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What Luck, This Life

A story of resilience and community in a small town

Kathryn Schwille author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Hub City Press

Published:1st Nov '18

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What Luck, This Life cover

The narrative of What Luck, This Life weaves together the lives of a small Texas town grappling with tragedy and personal struggles.

In What Luck, This Life, Kathryn Schwille presents an imaginative debut novel that resonates with readers familiar with the works of Elizabeth Strout. Set in the small town of Kiser, Texas, the narrative unfolds in the wake of the Columbia space shuttle disaster, just six weeks before the invasion of Iraq. The aftermath of this tragic event brings a flurry of searchers and reporters to the area, forcing the residents to confront their own personal struggles amidst the chaos.

The story introduces a diverse cast of characters, each grappling with their own challenges. A shop owner finds herself defending against a sexual predator emboldened by his recent family rejection. Meanwhile, a father, facing the impending divorce that threatens to uproot his gifted son, embarks on a poignant journey as he retrieves the remains of an astronaut. Additionally, an engineer, longing for adventure, joins the search for debris and instead discovers buried emotions tied to a long-lost neighbor.

Through a rich tapestry of voices, What Luck, This Life explores the unexpected consequences of the Columbia disaster on a community already strained by issues of class, race, and lost opportunities. Drawing comparisons to Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, the novel weaves together themes of family upheaval and the inevitability of mortality, resulting in a poignant narrative filled with heartache, beauty, and warmth.

“A century after the publication of Winesburg, Ohio, Kathryn Schwille has created a similarly unexpected, and unexpectedly moving, portrait of a small town: this one in East Texas, in the wake of a tragedy. Her characters speak from the heart; their troubles and small triumphs speak to all of us.” * Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever and Archangel *
"Kaleidoscopic and incredibly moving, What Luck, This Life is the story of a hardscrabble town and the people who call it home. This is a book full of heart and wisdom." * Thomas Pierce, author of The Afterlives *
What Luck, This Life is an astonishing work of literary talent, surprising at every turn. The novel takes the catastrophe of a space shuttle blowing its fragments across the uninspired landscape of an East Texas town and in the search for remains uncovers a second set of catastrophes and secrets in the lives of the people on the ground. The characters are wild and desperate, but they are also us. For we are all cast out, looking for a return. From the tattered remains of disaster, Schwille creates a glimmering constellation of humanity, a flash of heavenly light. Just thinking about this book makes me feel more alive. * Elaine Neill Orr, author of Swimming Between Worlds *
A modern day Winesburg, Ohio. * Kirkus *
With this novel, Schwille has given us a landscape of longings, passions, and heartaches so real and deep we can almost walk around in it. The pieces of the Columbia fall on and bring into relief the whole rich array of lives and dramas that exist in Kiser, Texas--every one of them rendered with remarkable feeling. The result is a powerful portrait of Kiser and of the human condition. * Clare Beams, author of We Show What We Have Learned *

ISBN: 9781938235429

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

224 pages