April & Oliver - by Tess Callahan (Paperback)

About the Book

A devastating tragedy serves to reunite two friends from childhood, in this emotionally compelling and sexually charged first novel from an exciting new voice in fiction.

Book Synopsis

Best friends since childhood, the sexual tension between April and Oliver has always been palpable. Years after being completely inseparable, they become strangers, but the wildly different paths of their lives cross once again with the sudden death of April's brother. Oliver, the responsible, newly engaged law student finds himself drawn more than ever to the reckless, mystifying April -- and cracks begin to appear in his carefully constructed life. Even as Oliver attempts to "save" his childhood friend from her grief, her menacing boyfriend and herself, it soon becomes apparent that Oliver has some secrets of his own -- secrets he hasn't shared with anyone, even his fiancé. But April knows, and her reappearance in his life derails him. Is it really April's life that is unraveling, or is it his own? The answer awaits at the end of a downward spiral...towards salvation.

Review Quotes

"A memorable debut...Callahan's descriptions are vivid...is sure to engage, sadden, and enthrall readers, especially in a bittersweet, somewhat surprising finale."

-PW

"Callahan spins a dark, gritty tale of love, yearning, and choices while presenting engaging characters and substantial action that packs more than a few punches. Wise beyond words."

-Library Journal

"Grappling fates are the DNA of suspense, and Tess Callahan braids loss, longing, romance and violence into a tense, gratifying narrative. The characters in APRIL & OLIVER feel inexorable--either destined or doomed to be together. The need to discover which--and how--keeps the reader turning pages."

-Sven Birkerts, author of Reading Life: Books for the Ages

"In the delicious tradition of Jane Austen, Callahan deftly choreographs an elaborate mating dance between two resistant, feisty, blinded protagonists who have to figure out how to save themselves before they can save each other. The sexual electricity between April and Oliver sets off sparks even as they spar with the intensity of Hepburn and Tracy...Callahan's prose - and especially her dialogue - is admirably taut...The result is a moving story and an impressive debut."--Heller McAlpin, The Boston Globe

"Tess Callahan is an extraordinarily talented writer- a first rate storyteller with a compelling and graceful style. April and Oliver is a stunning novel that explores the multilayered complexities of love and loss, the kind of novel you pick up to read and do not put down until the last page. An excellent novel by a gifted writer."--Jill McCorkle, Author of Creatures of Habit, Five time NY Times Notable Book author

About the Author

Tess Callahan is the author of the novels April & Oliver and Dawnland. Her essays and stories have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Writer's Digest, National Public Radio, Agni, Narrative Magazine, AWP Notebook, Newsday, The Common, the Best American Poetry blog, and elsewhere. Her TEDx talk on creativity is titled, "The Love Affair Between Creativity & Constraint." Tess is graduate of Boston College and Bennington College Writing Seminars and teaches creative writing and meditation. She curates Muse-feed.com, a toolbox for aspiring writers. A dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, she lives in Cape Cod and Northern New Jersey with her family and number one life coach, her dog.