Caroline Leavitt| Caroline Leavitt |
"I have long admired Caroline Leavitt's probing insight into people, her wit and compassion, her ability to find humor in dark situations, and, conversely, her tenderness toward characters other writers might merely satirize. All these qualities are on display in Pictures of You, which explores the many mysteries of grief--the things we can heal, and the things we can't."
Dan Chaon, author of Await Your Reply
"Pictures of You is the sensitive, nuanced story of two women, both running away, whose fates intertwine forever. Leavitt writes straight into the heart of each scene to find its rich, emotional undercurrents."
Kate Christensen, author of Trouble, A Novel
"Caroline Leavitt's new novel is an achingly wise tale about how each of us tries to shape our deepest sense of self, challenged not only by other souls in a similar pursuit but by the very forces of life itself, be they happenstance or destiny. In Pictures of You, Caroline Leavitt is a splendid writer at the peak of her powers."
Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain, and Hell
"I was mesmerized from the opening pages. Caroline Leavitt is a masterful storyteller. Here, she has created an elegantly structured, emotionally resonant novel that begins with tragedy, but quickly moves beyond it to the biggest questions in life: what do we do with what has been handed to us? How do we find redemption within loss? How do we open our hearts, knowing all that we know? This is a beautiful book."
Dani Shapiro, author of Black and White, Family History and Devotion
"Pictures of You is riveting and poignant and deeply moving. Caroline Leavitt has given us a beautiful and hypnotic exploration of the ways we heal -- and, yes, the ways we don't."
Chris Bohjalian, author of Secrets of Eden
"The extraordinary intersection of four lives sets the scene for this complex and deeply moving novel about love, loss, and letting go. In Pictures of You, Caroline Leavitt presents a deeply felt story you'll be thinking about long after you've turned the last page."
Michelle Richmond, author of The Year of Fog and No One You Know
"A complicated and complex near-mystery of a novel. I found it impossible to put this book down. Leavitt is a writer who can be trusted absolutely, and she has created a wonderful book that's as complicated, crushing, and joyous as life itself."
Robb Forman Dew, author of The Truth of the Matter, and Dale Loves Sophie to Death, National Book Award Winner
"Heartbreaking, suspenseful, and moving, Pictures of You contains all the elements I long for in a great story. This irresistible novel of families betrayed and dreams come true is wise in the ways of the human heart, a manifestation of hope, tragedy, and beauty."
Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Origin and The Language of Baklava
"Pictures of You is an enthralling amalgamation of a literary mystery and the story of one woman's search for self-fulfillment. A stunning coincidence results in a cruel fate, but the redemptive power of love offers the possibility of a second chance. Caroline Leavitt has written a page-turning novel; her characters spring from the heart. "
Binnie Kirshenbaum, author of The Scenic Route
"Pictures of You is a magically written, heartbreakingly honest snapshot of the people we leave behind and those we can't let go; a portrait of the full spectrum of the human heart. Caroline Leavitt is one of those fabulous, incisive writers you read and then ask yourself, Where has she been all my life?"
Jodi Picoult, author of Handle With Care
"In Caroline Leavitt's Pictures of You, we enter a world so authentic and nuanced in intimate moments, that we don't even notice there is a writer's hand directing it. We hear only Leavitt's characters, their bruised and poignant struggles and voices, their traps when fate and accident force them into choices so compelling, their lives will make even the hardest of readers' hearts open up. Leavitt navigates the deepest chasms of tragedy and shows us, in all her books, the journey of heroes."
Leora Skolkin-Smith, author of Edges and The Fragile Mistress
"Caroline Leavitt has been a book club favorite for years and her latest novel will be no exception. Pictures of You is scheduled for publication in January of this year and readers will be intrigued by the premise. Two women have abandoned their marriages and meet with unfortunate circumstances on a foggy Cape Cod highway. Only one survives the tragic car wreck and it deters her from starting a new life even as she realizes her life will never be the same. As two adults begin to pick up the pieces of shattered lives and figure out where and how to begin living again, readers will ponder along with them about the nature of love, forgiveness and self-preservation. This domestic drama is compelling and moving and readers should not be concerned that they find themselves waffling between the characters. Leavitt wants the readers to think about this unimaginable situation and how a person recovers to live a full and satisfying life."
Booklist Online