. Yvonne12/27/11, 7:35 PM

    This sounds like a great read!

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  16. Anonymous12/27/11, 8:22 PM

    Just that excerpt has me intrigued - adding to my TBR!

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd OUt

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  17. Jessica Keener12/28/11, 7:19 AM

    Thank you for selecting my novel for Today's Read. What an honor and a delight.

    Jessica

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  18. Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chick12/28/11, 10:08 AM

    I am excited to read this book next month for a tour. I just received it in the mail and want to jump on it right away. The passage you shared just makes me want to put everything else down and read it tonight! :)

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  19. Dorte H12/28/11, 5:08 PM

    "... swimming toward forever, only backwards" - how well put!

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