Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events: First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by Socrates Book Reviews; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by The Purple Booker.
Today’s feature is a new book to my shelves: At the Edge of the Haight, by Katherine Seligman.
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Intro: Root skimmed the sidewalk with his nose, sniffing at food wrappers, a black boot, and a pair of red tights someone had tossed in a perfect Z. I put my hand on his neck and nudged him past.
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Teaser: I wanted to kick Ash as he pushed me toward the man, who looked serious and so unhappy I couldn’t turn away. What was I supposed to do? (p. 59).
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Synopsis: Maddy Donaldo, homeless at twenty, has made a family of sorts in the dangerous spaces of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. She knows whom to trust, where to eat, when to move locations, and how to take care of her dog. It’s the only home she has. When she unwittingly witnesses the murder of a young homeless boy and is seen by the perpetrator, her relatively stable life is upended. Suddenly, everyone from the police to the dead boys’ parents want to talk to Maddy about what she saw. As adults pressure her to give up her secrets and reunite with her own family before she meets a similar fate, Maddy must decide whether she wants to stay lost or be found. Against the backdrop of a radically changing San Francisco, a city which embraces a booming tech economy while struggling to maintain its culture of tolerance, At the Edge of the Haight follows the lives of those who depend on makeshift homes and communities.
As judge Hillary Jordan says, “This book pulled me deep into a world I knew little about, bringing the struggles of its young, homeless inhabitants—the kind of people we avoid eye contact with on the street—to vivid, poignant life. The novel demands that you take a close look. If you knew, could you still ignore, fear, or condemn them? And knowing, how can you ever forget?”
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What do you think? Would you keep reading?
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Oh my. This sounds like an extremely intense read.
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Thanks, Catherine, I am also eager to read this one. Enjoy yours.
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Yes, I’d read more as I’ve been seeing this one around and it has my interest. Here’s mine:
http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/01/first-chapter-first-paragraph-tuesday_26.html
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Thanks, Diane, the title and story swept me back to a setting I enjoy.
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I’d keep reading!
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Thanks, Vicki, I am looking forward to it! Enjoy yours.
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I’d read on. My heart goes out to Maddy. I wonder how she ended up on the streets and what will happen to her. Hope it’s a good read for you! And thanks for checking out my teaser.
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Thanks, Laura, I hope so, too. Enjoy your pick.
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Intense. I think it’s great to choose this genre to present tough life in this neighborhood.
I am in Illinois, so I had to check what Haight meant! So I learned something new today
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Thanks, Emma, I am eager to read this one, and I’m glad you learned something new about SF history.
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I forgot to share here the link to my post, totally different world, in Paris!: https://francebooktours.com/2021/01/26/loving-modigliani-first-chapter-first-paragraph/
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Thanks!
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This sounds like an interesting one.
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Thanks, Yvonne, I am looking forward to reading it.
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Sounds intense. Love the cover.
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Thanks, Harvee…I think it will be intense!
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