For fans of authors like Barbara Kingsolver and Leif Enger, a stunning new voice in contemporary literary fiction.“Tragedy and blessing. Leave them alone long enough, and it gets real hard to tell them apart.” Elena Alvarez is living a cursed life. From the deadly fire she accidentally set as a child, to her mother’s abandonment, and now to an unwanted pregnancy, she knows better than most that … she knows better than most that small actions can have terrible consequences. Driven to the high mountains surrounding Leadville, Colorado by her latest bad decision, she’s intent on putting off the future. Perhaps there she can just hide in her grandmother’s isolated cabin and wait for something–anything–to make her next choice for her.
But instead of escape, she finds reminders of her own troubles reflected from every side–the recent widower and his two children adrift in a changed world, Elena’s own mysterious family history, and the interwoven lives within the town itself. Bit by bit, Elena begins to reconsider her role in the tragedies she’s held on to and the wounds she’s refused to let heal.
But then, in a single afternoon, when threads of cause and effect tangle, Elena’s fragile new peace is torn apart. It’s only at the prospect of fresh loss and blame that she will discover the truth of the terrible burdens we take upon ourselves, the way tragedy and redemption are inevitably bound together–and how curses can sometimes lead to blessings, however disguised.
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This book is realistic. The protagonist moves from guilt over a childhood incident to seeing the connections between the guilt she carries to the guilt that her father carries for childhood action. The unresolved missing person/murder is realistic as well, but what isn’t is the grandmother’s belief that in a small town the agendas of each person are communal and well meaning.
I didn’t want the story to end, even as I was desperate to know what would happen next.
Smart, unsettling, and meticulously composed, Margot Catts’s debut novel affirms the power of narrative to redeem… The assaults of the past on the present, of badly buried guilt that keeps one from knowing how to live; the ways in which ordinary wisdom proceeds from the shadow of tragedy; the essentiality of family and community to all manner of healing–these are just a handful of the themes weaving through this unforgettable tale of accidental salvation.
I loved this book. For a first time book and author…amazing. The characters were so easy to follow and love. Descriptions given throughout the book were so different yet so easily pictured in my minds eye. For example a simple description of a squirrel: ‘…the squirrel spiraled up the tree…’. It was exactly what a squirrel does. I could go on but really just read the book, it was beautifully written.
Thank you,
Lydia
In Among the Lesser Gods, Margo Catts writes with grace and insight about the deep wounds of childhood and how the mistakes we made as kids can haunt us as adults. With vivid, complex characters and seamless prose, Catts takes us on a journey into the dark heart of guilt and the discovery of redemption. The layers of this novel kept me greedily delving in until the last page.
Margo Catts has a sharp eye for the intricacies of family, love, and tragedy. In luminous prose, she deftly explores the impact of the past upon our lives. This is a heartfelt book that will break your heart at times and at others fill you with joy.
Margo Catts’s compassionate observation of human nature shines through in her unforgettable characters, as she immerses the reader in lives that are torn by tragedy, challenged, and changed. This is a finely crafted and uplifting novel full of warmth, wisdom, and generosity of spirit.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Margo Catts is the perfect guide to Leadville and to life, with a sharp eye for everyday details, a pitch-perfect ear for conversation, a sympathetic heart for her characters? travails, and a sure foot along their unpredictable paths. I’m so happy this book crossed my desk and will definitely be looking out for a second novel from Catts.
If Anne Tyler turned her attention to the inter-generational intrigue of small town Colorado, it might look something like Margo Catts’s arresting debut. Drenched in lyrical language and blade’s edge observation with a heartbreaking secret at its core, Among the Lesser Gods is an essential American love story for our nomadic, unrooted times.
This book was slow in starting but eventually picks up into a decent read. It’s written well. A bit unbelievable but entertaining. Good descriptors of character and setting the scene.
Elena goes to bed grandma’s after finishing college, disillusioned and possibly pregnant. But while caring for two children she begins to find herself.
A woman graduates from college and returns to her Grandmother’s town to face the next phase of her life. The acceptance she finds helps her come to terms with her own past and her future.
This was a well written original story.
A great read!
Thought provoking, really broadened my horizons.
Each character carrying so much trauma and yet it felt like it was sliding into Harlequin Romance territory.
Enjoyed reading this book. I hadn’t read a story like this before and I enjoyed envisioning where the book’s setting was. The character’s were interesting and likable.
My husband and I both read this book. When he finished reading it he said…what’s her next book to read!!
At first I thought this was a fantasy story since the main character told the other characters that she was from a planet from another galaxy. It took me awhile to realize that this young girl was running from tragedy. I enjoyed this book very much and loved the characters. I hope the author writes a sequel!
I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting and not a typical plot line.