Our Little World - by Karen Winn (Hardcover)

About the Book

"From debut author Karen Winn, a powerful and lyrical coming-of-age novel 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"--

Book Synopsis

"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."--Elin Hilderbrand

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, on evenings chasing fireflies around her cul-de-sac with the neighborhood kids, and on Max, the boy who just moved in across the street. There's also 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.

Perfect for readers of Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You, 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.

Review Quotes

A Bustle, CrimeReads, and Book Riot most anticipated book

"Winn's debut brilliantly depicts the familiar tale of a shaken East Coast community through a coming-of-age lens.... A story of sisterhood and the haunting nature of loss for readers of Celeste Ng and Kristen Bird."
--Booklist

"Eerie and evocative."
--CrimeReads

"You will want Karen Winn on your radar. Her debut novel, Our Little World, is full of emotional arcs and feelings written with the maturity of someone who has been doing this for many years."
--Bookreporter.com

"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."
--Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes

"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."
--Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister

"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."
--Jamie Harrison, award-winning author of The Center of Everything

"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."
--Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires, Bringing Down the House, and The Antisocial Network

"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."
--Nancy Johnson, author of The Kindest Lie

"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."
--Kathleen West, author of Are We There Yet?

"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."
--Katherine Taylor, author of Valley Fever

"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."
--Laura Maylene Walter, author of Body of Stars

"Our Little World is a captivating read that recognizes how both the journey we go through in childhood and the community we grow up in inevitably shape our paths to adulthood, resulting in the people we ultimately become."
--The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

"Winn checks all the boxes with her first novel, its carefully constructed pacing is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages--and eagerly awaiting her next."
--Jersey's Best

About the Author

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.