GCC Pick: Renee Rosen

Today's selection is the well-praised debut novel by Renee Rosen. with the delightful title Every Crooked Pot .

In a starred review, BOOKLIST says, “In a debut novel that could easily have been published as an adult memoir, Rosen looks back at the life of Nina Goldman, whose growing up is tied to two pillars: a port-wine stain around her eye and her inimitable father, Artie. The birthmark, she hates; her father, she loves. Both shape her in ways that merit Rosen’s minute investigation, which begins with an incident both funny and shocking."

So what's it about?

Nina Goldman is the youngest of three growing up in Akron, Ohio in the 1970s. She and her siblings must cope with their eccentric, larger-than-life father Artie, a dreamer and schemer who commands constant attention with his outrageous antics and mortifying behavior.

As if growing up with Artie as a father isn’t difficult enough, Nina also faces another issue. Born with a hemangioma, a disfiguring birthmark covering her right eye, Nina constantly tries to look “normal,” and spends hours experimenting with makeup and Veronica Lake hairstyles designed to hide her bad eye. When none of those things do the trick, Nina finds herself riding in laundry dryers, appearing on TV, and navigating a host of other hilarious escapades, all in the name of fitting in.

Nina’s spirit never falters in this endearing story about a captivating misfit, her peculiar family, and the lengths to which a girl will go to feel loved by her family, friends, and ultimately herself. In this autobiographical novel, Rosen conveys a message of hope and belonging to all people who feel “different” in a world where everyone else belongs. With a profound message and a cast of irresistible characters, EVERY CROOKED POT is sure to become a classic in the hearts and minds of readers everywhere.

About the Author

Renée Rosen worked in Chicago as an advertising copywriter and freelance writer and consultant. She has studied with Susan Minot, Carol Anshaw, and the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, Michael Cunningham. She has contributed to many magazines and newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Complete Woman, DAME Magazine, Publishers Weekly, and Chicago Magazine. Renee grew up in Akron, Ohio and now lives in Chicago where she is hard at work on a new novel.

More Praise for Every Crooked Pot

“Quirky and heartfelt, Renee Rosen's Every Crooked Pot tells a familiar story of self-acceptance and familial love.” --Chicago Tribune
“Every Crooked Pot by Renee Rosen is one of the top books I've read this year…A perfect balance of scenes that make you laugh and ones that make you cry.” --The Chicago Contingent
“Told with wit, wisdom, and characters so realistically drawn that they breathe, this poignant story of angst and redemption will touch the heart of anyone who ever longed to be “normal” enough to be loved.” --Sandra Kring, author of Carry Me Home and The Book of Bright Ideas
"Realistic, sharp and funny, Renee Rosen perfectly captures what it's like to be stuck on the outside longing to get in. A beautiful, poignant, and impressive debut -- I didn't want it to end." -- Alyson Noel, author of Fly Me to the Moon and Kiss & Blog

“Written in the form of a memoir, this absorbing first novel traces the struggles of a disfigured girl growing up in Akron, Ohio… ….Rosen evokes her setting with a wealth of details…[readers] will empathize with the narrator’s unique situation as a concentrated form of universal worries about finding acceptance, dealing with loss and leaving home.” --Publishers Weekly

“Renee Rosen has created a wonderful character and family in Every Crooked Pot…The Goldman family is an example of the spirit of the American Family, our struggles, our
heartaches and the love that keeps us going.” --NOVA News
“Rosen's smart debut novel…Every Crooked Pot demonstrat[es] Akron native Rosen's skilled observation, wit and character development...” —The Akron Beacon Journal

“Every Crooked Pot is a work of courage, with a dose of sassy audacity thrown in for good measure...Renee Rosen is a rare find in today’s jungle of women’s fiction!” --Carrie Kabak, author of Cover the Butter

"It's so tempting to compare Renee Rosen's debut to similar auspicious literary starts - Anna Quindlen's Object Lessons comes to mind…this bittersweet novel will lift hearts while at the same time making readers wonder, Where has Renee Rosen been hiding all these years?" --Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of Vertigo
“… a funny, heartfelt and beautifully perceptive novel… Rosen illuminates great unspoken truths about young women, about daughters, and about all families." --Adrienne Miller, author of The Coast of Akron

Sounds like a great read, I'd say. Meanwhile, I'm on the ledge for tonight's game.

With fingers crossed and hopes high.

A bientot

love,

becky