Friday, April 12, 2013

BBT: The Angry Woman Suite



BLURB:  
Raised in a crumbling New England mansion by four women with personalities as split as a cracked mirror, young Francis Grayson has an obsessive need to fix them all. There’s his mother, distant and beautiful Magdalene; his disfigured, suffocating Aunt Stella; his odious grandmother; and the bane of his existence, his abusive and delusional Aunt Lothian.

For years, Francis plays a tricky game of duck and cover with the women, turning to music to stay sane. He finds a friend and mentor in Aidan Madsen, schoolmaster, local Revolutionary War historian, musician and keeper of the Grayson women’s darkest secrets. In a skillful move by Fullbright, those secrets are revealed through the viewpoints of three different people–Aidan, Francis and Francis’stepdaughter, Elyse–adding layers of eloquent complexity to a story as powerful as it is troubling.

While Francis realizes his dream of forming his own big band in the 1940s, his success is tempered by the inner monster of his childhood, one that roars to life when he marries Elyse’s mother. Elyse becomes her stepfather’s favorite target, and her bitterness becomes entwined with a desire to know the real Francis Grayson.

For Aidan’s part, his involvement with the Grayson family only deepens, and secrets carried for a lifetime begin to coalesce as he seeks to enlighten Francis–and subsequently Elyse–of why the events of so many years ago matter now. The ugliness of deceit, betrayal and resentment permeates the narrative, yet there are shining moments of hope, especially in the relationship between Elyse and her grandfather.

Ultimately, as more of the past filters into the present, the question becomes: What is the truth, and whose version of the truth is correct? Fullbright never untangles this conundrum, and it only adds to the richness of this exemplary novel.—Kirkus Reviews
EXCERPT:
ELYSE
1955
It is said that love is comfort, and that comfort comes from recognition of the beloved. Papa was the first to tell me this, and if it’s even a little bit true, then I took my comfort for granted, not realizing that one can’t truly appreciate the beloved until one yearns for the comfort to be returned. Even now, when I can’t sleep at night, when I can’t slow the speeding of my heart, when I can’t stop the replaying of what-if’s in my head, I take myself back to that place where cabbage roses dance on walls and my beloved reigns supreme; where I am queen of his heart and he is my comfort, and then and only then do I feel safe.
You’d think it would be enough, being able to conjure up at least a measure of my old, first love. Yet for a long while it wasn’t. Because I was incapable of stanching the nagging questions about my second, almost greater love. Questioning why Francis hadn’t seen the truth of it like Papa had; that the streak I’d struggled with hadn’t been born of badness; that badness wasn’t an intrinsic part of me like my eyes being blue.
But Francis, unfortunately, hadn’t been able to see through things the way Papa had, and that was because Francis had rarely felt safe. You could see it in the way Francis’s eyes got doubtful taking in a room, and the way he was always biting down on his lower lip. The way it looked as if he was always trying to keep himself from crying.
REVIEW SOUND BYTES

From Kirkus Reviews

"Secrets and lies suffuse generations of one Pennsylvania family . . . in a skillful move by Fullbright, those secrets are revealed through the viewpoints of three very different people . . . a superb debut that exposes the consequences of the choices we make and legacy's sometimes excruciating embrace."


2012 DISCOVERY AWARD

GLOBAL E-BOOK AWARD NOMINEE

From Midwest Book Review

"A very human story . . . a fine read focusing on the long lasting dysfunction of family."

"There is something fascinating in labyrinthine plot twists, which is what we have here, and I must applaud Fullbright for her keen and magical ability to pull it off with such aplomb."-Norm Goldman, Montreal Books Examiner and Bookpleasures.com

5 Stars ***** Reviewed by Joana James for Readers Favorite: "The Angry Woman Suite is quite a ride . . . very cleverly written . . . an outstanding novel."

Rating: 5.0 stars Reviewed by Anne B. for Readers Favorite:" Lee Fullbright is master of characterization."

Rating: 5.0 stars Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers Favorite:
"The Angry Woman Suite is a brilliant, complex, complicated story about talented, complicated people . . . this is a story to remember!"
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Lee Fullbright, a medical practice consultant in her non-writing life, lives on San Diego’s beautiful peninsula with her writing partner, Baby Rae, a 12-year-old rescued Australian cattle dog with attitude.        
The Angry Woman Suite, a Kirkus Critics’ pick, 5-starred Readers Favorite, and a Discovery Aware winner, is her first published novel.
LINKS:


Lee will be giving away a $50 Amazon gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour.) The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/blurb-blitz-tour-angry-woman-suite-by.html

~*~

Have a great weekend, everyone. Hope to see you Monday.

17 comments:

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thank you for hosting today.

Mary Preston said...

Hi Lee,

I'm wondering how you came up with the title?

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Sandra Cox said...

My pleasure, Goddess.

Hi Mary, thanks for stopping by and supporting, Lee.

Catherine Lee said...

When I read stories about such dysfunctional families, it makes me thankful that mine is just a wee bit dysfunctional!
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

Lee Fullbright said...

Thank you for hosting me and The Angry Woman Suite!

Lee Fullbright said...

Hi Mary, My agent came up with the title, which refers to a suite of portraits that figure predominantly in the plot.

Lee Fullbright said...

Hi Catherine, Great fodder for stories, though!

Unknown said...

Intriguing story, if you made a movie version who'd play the main characters?

fencingromein at hotmail dot com

Rita Wray said...

Sounds like a fabulous read. Thank you for the excerpts.

Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

Lee Fullbright said...

Hey Shannon, For the movie version: Cate Blanchett for Magdalene; Dakota Fanning for Elyse; Ryan Gosling for Francis, and Robert Redford for the older Aidan-- fun!

Andra Lyn said...

Ohmagerd!!! Ryan Gosling as Francis!! Sign me up for this in book, movie, tv, Whatever! Thanks for sharing!!!

andralynn7@gmail.com

bn100 said...

Nice casting choices

bn100candg at hotmail dot com

Lee Fullbright said...

You are welcome, Andra :) :) And thank you, bn100 and Ingeborg!

Lee Fullbright said...

And, Shannon, for the casting question!

DEZMOND said...

oh, poor Francis!

Sandie said...

Excellent excerpt! Can't wait to read this book!

Anonymous said...

It'll be interesting to see how the characters interact!

vitajex(at)aol(dot)com