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Vendor
Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English

OUR LITTLE WORLD

Karen Winn

Karen Winn's debut novel beautifully captures a childhood ruptured by adult secrets, the nostalgia of the 1980s, and the rivalry and enduring love between siblings.
July 1985. It's a normal, sweltering New Jersey summer for soon-to-be seventh grader Bee Kocsis. Her thoughts center only on sunny days spent at Deer Chase Lake, evenings chasing fireflies around her cul-de-sac with the neighborhood kids, and Max, the boy who just moved in across the street. That and the burgeoning worry that she'll never be as special as her younger sister, Audrina, who seems to effortlessly dazzle wherever she goes.

But when Max's little sister, Sally, goes missing at the lake, Bee's long-held illusion of stability is shattered in an instant. As the families in her close-knit community turn inward, suspicious, and protective, things in Bee's own home become increasingly strained, most of all with Audrina, when a shameful secret surfaces. With everything changed, Bee and Audrina's already-fraught sisterhood is pushed to the limit as they grow up - and apart - in the wake of an innocence lost too soon.

OUR LITTLE WORLD is a powerful and lyrical coming-of-age story that examines the complicated bond of sisterhood, the corrosive power of envy, and how the traumas of our youths can shape our identities for a lifetime.

Karen Winn received her MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She also holds a doctoral degree in nursing. Born and raised in New Jersey, Karen now lives in Boston with her husband and two children. Our Little World is her first novel.
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Book

Published 2022-02-01 by Dutton Books

Comments

"Our Little World belongs to Bee Kocsis, who has to understand, at the age of twelve, all the heartbreaking gray areas that come with love and duty and guilt. An utterly realistic examination of how a small act can change lives."

From the first paragraph, I knew I was in the hands of a masterful storyteller. A beautifully crafted tale of secrets, sisterhood, and all the ways the scars from childhood forever shape how we walk through the world. These characters will stay with me for a long time to come.

In Our Little World, Karen Winn brings to life an unforgettable community forced to grapple with a darkly tragic event. A gripping, tender novel that deftly portrays loss and growth, Our Little World explores the bond between sisters in a rich coming-of-age tale that leaves its characters forever changed.

The world of Karen Winn's masterful debut is anything but little - its reverberations are huge. Rarely have I been so moved. This deeply affecting novel - tender, harrowing, warm and yet unyielding - lingers long after the reading is done. A stunning achievement.

Winn's novel resonates on many levels. Read more...

Masterful and compelling, Our Little World transported me; a poignant and touching tale of sisters and sisterhood, one that will keep you awake thinking long into the night.

The Big Thrill ran an author feature and interview Read more...

"Karen Winn's Our Little World is a spellbinding portrait of sisterhood which had me compulsively turning pages and holding my breath. When I finished, I had that wonderful wrung-out feeling that comes from reading something truly revelatory and beautiful."

Autor's essay: "A Rose and a Thorn" Read more...

I was intrigued by OUR LITTLE WORLD from the chilling first paragraph. It's a coming-of-age novel complicated by a tragic and untimely death, and it's also a novel about two sisters you will never forget. I fell in love with the confidence of the writing and the colorful nostalgia of the mid-80s details. OUR LITTLE WORLD will transport and transfix you.

Wow, wow, wow! I was utterly transported by this intriguing novel. Set against a colorful 80s backdrop, this coming-of-age story will have you flying through the pages as it explores that most complicated of all relationships, sisterhood. Several times I had to remind myself to breathe! With tragedy, secrets and twists and turns, this book will have you captivated from the first page.

In Karen Winn's debut novel, a junior high school student's idyllic life in 1980s New Jersey is turned upside down. It's the summer of 1985, and Bee is preoccupied with her attempts to escape her perfect sister's shadow, and her crush on a new neighbor, Max. When Max's sister vanishes, though, the community's sense of safety is shattered - and as the aftershocks ripple through Bee's home, she learns a devastating secret about her own sibling. Read more...

Our Little World is a poignant and immersive snapshot of small town America at a particular moment in time. As the eldest of three sisters I was completely captivated by this story about the bonds of sisterhood, and how they endure. I loved it.

This is more than just a coming of age novel, it involves dark and tragic mystery. Karen Winn is a terrific storyteller who grabs the reader from the very first paragraph. Read more...