The Girl from Charnelle: A Novel [Hardcover]

K. L. Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2006

It's 1960 in the Panhandle town of Charnelle, Texas—a year and a half since sixteen-year-old Laura Tate's mother boarded a bus and mysteriously disappeared. Assuming responsibility for the Tate household, Laura cares for her father and three brothers and outwardly maintains a sense of calm. But her balance is upset and the repercussions of her family's struggles are revealed when a chance encounter with a married man leads Laura into a complicated relationship for which she is unprepared. As Kennedy battles Nixon for the White House, Laura must navigate complex emotional terrain and choose whether she, too, will flee Charnelle.

A heartfelt portrait of a young woman's reckoning with the paradoxes of love—eloquent, tender, and heart-wrenching—K. L. Cook's unforgettable debut novel marks the arrival of a significant new voice in American fiction.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For his first novel, Cook revisits the Tate family of Charnelle, Tex., a panhandle town, from his collection of linked short stories, Last Call. The year is 1960, and Laura Tate, just 16, has kept house for her three brothers and father ever since her momma walked out the year before. When a married man—John Letig, her father's workmate from Charnelle Steel & Construction—kisses her on New Year's Eve, Laura, long uninterested in the show-off antics of her pimple-faced peers, later catches herself daydreaming. After much indecision, they consummate their flirtation. The author closely observes the affair: the physical pain of Laura's sexual initiation, the power shift between them once Laura understands her allure, the irresistible pull of desire, despite their foundering relationship. Readers of Last Call will supply details of setting, local mores and secondary characters in this novel. But those coming to Cook's Charnelle for the first time will find some of the context for the affair only sketched in—especially the potentially rich psychological undercurrent of a family abandoned by its wife and mother. Still, the climactic confrontation is a welcome narrative infusion. (Apr.)
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Laura Tate, barely 16 and in charge of the household after her mother runs away, is drawn into an affair with her father's married coworker and poker buddy. Readers are kept in suspense as the tension grows; the lies multiply and complicate the plot and finally lead to tragedy, and the book ends on just the right note of ambiguity. This is a brilliant depiction of the coming of age of a sensitive protagonist who aches for new experiences, is open to new ideas, and longs for answers to family secrets, but it is more than a bildungsroman. The Texas town, its inhabitants, its climate, and the national events of the 1960s all impact Laura's story and result in emotionally charged scenes with vivid writing. It unfolds from Laura's point of view, with italicized chapters that provide background and hints of family secrets interspersed with the main narrative. This device is enlightening and unobtrusive, providing readers with insights, if not answers, to the questions that torment the protagonist.–Jackie Gropman, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060829656
• ISBN-13: 978-0060829650
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,250,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book, May 17, 2006

By 

David Siegel (New Paltz, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Girl from Charnelle: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book was amazing! I started reading it before work on a Friday morning and got ten pages into it before having to stop. In only ten pages, I was already absorbed in the story and couldn't wait to get home from work to dive into the novel. One can't help but become attached to the characters in this book and go through withdrawal when it ends. I was trying to remember the last time I became so engrossed in a novel, and I think it was when I read The Kite Runner, shortly after it came out.

Cook provides such believable insight into the main characters' lives that I think any reader of this book will not only fall in love with the these characters, but learn something about human nature and vulnerability.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS ONE SHOULD NOT BE MISSED!!!!, December 10, 2006

By 

Pamela A. Poddany "Book Freak!" (Toledo, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Girl from Charnelle: A Novel (Hardcover)

OK, you are a 16 year old girl living with her dad, mom, older brother, two younger brothers. Life is pretty decent. You go to school, have friends, love your family and then BAM from out of nowhere, your mom ups and leaves. No note, no goodbye, just packs a suitcase and walks out of your live FOREVER.

Now you are a 16 year old girl living with your dad, older brother, and two younger brothers who pretty much has everything dumped in your lap. YOU are responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, taking care of your brothers, your school work, and the countless never-ending errands keeping a household throws at you.

This is what happens to Laura. She is confused and mixed-up as to why her mom left. To top that, her older sister took off and eloped when she was only 17, leaving the family before their mom did. So, not only does Laura have to contend with the fact both her older sister and mom jumped ship, Laura has to maintain that ship.

Laura handles things pretty well, combining all the household duties and school work very well. Then fate temps her and her life slowly goes out of control.

Enter into her life her dad's co-worker and friend, John Letig. He kisses her secretly on New Year's Eve and makes a pass at her. Actually, taking advantage of her and her young age. Confused, lonely, excited and intrigued by the attention of a good-looking, older man, Laura enters into an affair with him. She is reluctant at first, but then thrives on the lies, deceits, and constant thrill of secrets. All the while, she is baby sitting for the Letig family, lying to her friends and family, and also lying to herself.

While is feels she is in love with John, her conscience constantly nags at her, knowing what they are doing is wrong. The affair goes on and on and the author keeps you totally engrossed and interested. This book is narrated -- very, very well -- by Laura herself. From the first temptation of flirtation to the affair ending in tragedy, you will love every word of this book.

The characters are real and well written. The Tate family is coping with their sister leaving to get married and their mom simply leaving them to fend for themselves. All of the characters ask WHY and their lives, along with their friends and family, all wind through and through each others. Laura, above all the others, doesn't have anyone to turn to in her times of need, but manages to figure life out for herself, even when life is not good or fair.

This book is very well written and I highly recommend it. The author does a great job of describing life in the pan-handle of Texas in the 1960's and Laura's turbulent teen years. You will not be sorry you read this one! ENJOY!!!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, November 9, 2009

By 

K. Buckman (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Girl from Charnelle: A Novel (P.S.) (Paperback)

LOVED this book. I found it on a list of Willa Awards....When you decide to read this book, you'd better schedule some free time, because you will NOT want to put it down. I highly recommend it.