Rubies, Swinging Hips and Labor Day

How cruel of me to wait this long, eh? My apologies for the delayed post. Excuses: yesterday's all-day Elvis marathon (I kid you not, watching every Elvis movie ever made is on my life list); coming up with yet another alter-blog identity.

This time the 2009 Golden Heart finalists are starting a group blog based on the collective Ruby Slippers we identified ourselves with in D.C. Basically, it's a Wizard-of-Oz, There's-No-Place-Like-The-Bestseller-List theme and we each need a Ruby/Red-based nickname. Since my Vortex peeps-mainly the walkingman-came up with InkyLuv for my Bond girl alter-ego, I thought I'd toss this one out for fun, too. Should it have something to do with time travel? Shame on you for even asking. Of course it should.

Now on to today's topic: Elvis' 1960 movie G.I. Blues

Okay, just kidding. But may I just indulge one bit-o-fantasy moment about that sleek, black lock of hair that screams to be touched when he moves just so? Ahem. I swear I was born in the wrong generation sometimes.

A Novel's Migration

Joyce Maynard has captured the beautiful angst and raw honesty of an adolescent protagonist in her latest release, Labor Day. It's the story of a thirteen year old boy named Henry, trying to fill a void for his emotionally-isolated single mother while coming to terms with his own awkwardness and curiosities. On a steamy Labor Day weekend in 1987, while on a rare outing to a discount store, Henry encounters a mysterious man named Frank who is injured and asks for assistance. They welcome the stranger, a prison escapee, into their remote, isolated world. The next five days shape Henry's coming-of-age perceptions on life and death, love and betrayal, desire and jealousy and forever alter the lives of everyone involved.

This was my first Joyce Maynard novel, but it won't be my last. Drawn with a beautiful poignancy and evocative, unforgettable characters, she explores the human condition in a masterful way. It's the perfect book to end the summer, and I'm so excited to send it out into the world and share it.

Vortex reader Todd will be the next stop on this novel's migration. I hope he'll add a note beneath my own and send it back out into the world to share. Todd, email me at la-mitchell@la-mitchell.com with an address where I can send it.

For those who didn't get the novel this time, head over to Todd's blog. Beg him to be next. Reserve your library's copy. Do what you can to find this novel (esp. you, walkingman, who reminded me of Frank at every page turn). Be sure to come back here and share what you thought. I'll have a special place set up just for that.

Happy Monday, everyone!

A Novel's Migration - The Official Thread

As promised, this is the space devoted to Joyce Maynard 's book Labor Day; and more specifically, the novel's migration from its humble beginning in my possession. I hope you'll stay to read the comments of those who had the novel before you and add your location and thoughts on the book. It's an experiment that can only happen with your help. Be sure to return often to see what happened to the book after it left you.

Thanks for visiting.