Pub. Date: November 21st, 2017
Pages: 340
At seventy-three, eccentric widow Clara Breckenridge is on a last-ditch journey to reconcile with her estranged son, finally confront the guilty secrets surrounding her daughter’s death, and maybe find love again before she dies miserable and alone. But Clara is her own worst enemy. Rigid and afraid of change, she has cocooned herself in her old house to escape from life. Magic purple wasps saved her as a child from an abusive father and they want to help her now, but wasps only live 120 days. Clara’s time is running out.
When her beloved house is slated for demolition, she panics and persuades her son to haul the house from Eugene to Jackpot, Nevada, where Clara’s life is turned upside down by two troubled young people. Can the rowdy purple wasp, a spirit guide with surprising powers, help Clara confront her past and join life again or is it too late? Clara at the Edge is imaginative, eventful, sometimes funny and deeply moving.
Praise for Clara at the Edge
“Clara is a fascinating, feisty character….The writing is haunting and lyrical, and frequently ripples with humor and heart….Clara truly is at the edge of something greater than herself....[and her] story unspools in a compelling and engaging way.”—FOREWORD REVIEWS
"Fox’s writing says yes to every surreal and absurd possibility life offers."—BOOKLIST
“Who knew wasps could be protectors, champions, and the best friends a girl ever had? Maryl Jo Fox has written a wild, enchanting, constantly surprising story of one woman’s resilience, courage, and redemption through what may be a kind of magical insanity. Clara At the Edge kept me buzzing on every page.”—Diana Wagman, author of Life #6 and The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets
“This dazzling combination of riotous imagination with bottomless compassion makes this such a stellar debut. Readers will surely remember Clara and her crew— they are utterly distinct, and beautifully realized.”—Aimee Bender, author of The Color Master and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
"We will follow Clara anywhere."—Walter Kirn, author of Up in the Air and Blood Will Out
Buy the Book
About the Author
Maryl Jo Fox grew up in Idaho and studied music at the University of Idaho before transferring to UC Berkeley for a BA in English. She went on to earn an MA in English at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Her short fiction has appeared in Passages North, Bat City Review, and other journals. Her writing has also appeared in LA Weekly and the LA Times. She is a former president of the L.A. Drama Critics Circle. She has taught literature and composition at Pasadena City College, Glendale College, and others, and currently leads a novels discussion group at Vromans bookstore in Pasadena. She discovered her focus in a UCLA Extension Writers’ Program class, “Master Sequence in Magic, Surrealism, and the Absurd." Learn more at https://maryljofox.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/MarylJoFoxAuthor/.
It's Giveaway Time!!
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie I have one copy of Clara at the Edge to give away today! The giveaway is for one copy and is open to US addresses only. I'll make it super easy to enter: just leave a comment on this post about why you want to win this book (does the topic catch your fancy? Do you already enjoy the author's writing?) along with your email address so I can notify you if you are the winner. That's it!
Because I really appreciate anyone who follows my blog, if you do follow just leave a separate comment for each way you follow and you'll get extra entries for each (please state in each comment how you follow). I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner among all entries and will announce the winner here on Monday, November 27th, 2017. I'll also send the winner an email (don't forget to include your email address in your comment so I can notify you if you are my winner!) and they will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
Good Luck!!
This captivating novel appeals to me greatly since it is meaningful, unforgettable and involves family, regrets and what we feel as we get older. Since I am 70 in a month this resonates with me even more now. Love the characters and the story. Thanks for this fascinating feature and giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYou are so very welcome! Good luck in the giveaway!
DeleteI am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb9(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSounds like she has to make a big, brave step for someone at an age where things become so routine! I'd like to find out what happens.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
meredithfl at gmail dot com
Good luck in the giveaway, Meredith!
DeleteI'm happy to announce that traveler is my winner of a copy of Clara at the Edge! I'm sending off an email for mailing address now. Congratulations, traveler!!
ReplyDelete