Intersections - by Karen F Uhlmann (Paperback)

About the Book

"Style-guru Charlotte Oakes sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover's baby. Stunned after witnessing a hit-and-run in Chicago that leaves a child dead, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, is the only one who could have been driving. His partner and best friend killed in a drug bust, police officer Ed Kelly learns that forensics has found that the fatal bullet came from Ed's gun. Under internal investigation, Ed copes by filming cars at the site of the recent hit-and-run, hoping to catch the child's killer. There, he notices Charlotte's pilgrimages to the makeshift memorial, and over the weeks, the two become unlikely friends sharing intimate stories. But Charlotte won't trust him with her most vulnerable secret of all: her suspicions about her daughter's involvement in the accident"--

Book Synopsis

For fans of Emma Straub and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeny, a debut contemporary women's fiction novel about obsession, forgiveness, and friendship between two unlikely people.

Style-guru Charlotte Oakes sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover's baby. Stunned after witnessing a hit-and-run in Chicago that leaves a child dead, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, is the only one who could have been driving.

His partner and best friend killed in a drug bust, police officer Ed Kelly learns that forensics has found that the fatal bullet came from Ed's gun. Under internal investigation, Ed copes by filming cars at the site of the recent hit-and-run, hoping to catch the child's killer. There, he notices Charlotte's pilgrimages to the makeshift memorial, and over the weeks, the two become unlikely friends sharing intimate stories. But Charlotte won't trust him with her most vulnerable secret of all: her suspicions about her daughter's involvement in the accident.

When Ed finally learns the truth about the accident, he struggles with his beliefs and duties. If he keeps quiet, he has breached his commitment to the law. But if he does the right thing as an officer, he may send Libby to jail--and lose Charlotte.

Review Quotes

"The thoughtful novel Intersections undertakes a compelling exploration of unexpected friendships and hard choices."--Foreword Reviews

"Uhlmann is an experienced writer whose characters ring true: the resourceful Charlotte who slowly finds the courage to rethink her life and Ed, a good guy who is not all that sensitive or intuitive, but kind beyond measure. The title is apt in many ways: We are talking about more than cross streets."--Kirkus Reviews

"Intersections is a compelling read about two truths: life is complicated, and it can change in an instant. Karen Uhlmann captures the intersection of now and then with this readable story of loss, grief, love, and redemption. The subject is serious, but the prose are smooth and accessible. Readers are plunged right in the messy and human world of the characters, and we can't stop reading. Intersections is a book that will get your book club talking long after the wine is gone!" --Lian Dolan, best-selling author of The Sweeney Sisters and The Marriage Sabbatical

"Intersections takes you on a journey that begins with a heartbreaking death and ends with a whole new life. Along the way, secrets force surprising detours that make the reader wrestle with questions of true moral complexity, even as they turn the pages faster and faster. I was left marveling at Karen Uhlmann's ability to transport me so completely into the lives of her flawed but heroic characters."--Lorna Graham, author of Where You Once Belonged

"You wouldn't expect a writer of such crystalline elegance to be able to crank up the tension but crank it up Uhlmann does--and in deliciously unpredictable ways."--Deborah Michel is the author of Prosper in Love

"I was hooked from the first page by this compelling, propulsive, and moving story of families dissolving, building, loving, hating, and evolving amidst the moral dilemmas that define our era."--Lori Andrews is the author of 11 non-fiction books and three mystery novels: Sequence, The Silent Assassin, and Immunity

"In this intriguing debut, Intersections offers a contemporary eye on family, infidelity, and fertility, illuminating both the burdens and blessings of mistakes, and the sometimes-messy path to grace. Karen Uhlmann's sharp-eyed take on the complicated lives of two Chicago families illustrates effectively the intersection between truth-telling, justice, and the power of love. In every chapter, Uhlmann brings to the page a cross-cut of voices from the Windy City, rendering tension with care and precision that keeps you guessing until the very end."--Erica Plouffe Lazure, author of Proof of Me and Other Stories

About the Author

Karen F Uhlmann observed a police officer, who had been on the scene of a hit-and-run death of a child, return to the intersection four or five afternoons a week to videotape and ticket cars. His grief and dedication were heartbreaking--and became the seed for Intersections. Karen received her MFA in fiction from Bennington in 2010 and has published short stories and book reviews in Southern Indiana Review, Story, Whitefish Review, and The Common among others. She won the 2016 Rick Bass/Montana Fiction Award, and the 2012 Northern Colorado Writers Award judged by Antonya Nelson. She was recently shortlisted for the Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction and longlisted for a collection of short stories by The Santa Fe Writers Project. A long-time Chicago resident, she now lives in Los Angeles.