Bellvue author publishes first novel
By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News
LaPorte native Laura Pritchett, whose collection of stories called "Hell's
Bottom, Colorado" won literary awards in 2001, has struck gold again with
her first novel, "Sky Bridge." The novel was released in late June and
is available at major and local independent bookstores.
"Sky Bridge" has received rave reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Publisher's
Weekly and the Library Journal. Pritchett will host a reading and book
launch party in Fort Collins at Everyday Joe's Coffee House, 144 S. Mason,
on Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
"Sky Bridge" tells the tale of Libby, a 22-year-old supermarket clerk who
aspires to be a better person than her mother and have a better life than
the one she has. When her younger sister Tess becomes pregnant, Libby makes
a bold promise: if Tess foregoes an abortion, Libby will keep the baby
and raise it herself.
Tess goes along with the plan and, as soon as little Amber is born, she
splits to pursue her own, sometimes questionable dreams. Libby is left
with the baby and a colorful cast of characters who rise up to support
her.
The setting of "Sky Bridge" is a dusty small town on the plains of Colorado,
where poverty becomes partner to an underworld of drug trafficking and
illegal immigrants. The story, told with Pritchett's characteristic compassion
and insight, is about those who leave and those who stay; about the basic
goodness in most people; and about the spirit in some souls that allows
hope to overcome hopelessness.
It's also about people finding their strength and taking risks. As beekeeper
Ed Monger tells Libby, "I think we should all be living more dangerous
lives. We have to be careful, yes. But when we get too fearful, we become
small."
"Sky Bridge" paints a picture of modern-day families with their complexities
and incompleteness. Libby's father is long-gone, her mother falls far short
of being a nurturing role model, and Libby chooses to raise Amber as a
single parent. In these circumstances, friends and neighbors become an
extended family, and Libby is able to find support and courage in that
wider community.
"Everybody's pushing ahead, looking for a place with enough space for our
dreams...the place where we're the most free, and the most full," Libby
says. This enthusiasm, a "buzzing with energy and excitement of life,"
fills Pritchett's first novel with optimism and energy. Libby's mantra
is: We must stay honest and aware.
Raised on a small ranch in LaPorte, Pritchett graduated from Poudre High
School and earned a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature from Purdue
University. She now lives with her family in Bellvue. "Hell's Bottom, Colorado"
won the Milkweed National Fiction Prize and the PEN/USA West Literary Award
for Fiction.
Published by Milkweed Editions, "Sky Bridge" is available in hardcover
and sells for $22. For updates on her book tour, visit www.laurapritchett.com.
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