Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Another Good Dog
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.carawrites.com/
CITY: Freedom
STATE: PA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two sons and one daughter.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, novelist, educator, and blogger. Works as a freelance writer; teaches workshops on intentional living and creative writing.
AVOCATIONS:Running, gardening, hiking, and riding horses.
WRITINGS
Also author of the self-published book Live Intentionally: 65 Challenges for a Healthier, Happier Life, CreateSpace, 2014. Contributor to anthologies and periodicals. Also author of blogs.
SIDELIGHTS
Cara Sue Achterberg, a freelance writer living in Pennsylvania, contributes articles and essays to periodicals and anthologies. She is the author of the novels including Not Her, Girls’ Weekend, and Practicing Normal. Achterberg also self-published a book about living intentionally that is based on one of her blogs. Achterberg, who once attended a seminary, fosters dogs for adoption and is the author of a memoir based on her fostering experiences.
Practicing Normal
In her novel Practicing Normal, Achterberg writes about a middle-class family that is anything but normal. The inspiration for the book came from Achterberg talking with her children about their rural neighbors. In an interview for the Books Chatter website, Achterberg noted: “Most of my friends live in neighborhoods and I’ve been surprised by the fact that even so, they don’t really know their neighbors.” Achterberg went on to later add: “I wanted to explore the idea that just because a neighborhood or a family looks perfect (or ‘normal’) that doesn’t mean they are.”
In the novel, the Turners live in the upper middle-class Pine Estates. Although they put on the facade of being normal, the Turners have a teenage daughter named Jenna who breaks into neighbors’ homes and a son, JT, who is a genius with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. Everett loves his wife but also has had a series of mistresses while Kate struggles with the fact that she is not content with her life. The novel follows the family as a series of events changes them forever. “This is a thought-provoking novel that reminds us that life is unpredictable,” wrote a contributor to the What’s Better Than Books website.
Another Good Dog
Achterberg’s memoir Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs recounts how Achterberg turned to fostering dogs after the family’s beloved hound of seventeen years died. Achterberg found herself grieving over the family dog and looking at the prospect of having to deal emotionally with her teenage children’s eventual departure, including her oldest son going off to college. Living on a farm in Pennsylvania, Achterberg began fostering dogs in 2015 as part of Operation Paws for Homes, which rescues dogs from kill shelters. Within a day of signing up, Achterberg found herself with nine puppies from various areas, including a traumatized stray from Afghanistan.
Over two years, Achterberg fostered fifty dogs. She recounts the numerous rewards she and her family experienced with the dogs. There were challenges as well. For example, Galina was a traumatized beagle who feared humans. Achterberg worked with Galina until the day came when she was ready for adoption, even though Achterberg struggled with letting Galina go to her new home. Another dog was an eighty-pound bloodhound whose howling serenaded the neighbors. A pit bull helped Achterberg overcome her negative views of the breed and realize that dogs should be loved for their own distinct personalities. Achterberg learned about weaning pups when one foster dog gave birth to nine puppies.
At one point, Achterberg relates how the stress that sometimes comes with fostering dogs led her husband to insist that she stop fostering. Achterberg and her husband worked the matter out. The book also details other intimate aspects of Achterberg’s family life, including her intense teenage daughter who entered a beauty pageant and the health issues of her youngest son. For the most part, however, Achterberg focuses on the dogs, the pain she felt giving them up for adoption, and the addiction of quickly wanting a new arrival to assuage the sometimes heartbreaking goodbyes.
“The stories and photos will delight those who have a soft spot for dogs and the dog rescue mission,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that Another Good Dog “blends insight and entertainment to tell an unforgettable story about seeking, and finding, life purpose through caring for abandoned dogs.”
BIOCRIT
BOOKS
Achterberg, Cara Sue, Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs, Pegasus Books (New York, NY), 2018.
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2018, review of Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs.
Publishers Weekly, May 14, 2018, review of Another Good Dog, p. 46.
Xpress Reviews, August 3, 2018, Edell Marie. Schaefer, review of Another Good Dog.
ONLINE
Books Chatter, https://bookschatter.blogspot.com/ (July 3, 2017), “Practicing Normal—Cara Sue Achterberg,” author interview.
Cara Sue Achterberg website, http://www.carawrites.com (October 11, 2018).
What’s Better Than Books, https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com/ (June 8, 2017), review of Practicing Normal.
Who am I, you ask?
Picture
I am an irrepressible writer, a tired mom, a lazy gardener, a resentful chauffeur, a loyal friend, a daily dreamer, a terrible dog trainer, and an occasional cowgirl. I'm also a compulsive blogger, an almost famous novelist, and a huge fan of teenagers writing. I will talk your ear off about processed food, growing tomatoes, training horses, Virginia wine, or the dog I'm currently fostering. If you ask about my kids, prepare to be bombarded with how FANTASTIC and AMAZING they are. If you follow me on Facebook or twitter or instagram you'll be treated to near daily doses of my thoughts, adventures, and animal photos. Links to all my social media ramblings are above. I'd be honored if you followed me anywhere....
Monday, 3 July 2017
ℚ Practicing Normal - Cara Sue Achterberg
Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Cara Sue Achterberg to talk about Practicing Normal (31 May 2017, Fiction Studio Books, 336 pages), a Women's Fiction Novel.
"Practicing Normal takes a deep dive into the dysfunctional dynamics of a 'picture perfect family.' A compelling story about the beautiful humanity in the most ordinary of lives: from first love to a marriage on the downward slide to an unexpected family tragedy. Achterberg handles each thread with tender care and we can't help but root for every member of the Turner family." ~ Kate Moretti (a New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year)
|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||
A very warm welcome to author, blogger and dog-rescuer Cara Sue Achterberg; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!
Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Practicing Normal, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?
"I love music, but oddly can’t write without silence. In fact, if there is music playing I’m completely distracted by it. I do find music inspiring, in fact one of my works-in-progress was spawned from a story told in a country song."
What was the inspiration for Practicing Normal?
"The idea for Practicing Normal came from a regular gripe from my kids as they’ve grown up.
We live on a small hillside farm on a rural road. While I believe my kids have benefitted from the woods, animals, gardens, and the lack of internet, there have been times when one or more of them have lamented that we don’t live in a normal neighborhood, especially at Halloween and on snow days. Most of my friends live in neighborhoods and I’ve been surprised by the fact that even so, they don’t really know their neighbors. In fact, I’d say that despite the fact that our neighbors are sometimes measured in miles rather than feet, we know our neighbors better than most as we’ve borrowed or lent equipment, tools and labor on a regular basis.
I wanted to explore the idea that just because a neighborhood or a family looks perfect (or ‘normal’) that doesn’t mean they are.
I’d say that the book didn’t turn out the way I imagined, but I followed it where it took me."
How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?
"I grew up in a neighborhood that was the equivalent to Pine Estates (for the 70’s & 80’s) and I think I channeled the kid I was. While I didn’t break in to anyone’s home, I certainly snooped and I knew what every family on the street was up to – the names of their pets, the cars they drove, and whether or not their moms were ‘nice.’ I loved being part of a neighborhood, playing Kick-the-Can at dusk and chasing fireflies across each other’s yards. I feel a little guilty that my own kids didn’t get that.
It’s inevitable that my own beliefs creep into my writing. I’ve never thought ‘normal’ was a circumstance to strive for and in many ways normal is relative. But there is a pressure on families, especially moms, to create the perfect home life. Kate is striving for that and yet it spins completely out of her control. I’ve been there. You do everything you think is right, and yet things go haywire."
The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Practicing Normal - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.
"The cover was designed by my publisher, The Story Plant. We had a long back-and-forth over the image to be used, but ultimately agreed on the door opening with the lock pictured.
I LOVE the cover. I love the idea that you can see into the house, but it’s fuzzy so you don’t get the real picture. I was also thrilled to get blurbs for my cover from three authors I admire – Jacquelyn Mitchard, Kate Moretti, and Caroline Leavitt."
Why should we read Practicing Normal and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?
"Hmmm….answering this makes me sound a bit full of myself, doesn’t it? You should read this book because it will not just entertain you (which it will, completely), but because it will make you think about what your ‘normal’ is and how well you know your neighbors, or your family for that matter. It will make you consider what it really means to love someone. Plus, there are some wonderful characters that you will fall completely in love with.
A few things that make it unique is that it dabbles in issues you don’t often see in fiction like depression in the elderly, Asperger’s Syndrome, and hospice care."
Can you tell us something quirky about Practicing Normal, its story and characters?
"I never model any of my characters after real people. I just don’t dare go there, plus real people are many times too unbelievable to use in fiction. I did, however, model the dogs mentioned in this story after two of my favorite foster dogs. My family fosters dogs rescued from shelters in the south, helping them to adjust to life in a home and then be adopted into forever homes. It’s heartbreaking to let some of them go, so I had fun bringing them to life in this story in a small way."
Who would you recommend Practicing Normal to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?
"I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone. There are no warnings or disclaimers. I think we’ve all been part of a family and we’ve all had our own normal un-normed. And we all have a thing or two to learn about what it means to honestly love someone. I’d say it crosses the genres of general fiction, women’s fiction, and young adult."
If you could / wished to turn Practicing Normal into a movie, who would be your dream team?
"Wow, I’m the worst person to ask this question of as I rarely go to movies and wait for everything to come out on Netflix. Add to that my stunning ability to never remember names and well, I’m stumped.
If forced, I’d have to go with someone like Meg Ryan to be Kate (because I love Meg) and Ellen Page, at the same age she was in Juno to play Jenna.
As far as Everett, that louse? I guess someone like a Baldwin brother.
Directing though, that’s easy, Ron Howard. I always love his films."
What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?
"I love to write stories that explore issues of the heart, and probably because I’m a woman and a mom, mostly those stories revolve around families. Women’s Fiction is my chosen genre. It’s also what I love to read.
Beyond that I love to write about animals. I write a regular blog about our fostering experiences (Another Good Dog) and have a manuscript, currently being shopped by my agent, about how our first fifty foster dogs affected our family. I’ve also written a rough memoir called, Cowboy Mom, about raising my kids while trying to break a difficult horse – the parallels and lessons learned. I hope someday to finish that project."
What is your writing process?
"I’m what you call a pantser, although recently I heard someone call themselves a ‘pantser with suspenders’ and I like that better. I don’t plot and I do mostly write by the seat of my pants, but I do a lot of research and thinking before I start my story – usually at least two months’ worth.
The research is sometimes just plumbing my own heart for gold, but with Practicing Normal, it meant reading several books written by hospice nurses, following ER blogs, talking to parents of kids with Asperger’s and reading books about it, and watching way too many youtube videos of breaking into houses. I also spent time surfing the web for information on elderly depression, suicide, drug interactions, and fire.
Once I sit down to write a story, I just spit it out as quickly as possible. I think Practicing Normal was on the page in rough form in about five or six weeks. And then the hard part starts – months and months (and sometimes years) of editing."
What is in store next?
"As I mentioned, I’m hoping to find a publishing home for my memoir, Another Good Dog, but I’m also at work on two women’s fiction manuscripts. One is very close to being finished and focuses on the aftermath of a texting and driving accident. The other is still pretty rough, but is the story of two young adults- one a waitress who has experienced nothing but heartbreak and the other an almost-lawyer who has just had his heart broken for the first time. It’s sounds kind of depressing, but it’s actually pretty quirky and fun. I’m enjoying it."
And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?
"HA! You should never ask me this question as I am surrounded by animals! To date, we have fostered nearly 80 dogs, so there are always plenty of dogs in the house, many times a mama and pups. We do have one ‘personal’ dog Gracie, three cats, three horses, and a whole bunch of chickens. I’ve included a picture of me with some of my foster puppies and one with my favorite foster dog, Frank (who is the main character in a children’s book I’m working on)."
Foster puppies!
Frank
Ha! That is exactly why we ask this question! :-D All answers received to date have been fab, and we love learning new and quirky things. However, we are also animal mad and they always melt our hearts :-D
Lots of cuddles to all of the dogs and animals in your life! And, of course thank you for sharing them with us! (tip: check out Cara's YouTube channel and her blog for more of these wonderful babies)
We are also very sorry to hear that at the beginning of June you lost your little fur-baby, Crash; you did the best for him, he was very lucky to have found you xxx
About the Author:
Cara Sue Achterberg is a freelance writer, novelist, and blogger who lives on a hillside in South Central, Pennsylvania with her family, three horses, occasional foster dogs, and too many chickens to count. She is the author of two books. Her essays have been published in numerous anthologies and her freelance work has been featured in national magazines. She teaches workshops on Intentional Living and creative writing. Cara enjoys running, gardening, hiking, and trying not to fall off her favorite horse, True. You can find links to her blogs and inspiration for teen writers on her website CaraWrites.com.
Reference Author Bio
Bios for Cara Sue Achterberg
2-line bio:
Cara Sue Achterberg is the author of the two national bestselling novels, I'm Not Her and Girls' Weekend. She is also the author of Live Intentionally, a guidebook to the organic life. You can find links to her blogs and information on her books at CaraWrites.com.
Short Bio:
Cara Sue Achterberg is a freelance writer and blogger who lives in New Freedom, Pennsylvania with her family. She is the author of two national bestelling novels, I'm Not Her and Girls' Weekend. Her next novel, Practicing Normal, will be released June 2017. She is also the author of Live Intentionally, a guidebook for a more organic life based on one of her long running blogs. Her essays and articles have been published in numerous anthologies, national magazines, and online journals. Cara is an organic gardener, foster dog mom, creative writing teacher, and occasional cowgirl. You can find links to her blogs and information on all her books at CaraWrites.com.
Medium Bio:
Cara Sue Achterberg is a freelance writer and blogger who lives in New Freedom, Pennsylvania with her family, three horses, a constant stream of foster dogs, and too many chickens to count. She is the author two national bestelling novels, I'm Not Her and Girls' Weekend. She is also the author of Live Intentionally, a guidebook for a more organic life based on one of her long running blogs. Her next novel, Practicing Normal, will be released June 2017. Cara's essays and articles have been published in numerous anthologies, magazines, and online journals. When not writing or weeding, she enjoys running, cooking, visiting Virginia wineries, and trying not to fall off her favorite horse, True. You can find links to her blogs and information on all her books at CaraWrites.com.
Long Bio:
Cara Sue Achterberg is a freelance writer and blogger who lives on a hillside in New Freedom, Pennsylvania with three remarkable children, three horses, too many chickens, a constantly changing roster of foster dogs, three perfect kitties, and a husband who can build, fix, or tolerate just about anything.
She is the author of two bestselling novels, I'm Not Her and Girls' Weekend which were published by The Story Plant. She is also the author of Live Intentionally:65 Challenges for a Healthier Happier Life, a guidebook for a more organic life based on one of her long running blogs. Her latest novel, Practicing Normal, will be released June 2017.
Cara's essays and articles have been published in numerous anthologies, national magazines, websites, and blogs, in addition to local media. She enjoys teaching hands-on workshops on the Intentional Life, healthy cooking, and creative writing. She has also led women’s retreats, facilitated book discussions, and served as a keynote speaker.
Cara grew up in Hockessin, Delaware (and still considers Delaware the best state of all). She graduated from Averett University with a degree in music before setting it aside to follow her passion of training horses and teaching riding. She later returned to school and earned a degree in Youth Ministry from Eastern College, spending many years hanging out with teenagers, leading Habitat for Humanity work weeks, and eating a lot of pizza.
After marrying Nicholas Achterberg, they moved from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to York County, Pennsylvania. Cara switched careers again, reinventing herself as a writer mom.
It wasn’t until her youngest son developed the autoimmune disorder alopecia areata that she began a quest for a healthier lifestyle. Cara wishes she hadn’t come so late in life to the joys of cooking, gardening, and chicken-keeping, but counts herself lucky. Cara is passionate about organic food, clean air, productive gardens, uncluttered lives, and real relationships. She also loves Belgian chocolate, Greek olive oil, and almost any cheese.
Cara admits to having a serious blogging habit. Her blog, Another Good Dog, shares her adventures fostering dogs for the all-breed rescue, Operation Paws for Homes. My Life in Paragraphs is her blog which shares weekly peeks into her writing career. Her longest running blog, Kid Friendly Organic Life, explores every angle of intentional living and served as the testing ground for her book Live Intentionally. Occasionally, she also writes The Mama Load which features her musings, frustrations, and adventures on the journey that is motherhood.
She is currently working on a memoir which focuses on her foster dog experiences, and another novel.
When not writing or weeding (which can sometimes be one and the same), Cara enjoys running, cooking, reading, visiting Virginia wineries, and trying not to fall off her favorite horse, True.
You can keep up with Cara on Facebook (Cara Sue Achterberg, writer) or twitter (@CaraAchterberg). You can find links to her blogs and inspiration for teen writers on her website CaraWrites.com.
Speaker Introduction:
Cara Sue Achterberg is a freelance writer, novelist, and blogger who lives on a hillside farm in South Central, Pennsylvania. She is the author of two bestselling novels, I'm Not Her and Girls' Weekend. She is also the author of Live Intentionally:65 Challenges for a Healthier Happier Life, a guidebook for a more organic life based on one of her long running blogs. Her latest novel, Practicing Normal, will be released June 2017.
Cara’s essays and stories of motherhood have been published in numerous anthologies, websites, and blogs. When not writing, Cara can be found working in her gardens, chasing after her foster dogs, or trying not to fall off her favorite horse, True. You can find links to Cara's blogs, information on her foster dogs, and a schedule upcoming appearances at CaraWrites.com.
(Cara Sue Achterberg, pronounced Care-A Sue Octerberg.)
5 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Me:
1. I’m a Seminary-Drop out.
2. I can’t sleep past 7am.
3. I can’t start my day until I’ve done the Sudoko and read the obituaries in the morning paper.
4. I am obsessed with thru hiking even though I've never done it and read/watch/listen to every podcast, documentary, and book on the subject.
5. I can't stand beans (or tuna fish).
Author Website: http://www.carawrites.com/
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaraAchterberg
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaraSueAchterberg
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carasueachterberg
Author Google+: https://plus.google.com/+caraachterberg/posts
Author Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/caraachterberg/
Contact Information
Mailing Address:
1568 Deer Creek Road
New Freedom, PA 17349
Mobile Phone: 717-577-6180
Skype: CaraSueAchterberg
Email: carasueachterberg@gmail.com
9/30/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
Achterberg, Cara Sue: ANOTHER
GOOD DOG
Kirkus Reviews.
(June 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Achterberg, Cara Sue ANOTHER GOOD DOG Pegasus (Adult Nonfiction) $25.95 8, 7 ISBN: 978-1-
68177-793-1
A writer's account of how becoming a foster "dog parent" changed her life.
When a beloved hound Achterberg (Practicing Normal, 2017, etc.) had kept for 17 years died, the loss "left
a gaping hole" in her family's "collective heart." Seeking to heal from loss, the author turned her home into
a way station for canine rescues. In this heartwarming memoir, Achterberg lovingly describes the ups and
downs of her first two years rehabilitating 50 dogs for new lives in "forever homes." She begins with the
story of Galina, a traumatized beagle who shrank from human touch. Under Achterberg's care, Galina soon
grew into a "wonderful distraction" the author found difficult to give up. She continued to foster, knowing
that another dog would only bring more challenges to a five-person household. Despite feeling unsure she
had the "emotional and mental room" for more than one rescue, she brought home a puppy and, later, a
large coonhound. Achterberg soon realized that her job was not only teaching her to look past former dog
owners' cruelties, but also to forgive inevitable doggie "accidents" like chewed shoes and bathroom
mishaps. Other lessons followed. In fostering a pit bull, Achterberg learned to move beyond social prejudice
and love dogs for their individual personalities. In fostering a dog who had just given birth to nine puppies,
the author became aware that the process of weaning pups was much like weaning her own half-grown
children from maternal care. The dogs tested both her and, at one point, the patience of a long-suffering
husband who, in a moment of anger, told her to choose between him and the dogs. Yet fostering--and
ultimately saving--rescues also gave her a renewed sense of purpose. Illustrated with photographs of some
of Achterberg's many fosters, this book blends insight and entertainment to tell an unforgettable story about
seeking, and finding, life purpose through caring for abandoned dogs.
A compassionate and humane canine tale.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Achterberg, Cara Sue: ANOTHER GOOD DOG." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A543008780/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=57252b68.
Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A543008780
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Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty
Foster Dogs
Publishers Weekly.
265.20 (May 14, 2018): p46.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs
Cara Sue Achterberg. Pegasus, $25.95 (272p) ISBN 978-1-68177-793-1
Volunteering for a dog rescue organization provides novelist Achterberg (Practicing Normal) ample material
in this chatty, earnest memoir of her first 18 months as a foster pet owner. Following the death of her
family's 17-year-old hound, Achterberg decides to foster rescue dogs in an effort to "ease the hurt in [her]
heart." Her plan is to "essentially give them a tryout, and keep the one that's best," while also finding
distraction from worry over the reception of her debut novel, and blunt the pain of her eldest son leaving for
college. But each adoption means "coming to terms with saying goodbye," a sadness only alleviated by the
arrival of another rescue: "This was how bad the addiction had become." As expected, the narrative
revolves around tales of dogs and puppies, some sweet like skinny Frank with the long tongue, some hearttugging
like Momma Bear with her mutilated ears and tail. What's unexpected are Achterberg's personal
reveals: her husband's "It has to stop" ultimatum, her emotionally intense teenage daughter's participation in
a beauty pageant, and her younger son's health complications. Some readers may find the "Rescue. Foster.
Adopt" drumbeat too repetitive, but the stories and photos will delight those who have a soft spot for dogs
and the dog rescue mission. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs." Publishers Weekly, 14 May 2018, p. 46. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A539387442/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8a8051b5. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A539387442
9/30/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Achterberg, Cara Sue. Another Good
Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs
Edell Marie Schaefer
Xpress Reviews.
(Aug. 3, 2018):
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Schaefer, Edell Marie. "Achterberg, Cara Sue. Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs."
Xpress Reviews, 3 Aug. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A550013859/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=acd0b1b6.
Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A550013859
#BookReview
Practicing Normal by Cara Sue Achterberg
@CaraAchterberg
categories: Review, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, General Fiction, 8.5/10
#BookReview Practicing Normal by Cara Sue Achterberg @CaraAchterbergTitle: Practicing Normal
Author: Cara Sue Achterberg
Published by Story Plant on June 6, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance, General Fiction, Women's Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: Cara Sue Achterberg
Book Rating: 8.5/10
Synopsis:
The houses in Pine Estates are beautiful McMansions filled with high-achieving parents, children on the fast track to top colleges, all of the comforts of modern living, and the best security systems money can buy. Welcome to normal upper-middle-class suburbia. The Turners know in their hearts that they’re anything but normal. Jenna is a high-schooler dressed in black who is fascinated with breaking into her neighbors’ homes, security systems be damned. Everett genuinely believes he loves his wife . . . he just loves having a continuing stream of mistresses more. JT is a genius kid with Asperger’s who moves from one obsession to the next. And Kate tries to manage her family, manage her mother (who lives down the street), and avoid wondering why her life is passing her by. And now everything is changing for them. Jenna suddenly finds herself in a boy-next-door romance she never could have predicted. Everett’s secrets are beginning to unravel on him. JT is getting his first taste of success at navigating the world. And Kate is facing truths about her husband, her mother, and her father that she might have preferred not to face. Life on Pine Road has never been more challenging for the Turners. That’s what happens when you’re practicing normal. Combining her trademark combination of wit, insight, and tremendous empathy for her characters, Cara Sue Achterberg has written a novel that is at once familiar and startlingly fresh.
Review:
Authentic, heartwarming, and intriguing!
This is a thought-provoking novel that reminds us that life is unpredictable and that when it comes to “normal” perspective is everything.
The story is told from three different points of view; Kate, a mother, wife and daughter who spends all her time and energy taking care of those around her; Jenna, a teenager struggling with hormones, individuality and new love; and Everett, a husband and father who is impatient, selfish, and too wrapped up in his own wants and needs to appreciate what’s right in front of him.
The prose is reflective and sincere. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are complex, strong, and endearing. And the plot is a compelling tale full of familial dynamics, friendship, infidelity, secrets, coming-of-age, honesty, humour, love, as well as an in-depth look into the stereotypical mentality, difficulties and extraordinary abilities that those with Asperger’s experience.
This is the second novel I’ve read by Achterberg and once again she has blown me away with this well-crafted, touching story that gives us a real, raw look into a contemporary multi-generational family.