Louisianas capital city, baton rouge, has its fair share of glamorous and notsoglamorous stories. But in the summer of 1989, when 15yearold lindy simpson free spirit, track star and belle of the block experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home, it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of. Book club questions that work for any book with free printable sheet it can be incredibly frustrating when youve got your book club coming up maybe in the next few hours and you cant find any discussion questions for the book you read. Walsh, author of my sunshine away, grew up there, so he captures these contradictions effortlessly in his stunning debut set in 1989, the novel tells the heartbreaking story of lindy simpson, the once carefree and spirited track star whose life goes awry after she is attacked on her. My sunshine away unfolds in a baton rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish and passionate football fandom. The following version of my sunshine away was used to create this guide. The book begins with there were four suspects in the rape of lindy simpson and the narrator just happens to be one of them. Join us for a community discussion of my sunshine away, a novel by new york times bestselling author and louisiana native m. Walsh brilliantly juxtaposes the enchantment of a charmed childhood with the gripping story of a violent crime, unraveling families, and consuming adolescent love. My sunshine away is rich in americana family life in the suburbs and southernness a baton rouge full of football and crawfish. Walsh spent seven years crafting my sunshine away, and his patience and diligence paid off with this haunting comingofage mystery set in an upper middle class suburb outside baton rouge. My sunshine away is also simply, like lees to kill a mockingbird, a great work of fiction. The character development of the narrator was excellent, a task made more difficult when the reader is. Walshs debut novel, my sunshine away, a thirtysomething narrator tells of the summer of 1989 when he was 14 years old.
Giving lecture and reading as winner of 2016 housatonic boook award for my sunshine away. Its a pageturning thriller with a heartbreaking crime and an intriguing cast of suspects. My sunshine away is a novel that combines elements of memoir and mystery as it follows the protagonist through his troubled teen years into adulthood. The story is narrated by an unnamed protagonist who confesses that he was a suspect in the rape of his neighborhood friend and first crush, lindy simpson. The instant new york times bestseller a tantalizing mystery and a tender comingofage story. Gaines center, center for louisiana studies, the ul lafayette english department, and the lafayette public library. Reese witherspoons book club list all 34 hello sunshine. My sunshine away is a page turner, realism at its finesta story made memorable in paragraph after paragraph by the brilliance of its author, and by the scope of the questions he asks as to how we live this life to the fullest as loving and moral beings. The unnamed protagonist and narrator tells the story of his difficult teen years as he struggles to understand love, responsibility and what it means to grow into a good man. Books from the bayou is a collaborative effort between the ernest j.
Baton rouge, louisiana is the states secondlargest city, its capital and the setting of his powerful southern gothic debut, my sunshine away. The novel offers a compelling main storyline as well as many pieces worth scholarly consideration, marking it as a budding classic likely to remain in readership for many years to come. Walshs debut novel is fourteen years old and in love with his neighbor on piney creek road in baton rouge, louisiana, lindy simpson. I wont summarize the plot, as you can find that elsewhere. Reese witherspoon is a selfdescribed bookworm, and even has her own book club on instagram. My sunshine away unfolds in a baton rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy. Try and restrain yourself from flying through the pages of this wonderful novel. With promotional opportunities shrinking oprahs book club defunct, the. Acutely wise and deeply honest, it is an astonishing and pageturning debut about the meaning of family, the power of memory, and our ability to forgive. Although the book snaps with the tautness of a thrillerand walsh keeps the reader guessing until the end, as the best mystery writers do my sunshine away also asks essential questions, like how much responsibility we have to each other, and whether we can we ever fully reassemble the pieces of broken lives. A gripping read thats more than a thriller, more than a traditional southern tale, my sunshine away is a. My sunshine away unfolds in a baton rouge neighborhood best known for. Walsh april 5 during the summer of 1989, the narrator of m.
The narrator feels that people have preconceived notions or stereotypes about both. A community propelled by meaningful connections with stories, authors and fellow members, reeses book club sparks thought, joy, and conversationonline and in real life. My sunshine away npr coverage of my sunshine away by m. My sunshine away is a very good book, just shy of greatness. Walsh is a literary novel that reads like a memoir and incorporates a healthy dose of mystery. Every month, reese picks one book she loves with a woman at the center of the story and shares it with her book club. Walshs haunting, lyrical novel will compel you to look back on your. The power of the book lies in its spoton characters. He was obsessively in love with lindy simpson, a 15yearold girl living across the street.
Save over 40% all preorders are available at the membership price or one member credit, and because they are shipped separately, preorders are not eligible for feature selection bundle prices. Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. Walshs book, which was seven years in the writing, is an exercise in southern gothic that includes a pair of genuine. Nearly a million books are published annually in the united states. Reese witherspoons popular book club hello sunshine is a virtual community where bookworms all over the world can read and discuss the seasons juiciest reads. My sunshine away is a must read for fans of coming of age stories and for people who are drawn to books with amazing writing. Walsh, a dazzling new literary voice welcome to woodland hills, louisiana. But in the summer of 1989, when fifteenyearold lindy simpsonfree spirit, track star. An enthralling saga, inspired by real events, that recreates the danger. Walsh presents a gripping, if at times disturbing, story in my sunshine away.
My sunshine away unfolds in a baton rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fandom. Walsh may live in new orleans, but his heart is with his hometown. After lindy is raped one night and no arrest is made, innocence and illusions are shattered on piney creek road in baton rouges affluent suburb. A gripping read thats more than a thriller, more than a traditional southern tale, my sunshine away is a brilliant meditation on the unpredictability and the lifelong effects of childhood events and. A gripping read thats more than a thriller, more than a traditional southern tale, my sunshine away is a brilliant meditation on the unpredictability and the lifelong effects of childhood events and relationships. Walsh utilizes an unreliable narrator but avoids the two biggest reasons i often dont enjoy these types of books. When lindy becomes the victim of a rape, everything changes. My sunshine away book central rappahannock regional. Covid19 advisory for the health and safety of meetup communities, were advising that all events be hosted online in the coming weeks. Top ten tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the broke and the bookish that asks bloggers to create top ten lists on.
My sunshine away is an extraordinary debut novel from m. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Find groups in sunshine coast about book club and meet people in your local community who share your interests. Acutely wise and deeply honest, this is an astonishing and pageturning debut about the meaning of family, the power of memory, and our ability to forgive. A man reflects on the summer of his fourteenth year, where in baton rouge he fell in love with a goldenhaired girl across the street before an unspeakable crime shattered illusions in his seemingly idyllic neighborhood. My sunshine away and millions of other books are available for instant access. The storys narrator revisits his childhood and the moment that stole his and many of his classmates innocence away. It would also make a great book club selection and is going on my book club recommendations list. Book jacket resistance women by jennifer chiaverini. Could my sunshine away be described as an optimistic book. I wrote to the doubleday book club and, once again, my book was selected for inclusion in their promotions, this time as a directors choice. But the nostalgic narrative turns on its head when the girl next door, the object of desire and crush of our hero, is brutalized.
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