A subtle and vivid tale of finding peace in the great outdoors.
A young man overcomes grief as he backpacks one of North America’s most arduous trails in a novel that celebrates nature and companionship.
When Gil’s mother asks him to join his father’s old friend Syd and hike the John Muir Trail—220 miles across the top of the Sierra Nevada mountains—Gil is less than thrilled. His mother thinks that the hike will help Gil get his life back on track, but he thinks he’s doing just fine watching kung fu movies, casually hooking up with women, and drinking to excess. In addition, Gil doesn’t want to be responsible for Syd, who’s dying of leukemia; indeed, Gil is convinced that the older man won’t be able to complete the hike. However, Gil is curious to learn more about his father, who passed away a decade ago, so he goes on the trip, ready to cut it short if necessary. So begins a story of two men, bonded by loss, who undertake one of America’s most challenging and beautiful hikes. The more time they spend on the trail, the more they develop a companionable rhythm. Initially miserable, Gil slowly learns to appreciate the nature around him, the community of fellow backpackers, and Syd himself, who’s full of wisdom and tales of how the John Muir Trail came to be. In his debut novel, Gallogly deftly mixes a history of people who helped to preserve the American wilderness with a portrayal of backpacking culture, all while unraveling a realistic story of a young man caught in a cycle of grieving and loss. Although the text is didactic at times, the author shines in his descriptions of the natural world as well as in his methodical portrayal of Gil and Syd’s blossoming relationship. The transformative power of nature is a palpable force that drives the narrative, which is at its best when it focuses on how outdoor living can foster human connection.
A subtle and vivid tale of finding peace in the great outdoors.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7374192-2-8
Page Count: 356
Publisher: SIERRA NEVADA PRESS
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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