Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen’s wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidentally hits and kills a girl on a dark country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, craft their lives in response to this single tragic moment. As one character says, “When you add us up, you always have to carry the one.” Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest calamities and triumphs of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to each other than we’d expect. As they seek redemption through addiction, social justice, and art, Anshaw’s characters reflect our deepest pain and longings, our joys, and our transcendent moments of understanding. This wise, wry, and erotically charged novel derives its power and appeal from the author’s exquisite use of language; her sympathy for her recognizable, very flawed characters; and her persuasive belief in the transforming forces of time and love.
Carry the One: A Novel
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Beautifully observed . . . [Anshaw] intimately dissects how one event or choice can alter the trajectory of a life, how a fork in the road can lead to wholly unexpected and divergent outcomes . . . a resonate 'Big Chill'-like look at how time affects relationships. . . . Though the novel grapples with the many sadnesses of life . . . it does so with lyricism and humor. . . . We are pulled along by [Anshaw's] uncommon ability to describe just about anything. . . . As the years unfurl in this affecting novel, memories of the accident that took Casey Redman's life receed, but the fallout from that night has been internalized by everyone involved, invisibly shaping their outlook on the world, their feelings about love and responsibility and regret.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
“Graceful and compassionate . . . Writing with rueful wit and a subtle understanding of the currents and passions that rule us, Anshaw demonstrates that struggling to do one's best, whatever the circumstances, makes for a life of consequence.”—People magazine, 4 stars
“If you love Jonathan Franzen, you’ll love this compelling book.”—Entertainment Weekly (Bullseye)
“Carol Anshaw is one of those authors who should be a household name (in literature-loving homes, anyway). There's a good chance that her latest novel, Carry the One, will make that happen . . . fine, eloquent.”—USA Today
“Moving and engaging . . . funny, smart and closely observed . . . explores the way tragedy can follow hard on celebration, binding people together even more lastingly than passion. . . . Anshaw gives readers the reward of paying close attention to ordinary people as [she] illuminates flawed, likeable characters with sympathy and truth.”—Sylvia Brownrigg, The New York Times Book Review
“Sentence by intelligent sentence, the novelist makes . . . us feel the remorse and joy and fears much more sharply than we can sometimes know those same emotions in the lives of our closest siblings or friends or even in ourselves. . . . Carol Anshaw gets under the skin of her characters and under the reader's, as well.”—Alan Cheuse, NPR’s “All Things Considered”
“Although Anshaw has long been a literary milestone-maker, her pioneering is the least of her accomplishments. Anshaw is that rare, brilliant, witty writer whose prose is rich and buttery and whose plotting is as well-conceived and seamlessly executed as that of the most intricate thriller. Her psychological insights lend exceptional depth to her characters, who are so painfully and hilariously recognizable that we cannot turn from the familiarity of their circumstances and their flaws.”—Chicago Tribune
“A brilliant feat of storytelling . . . one of the most intensely vibrant novels I've ever read. . . . This book is that kind of pearl."—Susan Straight, The Boston Globe
“Compulsively readable . . . subtle and seductive . . . a novel with the sweep of a family saga and the compressed gleam of a short story.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Provocative . . . her style is dead-on. What makes this a good book is the way the characters change and interact over time.”—Dallas Morning News
“Graceful and compassionate . . . Writing with rueful wit and a subtle understanding of the currents and passions that rule us, Anshaw demonstrates that struggling to do one's best, whatever the circumstances, makes for a life of consequence.”—People magazine, 4 stars
“If you love Jonathan Franzen, you’ll love this compelling book.”—Entertainment Weekly (Bullseye)
“Carol Anshaw is one of those authors who should be a household name (in literature-loving homes, anyway). There's a good chance that her latest novel, Carry the One, will make that happen . . . fine, eloquent.”—USA Today
“Moving and engaging . . . funny, smart and closely observed . . . explores the way tragedy can follow hard on celebration, binding people together even more lastingly than passion. . . . Anshaw gives readers the reward of paying close attention to ordinary people as [she] illuminates flawed, likeable characters with sympathy and truth.”—Sylvia Brownrigg, The New York Times Book Review
“Sentence by intelligent sentence, the novelist makes . . . us feel the remorse and joy and fears much more sharply than we can sometimes know those same emotions in the lives of our closest siblings or friends or even in ourselves. . . . Carol Anshaw gets under the skin of her characters and under the reader's, as well.”—Alan Cheuse, NPR’s “All Things Considered”
“Although Anshaw has long been a literary milestone-maker, her pioneering is the least of her accomplishments. Anshaw is that rare, brilliant, witty writer whose prose is rich and buttery and whose plotting is as well-conceived and seamlessly executed as that of the most intricate thriller. Her psychological insights lend exceptional depth to her characters, who are so painfully and hilariously recognizable that we cannot turn from the familiarity of their circumstances and their flaws.”—Chicago Tribune
“A brilliant feat of storytelling . . . one of the most intensely vibrant novels I've ever read. . . . This book is that kind of pearl."—Susan Straight, The Boston Globe
“Compulsively readable . . . subtle and seductive . . . a novel with the sweep of a family saga and the compressed gleam of a short story.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Provocative . . . her style is dead-on. What makes this a good book is the way the characters change and interact over time.”—Dallas Morning News
About the Author
Carol Anshaw is the author of Aquamarine, Seven Moves, and Lucky in the Corner. She has received the Ferro-Grumley Award, the Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award for Fiction, and a National Book Critics Circle Citation for Excellence in Reviewing. She lives in Chicago.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
When I first read the Amazon product description of this book, "Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen's wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidently hits and kills a girl on a dark, country road," I was a little nervous. Is this going to be another treatment of I Know What You Did Last Summer, or worse, the insufferably boring Red Hook Road? To my great relief, it was really more about Carmen and her siblings Alice and Nick and their little Chicago-based (woot!) universe. As they orbit, their ellipses stretch them far from each other but bring them back together over the next twenty-five year years (this is a bit of a nudge at Nick's quasi-career in astronomy).
The accident itself is a mere shadow on the life of each individual involved, it does not dominate it. It subtly peeks at them during various stages of their lives, like artist Alice completing a series of paintings of the victim or Nick developing a relationship with the dead girl's mother as his own form of penance. The accident is not an excuse for their behavior or the outcome of their lives, but rather a factor in choices they made.
The writing itself was elegant and conveyed atmosphere. The conclusion outlined the paths that each character would continue down, but there was a lack of finality. I wouldn't call it unresolved, but open-ended in a way that let me know that the characters would continue on with their lives in the same vein that they lived them during the narrative. Overall, I felt it was a well-written character study that illustrated the interconnectedness of individuals and events effectively.
I won a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via BookRiot.
The accident itself is a mere shadow on the life of each individual involved, it does not dominate it. It subtly peeks at them during various stages of their lives, like artist Alice completing a series of paintings of the victim or Nick developing a relationship with the dead girl's mother as his own form of penance. The accident is not an excuse for their behavior or the outcome of their lives, but rather a factor in choices they made.
The writing itself was elegant and conveyed atmosphere. The conclusion outlined the paths that each character would continue down, but there was a lack of finality. I wouldn't call it unresolved, but open-ended in a way that let me know that the characters would continue on with their lives in the same vein that they lived them during the narrative. Overall, I felt it was a well-written character study that illustrated the interconnectedness of individuals and events effectively.
I won a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via BookRiot.
56 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Carry The One by Carol Anshaw has been touted as a book about a group of young people leaving a wedding stoned and drunk who run into a young girl, hitting her with their automobile and killing her. Supposedly, they carry her with them as their lives progress and that is how the novel gets its title. I didn't find the story like that at all.
There are several supporting characters in this novel but it is primarily about a group of three siblings, Alice, Nick and Carmen. Alice is a burgeoning artist who finds fame and fortune in the art world. Nick is a brilliant astronomer who is an addict and can never get out of his personal hell despite rehab after rehab. Carmen is a social activist who advocates for several liberal causes and runs a women's shelter. All of them go on in their lives occasionally remembering the dead girl, Casey Redman, but they don't `carry ` her with them most of the time.
Alice does do a series of paintings of Casey growing up, still dressed in the same outfit she had on when she was hit with an automobile. Mostly though, Alice is consumed with her passion for Maude and her career. Carmen occasionally thinks of Casey, but rarely. Nick wants to avoid his feelings through alcohol and drugs and regularly visits Casey's mother and occasionally Casey's father. He is the one who carries Casey's memory though it is blotted out of his consciousness by his addictions.
The story is interesting but filled with clichés and the style is somewhat minimalist. I enjoy rich characters and language which I found lacking in this book. While it is a book I finished it is not one that I'd recommend to my friends. There is something lacking and that is the meaning of the title. Casey is not carried by these people through their lives. She comes to them once in a while but they proceed along very nicely (except for Nick) without her.
There are several supporting characters in this novel but it is primarily about a group of three siblings, Alice, Nick and Carmen. Alice is a burgeoning artist who finds fame and fortune in the art world. Nick is a brilliant astronomer who is an addict and can never get out of his personal hell despite rehab after rehab. Carmen is a social activist who advocates for several liberal causes and runs a women's shelter. All of them go on in their lives occasionally remembering the dead girl, Casey Redman, but they don't `carry ` her with them most of the time.
Alice does do a series of paintings of Casey growing up, still dressed in the same outfit she had on when she was hit with an automobile. Mostly though, Alice is consumed with her passion for Maude and her career. Carmen occasionally thinks of Casey, but rarely. Nick wants to avoid his feelings through alcohol and drugs and regularly visits Casey's mother and occasionally Casey's father. He is the one who carries Casey's memory though it is blotted out of his consciousness by his addictions.
The story is interesting but filled with clichés and the style is somewhat minimalist. I enjoy rich characters and language which I found lacking in this book. While it is a book I finished it is not one that I'd recommend to my friends. There is something lacking and that is the meaning of the title. Casey is not carried by these people through their lives. She comes to them once in a while but they proceed along very nicely (except for Nick) without her.
26 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I want to say that I finished "Carry the one" in one sitting- but I didn't. Instead, I chose to savor it over the course of a few days. This is the kind of novel that you read, set down on your lap and just think. Think about what the words are really saying, what the meaning really is, how it applies to you. Now, I am not necessarily the deapest person and will take a mindbending thriller or YA dystopian novel over any of our great early literature. But this novel was so deep and spoke to me on so many levels, that I could not stop thinking about it.
The brief synopsis is above- a group of young people are affected by a small child that they hit and killed. The novels details their lives over many years and incorporate many huge historical events. This of this like Forest Gump- a fun detailing of real events told as a saga over many many years. But instead of funny Forest that did unbelievable things, this is a very believable story about a group of characters that I absolutely loved.
When I finished the novel, I actually said out loud- this is the bible for liberalists everywhere! I felt the urge to burn my bra and felt great to be an open minded woman. But then, I realized that that characterization might scare off the people that really should read it! Which is all of us. Liberal or conservative- if you open your mind and read this, you can relate to the characters. We are all detailed in this book in one way or another- regardless of social class, sexual preference, moral beliefs- this book detailed what we are at the core. Humans in search of love filled with vulnerabilities that want to do right.
Carol Anshaw, you did right by writing this book. It should be required reading. It is a wonderful reminder that we are all carrying the one- carrying someone in our lives that we want to save, someone that has made a difference to us, someone we may have wronged, someone we look up to. I look up to you Carol- this was an amazing, touching story.
The brief synopsis is above- a group of young people are affected by a small child that they hit and killed. The novels details their lives over many years and incorporate many huge historical events. This of this like Forest Gump- a fun detailing of real events told as a saga over many many years. But instead of funny Forest that did unbelievable things, this is a very believable story about a group of characters that I absolutely loved.
When I finished the novel, I actually said out loud- this is the bible for liberalists everywhere! I felt the urge to burn my bra and felt great to be an open minded woman. But then, I realized that that characterization might scare off the people that really should read it! Which is all of us. Liberal or conservative- if you open your mind and read this, you can relate to the characters. We are all detailed in this book in one way or another- regardless of social class, sexual preference, moral beliefs- this book detailed what we are at the core. Humans in search of love filled with vulnerabilities that want to do right.
Carol Anshaw, you did right by writing this book. It should be required reading. It is a wonderful reminder that we are all carrying the one- carrying someone in our lives that we want to save, someone that has made a difference to us, someone we may have wronged, someone we look up to. I look up to you Carol- this was an amazing, touching story.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring and trite
Wow what a disappointment. Based on the cover reviews I expected a deep and complex novel with interesting protagonists. I found none of that at all. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Miamimarie
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Very Interesting
I did not enjoy reading this book. Not a very interesting story in my opinion. I'm still in the process of trying to finish the book. Hopefully the book gets more interesting.
Published 7 days ago by Nancy C. Tanowitz
3.0 out of 5 stars
carry the one
Very good read. The story line was very original and it was sentimental in parts without being soppy. I enjoyed the ending which was an unexpected one.
Published 7 days ago by Timi Fowler
2.0 out of 5 stars
Promising jacket blurb: completely unfulfilled in book.
It was heavy, I admit, but the jacket blurb on this book intrigued me. I wanted to know how these people fared after a loaded tragedy. Read more
Published 9 days ago by L. Perry
1.0 out of 5 stars
Awful, Awful, Awful
I read this book as a selection for a book club that I belong to. Where do I start on what was wrong with it? Read more
Published 14 days ago by Road Rage
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
This book was interesting. In the beginning, a tragedy occurs after a very happy event. The book covers the next 25 years and how everyone involved handled what happened. Read more
Published 19 days ago by L. A.
1.0 out of 5 stars
A disappointment. Carry the one by Carol Anshaw
A Book Review
carry the one
A Novel
Carol Anshaw
Carol Anshaw is an award winning writer. Read more
carry the one
A Novel
Carol Anshaw
Carol Anshaw is an award winning writer. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Dog Brindle
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Carry the One", a very different story.
It was difficult to follow and not particularly enjoyable. It constantly switched from one character to another which was confusing.l
Published 23 days ago by Evelyn Duggins
1.0 out of 5 stars
Good idea.....
She started with an interesting premise, but the story was not well executed. The writing was too light and cliche ridden for the seriousness of the topic. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Pen Name
3.0 out of 5 stars
a fair book
it was just okay.and the theme was just average and i do not recommed it.
it was an ordinary read
it was an ordinary read
Published 1 month ago by Toby Friedman
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