The Art of Crash Landing: A Novel (P.S. (Paperback)) - Softcover

DeCarlo, Melissa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062390546 ISBN 13: 9780062390547

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 2015

Synopsis

From a bright new talent comes this debut novel about a young woman who travels for the first time to her mother’s hometown, and gets sucked into the mystery that changed her family forever

Mattie Wallace has really screwed up this time. Broke and knocked up, she’s got all her worldly possessions crammed into six giant trash bags, and nowhere to go. Try as she might, Mattie can no longer deny that she really is turning into her mother, a broken alcoholic who never met a bad choice she didn’t make.

When Mattie gets news of a possible inheritance left by a grandmother she’s never met, she jumps at this one last chance to turn things around. Leaving the Florida Panhandle, she drives eight hundred miles to her mother’s birthplace—the tiny town of Gandy, Oklahoma. There, she soon learns that her mother remains a local mystery—a happy, talented teenager who inexplicably skipped town thirty-five years ago with nothing but the clothes on her back. But the girl they describe bears little resemblance to the damaged woman Mattie knew, and before long it becomes clear that something terrible happened to her mother, and it happened here. The harder Mattie digs for answers, the more obstacles she encounters. Giving up, however, isn’t an option. Uncovering what started her mother’s downward spiral might be the only way to stop her own.

Hilarious, gripping, and unexpectedly wise, The Art of Crash Landing is a poignant novel from an assured new voice.

About this title

Review:

“Stunning...DeCarlo has loudly claimed her seat at the table of today’s elite contemporary Southern women writers including Joshilyn Jackson, Fannie Flagg and Sue Monk Kidd. They continue the work of literary giants like Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor, crafting haunting stories about the peculiar, the impolite...” (Oklahoma Gazette)

“[A] pitch-perfect novel about family secrets, self-forgiveness and redemption...DeCarlo’s debut novel’s originality and fresh voice will endear her to readers...Every character in DeCarlo’s novel is complex and richly drawn...this story is so vibrant and universally human that it’s sad to see it end.” (Dallas Morning News)

“DeCarlo has created a compulsively likable mess of a protagonist who will keep readers laughing and cringing — even as they begin really rooting for her...surprising, poignant and page-turning...a strong debut and a thoroughly entertaining read.” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

“This first novel by an Oklahoma-born Texan is written with verve, assurance and some salty language.” (Toronto Star)

“THE ART OF CRASH LANDING is full of heart and sass. It’s about forgiveness, self-understanding, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. Readers will root for DeCarlo’s goofy, sharp-tongued heroine.... This is a sparkling, funny, and moving debut.” (Edan Lepucki, author of CALIFORNIA)

“I especially enjoyed the small-town feel of this novel, getting to know the Grandy residents, like the librarian, her snarky niece and the wheelchair-bound lawyer who help (and hinder) Mattie in her quest. The humor and humanity shine through in this delightful debut.” (Auburn Citizen)

“Grief, laughter, sarcasm, heartache, sadness—Melissa DeCarlo’s debut novel has it all. Starting out with light-hearted humor thanks to the narration of its spunky protagonist, THE ART OF CRASH LANDING evolves into a compelling, genuine story about a woman’s search for her identity.” (BookPage.com)

“A success...Mattie made me laugh with some of her sarcastic remarks and her self-deprecating humor.” (Oklahoman)

“In this tender story of self-discovery and forgiveness, Mattie uneraths secrets about the alcoholic mom she realizes she never really knew.” (Good Housekeeping, Best New Reads)

“I fell in love with Mattie, with all her sass, her snark, her bad ass ways. The best compliment I can give this talented new author? I wish I had written this novel. You nailed it, Melissa DeCarlo. And you deserve legions of very happy readers.” (Ellen Sussman, author of A WEDDING IN PROVENCE and FRENCH LESSONS)

From the Back Cover:

Broke and knocked up, Mattie Wallace has got all her worldly possessions crammed into six giant trash bags and nowhere to go. Try as she might, she really is turning into her late mother, a broken alcoholic who never met a bad choice she didn't make.

When Mattie gets news of a possible inheritance left by a grandmother she's never met, she jumps at this one last chance to turn things around. Leaving the Florida Panhandle, she drives eight hundred miles to her mother's birthplace—the tiny town of Gandy, Oklahoma. There, she soon learns that her mother remains a local mystery—a happy, talented teenager who inexplicably skipped town thirty-five years ago with nothing but the clothes on her back. But the girl they describe bears little resemblance to the damaged woman Mattie knew, and before long it becomes clear that something terrible happened to her mother. The deeper Mattie digs for answers, the more precarious her situation becomes. Giving up, however, isn't an option. Uncovering what started her mother's downward spiral might be the only way to stop her own.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062390546
• ISBN 13: 9780062390547
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432