Edgewise [Paperback]

Jan Stites (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2008

Simone, a popular but troubled high school teacher, is very adept at hiding her emotional turmoil, until it lands her in an inner-city outpatient psychiatric hospital where hers is the only white face. She inadvertently alienates Satch, a fullback of a woman who relentlessly taunts her for her denial and cheerful demeanor. In the weeks that follow, Simone and Satch are thrown together both inside and outside the hospital. Their surprising and often tumultuous friendship becomes essential to both women's quests to uncover the hidden truths of their pasts that propel them toward self-destruction. Alternately heart-wrenching and funny, Edgewise is a timely story of love, abuse, and the hope of redemption. Wally Lamb says, “Edgewise is a harrowing story of injury and feeling, despair and hope. Vivid and unflinching in the telling, Stites' novel is courageous, heartfelt and unforgettable.”

Product Details

• Paperback: 318 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (September 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143920487X
• ISBN-13: 978-1439204870
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,463,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan Stites has been a screenwriter, a screenwriting instructor, a waitress, a secretary, a middle school teacher in both inner-city and affluent schools, a scuba dive travel writer, a journalist, a transcriptionist for doctors and for documentary filmmakers, and a volunteer teacher in Kenya and the Yucatan. She considers the affirmative action plan she wrote for a maritime company to be perhaps her greatest work of fiction. Edgewise, set in a gritty Oakland setting, is Jan's debut novel. She's currently hard at play writing her next, very different book--a romantic comedy set in the Ozarks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Page Turner, September 27, 2008

By 

J. Cameron "bookworm" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edgewise (Paperback)

Jan Stites has written a truly compelling account of a woman who confronts her inner demons. Simone is in the midst of an emotional meltdown and finds herself in unfamiliar territory with people whom she had always considered "others". As she grapples with her own issues she discovers her shared humanity with these others. The characters become so alive that reading this book is almost like watching a movie. It's so real, so moving, so heartfelt that the story pulls you along like a rip tide. Stites' thoughtful yet vernacular language engages your mind as well as your heart. I highly recommend this very powerful book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written book, September 28, 2008

By 

Joan Diamond "Avid Reader" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edgewise (Paperback)

I couldn't put this book down. It is a beautifully told story....compelling, insightful and heartfelt. The characters are unforgettable. It's amazing read !!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling characters make for an engaging story, February 18, 2009

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edgewise (Paperback)

As a psychologist, I was intrigued by the plot of this book. It is the story of Simone, a 40-year old teacher, outwardly successful, who suddenly has a breakdown in front of her students. It comes to light that she has been engaging in self-injurious behavior--cutting herself on her thighs--and her principal suspends her from teaching pending that she receive treatment. With no income, the only therapy that Simone can afford is Oakwood Hospital, a day treatment center where Simone, white and middle class, is surrounded by mostly black, lower-class patients, many of whom are angry, resentful, and seriously mentally ill.

Given my own professional background, there were some aspects of Simone's treatment that I did not find to be wholly realistic. However, I soon became engaged in author Jan Stites' story, so any issues I had were easy to overlook. Stites has strong narrative skills, and she has created compelling characters in Simone and her fellow hospital patients, particularly Satch. I definitely cared about what happened to this odd little group of people, and so I eagerly read through the book to the end.

Overall, I found this book an interesting, worthwhile read, and I would definitely consider reading another novel by this author in the future.