Valentine

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( 43,678 ratings, 5,610 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore is set in the gritty landscape of 1970s West Texas, focusing on the aftermath of a brutal crime in an oil boomtown. The narrative weaves together the lives of several women who grapple with the social and personal consequences of violence, drawing them into a struggle for justice and understanding amidst the harsh realities of their environment. The story explores themes of resilience, community, and the search for hope amid despair.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel may appeal to you if you enjoy stories with strong, resilient female characters set against a vividly depicted landscape. It delves into themes of justice, community, and survival, weaving a tale of interconnected lives in a small town affected by a brutal crime. With its poignant exploration of personal and collective struggles, it's ideal for readers who appreciate heartfelt and thought-provoking narratives.

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Valentine

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A top ten New York Times bestseller. With the haunting emotional power of American Dirt and the atmospheric suspense of Where the Crawdads Sing: a compulsive debut novel that explores the aftershock of a brutal crime on the women of a small Texas oil town.

The very definition of a stunning debut Ann Patchett

Brilliant, sharp, tightly wound, and devastating Elizabeth Gilbert

Quite simply one of the best books I’ve ever read Jeanine Cummins, author of American Dirt

Mercy is hard in a place like this. I wished him dead before I ever saw his face…

In a place like Odessa, Texas, choosing who to trust can be a dangerous game.

Mary Rose Whitehead isn’t looking for trouble – but when it shows up at her front door, she finds she can’t turn away.

Corinne Shepherd, newly widowed, wants nothing more than to mind her own business, and for everyone else to mind theirs. But when the town she has spent years rebelling against closes ranks, she realises she is going to have to take a side.

Gloria RamΓ­rez, fourteen years old and out of her depth, survives the brutality of one man only to face the indifference and prejudices of many.

When justice is as slippery as oil, and kindness becomes a hazardous act, sometimes courage is all we have to keep us alive.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore is celebrated as a powerful debut novel, noted for its breathtaking prose and unforgettable female characters. Reviewers commend its atmospheric and vivid depiction of rural life and adversity, drawing comparisons to celebrated works like those of Elizabeth Strout. The novel's exploration of themes like courage, hardship, and toxic masculinity, particularly through the lens of its women characters, has been especially highlighted, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008331962

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 March 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 230g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Elizabeth Wetmore is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her fiction has appeared in Epoch, Kenyon Review, Colorado Review, Baltimore Review, Crab Orchard Review, Iowa Review, and other literary journals. She is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and two fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council, as well as a grant from the Barbara Deming Foundation. She was also a Rona Jaffe Scholar in Fiction at Bread Loaf and a Fellow at the MacDowell Colony, and one of six Writers in Residence at Hedgebrook. A native of West Texas, she lives and works in Chicago.

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