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WORK TITLE: Best Intentions
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://erikaraskin.net/
CITY: Charlottesville
STATE: VA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Daughter of Marcus Barbara Raskin; married; children: three; grandchildren: one grandson.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Worked previously as a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and a panelist at the Virginia Festival of the Book.
AWARDS:Reynolds Price competition recognition; Glimmertrain recognition; Virginia Commission on the Arts recognition.
WRITINGS
Contributor to numerous periodicals, including Washington Post, Salon, and Washingtonian Magazine.
SIDELIGHTS
Erika Raskin is an essayist, novelist, and short story and article writer. She was a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and a panelist at the Virginia Festival of the Book. Her work has been recognized by the Reynolds Price competition, Glimmertrain, and the Virginia Commission on the Arts. Her writing has appeared in such publications as Washington Post, Salon, and Washingtonian Magazine.
Raskin grew up in Washington, DC. Her mother is novelist Barbara Raskin. Her father, Marcus Raskin, is a human rights activist and nonfiction writer. Raskin is married and lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband. The two met when she was eighteen. They have three grown children and one grandson.
Close
Close, Raskin’s first novel, revolves around single-mom Kik Marcheson. Divorced from the father of her three daughters, Kik is trying to both be a supportive mother and provide financially for her girls. Both work and home life seem in peril, however. Kik fears she is going to lose her teaching job, and each of her three children seems to present some reason to worry. Doone, the eldest, is just entering adolescence, and appears to be hanging with the wrong crowd. She is skipping school, experimenting with drugs, and seems to be angry all of the time. Casey, the middle-child, is a type-A perfectionist, but she is beginning to come undone under the internal and external pressures in her life. Kindergartener Tess, the youngest, is bright but insists that the family has an additional member; her imaginary friend. The narrative perspective shifts throughout the book, giving voice to each of the four characters at various times. Cindy Hudson in Mother Daughter Book Club website noted that the perspective shift “helps readers understand each of their stories and makes it readable by a wide range of ages from fifteen up.”
Desperate to keep her daughters out of trouble and maintain her job, Kik turns to an unusual aid: a television therapist. Surprisingly, the therapist seems to be helping. Just as things are looking up, one of the girls goes missing. The three remaining family members must come together to try to find the missing sibling. Meg Nola in Forward Reviews website described Close as “a welcoming and nuanced novel.” Margaret Lane in MBR Bookwatch noted Raskin blends “humor and drama into a relentlessly entertaining novel,” adding that the book “holds the reader’s rapt attention from beginning to end without letup.”
Best Intentions
Described by Ardi Alspach in Criminal Element website as a “captivating domestic suspense novel,” Best Intentions tells the story of Marti Trailor, mother of three and wife to a successful OB-GYN in Richmond, Virginia. The book opens in the midst of a murder trial, in which Marti is the main suspect. The narration bounces between present and past, as the events leading up to the trial are revealed.
Prior to the trial, Marti was a social worker. After she takes a job counseling expectant mothers at the hospital where her husband, Elliot, works, thing begin to go wrong. One of the women she counsels, Tonya Maines, loses her child during childbirth, and Marti is arrested for murder. Marti has no idea what she did wrong, and when she and Elliot protest the arrest, no one seems willing to help. Marti is convinced that someone set her up, but she does not know why. Left to her own investigative efforts, she must uncover who is setting her up, and why, before she is torn away from her family forever. A contributor to Publishers Weekly described the book as “a well-detailed legal drama held together by engrossing depictions of relationship strife.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
MBR Bookwatch, October, 2014, Margaret Lane, review of Close.
Publishers Weekly, June 19, 2017, review of Best Intentions, p. 88.
ONLINE
Criminal Element, https://www.criminalelement.com/ (August 17, 2017), Ardi Alspach, review of Best Intentions.
Foreword Reviews, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (July 30, 2014), Meg Nola, review of Close.
Mother Daughter Book Club, https://motherdaughterbookclub.com/ (October 20, 2014), Cindy Hudson, review of Close.
ERIKA RASKIN
Erika Raskin
Eden Raskin Jenkins
Erika Raskin’s debut novel Close was nominated for a Teen Choice Book of the Year award. Her works has appeared on public radio and a number of different publications such as The Washington Post, Salon, and Washingtonian Magazine. She was a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and a panelist at the Virginia Festival of the Book.
About
Suggest Edits
INTERESTS
Favorite Books
LIARS CLUB--Mary Karr
BIRD BY BIRD--Ann Lamott
FIELD OF BLOOD--Denise Mina... See More
CONTACT INFO
Erika Raskin, Author
Send Message
http://erikaraskin.net
@erikaraskin
MORE INFO
About
Erika Raskin's second novel, Best Intentions, will be published by St. Martin's Press in August. She is also the author of Close, published by Harvard Square in 2014.
Impressum
http://us.macmillan.com/bestintentions/erikaraskin/9781250101228/
Biography
Erika Raskin grew up to the sound of typewriter music. Her mother, bestselling novelist Barbara Raskin, was a rollicking story-teller who could turn mundane trips to the corner grocery store into readable high drama. Marcus Raskin, Erika's dad, was an author of non-fiction but still delighted in getting his daughter to make up back-stories of unsuspecting passers-by. She learned at an early age to collect details, catalog interesting behaviors, and then put them on paper.
(In short, she joined the family business.)
Erika has written essays for print and radio, articles and short stories. Her fiction has been recognized by the Reynolds Price competition, Glimmertrain, and the Virginia Commission on the Arts. Her first novel, 'Close', was published by Harvard Square Editions in October of 2014. Her second, Best Intentions, will be published by St. Martin's Press in August of 2017. There are others waiting patiently inside of her computer.
Erika and her husband, who have three grown-up offspring, live in Charlottesville, Virginia. They have a dog named Sullivan, who on his very first day of puppy school, was asked to please never return.
Awards
Finalist, Reynolds Price Competition
Finalist, USA Book Award
Finalist, Glimmertrain
Gender
Female
categories
Author
I’ve been gathering story skeletons, punchlines, and snippets of “overheard” conversations since childhood. When I discovered writing, it was like happening upon the world’s greatest display case for my collections. I especially love crafting fiction as no matter what the characters get up to (or whatever mean thoughts flit across their minds) all I’m doing is reporting. BEST INTENTIONS, my second novel, was released with St. Martin’s Press in August. CLOSE, my first, was called “a page-turner of significance.” I’ve done essays for print and radio and am currently working on a novel-in-stories.
I grew up in Washington, D.C., the daughter of a novelist and human rights activist. We lived in an old brick row house that was a hub of the women’s, civil rights and anti-war movements. There was an endless soundtrack of Motown, typewriter music and politics.
My husband has been my boyfriend since I was 18. We have three children, two sons-in-law, a grandboy and many siblings, nieces and nephews. When we all get together we turn touch football, gin rummy and ping-pong into blood sports.
Erika grew up to the sound of typewriter music. Her mother, bestselling novelist Barbara Raskin, was a rollicking story-teller who could turn reports of mundane trips to the 7-Eleven into high drama. And while Erika's dad was an author of non-fiction he taught her to make up back-stories of unsuspecting passers-by. She learned at an early age to collect details, catalog interesting behaviors, and then offer compelling rationales for everything from hairstyles to close-talking.
She pretty much had no choice but to join the family business.
Erika has authored essays for print and radio, articles and short stories. Her fiction has been recognized by the Reynolds Price competition, Glimmertrain, and the Virginia Commission on the Arts. Judith Viorst compared 'Close' to 'The Fault in Our Stars." Erika's second novel is due out in 2017 with St. Martin's Press.
Erika is currently working on a collection of linked stories. When she gets tired of one of the characters she just moves onto another.
Best Intentions
Publishers Weekly.
264.25 (June 19, 2017): p88+.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Best Intentions
Erika Raskin. St. Martin's, $25.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-25010-122-8
Busy mother of three Marti Trailor is excited to revitalize her stalled career as a hospital social worker by
becoming a counselor of expectant mothers at the same hospital where her successful ob-gyn husband,
Elliot, practices. Elliot is less than thrilled with his wife's new opportunity, particularly after Marti is
assigned to Tonya Maines. When Tonya's delivery goes horribly wrong and her infant child dies, Marti is
arrested for murder, although she has no idea what she did wrong. Something doesn't appear right to her, or
Elliot, both of whom believe someone set Marti up. However, with her suspicions falling on deaf ears, it
will be up to Marti to prove her innocence. Can she figure out who has a secret agenda against her, and
why? At times, the story line is confusing to follow, and certain plot points tie up a bit too suddenly and
neatly. But Marti is a strong character whose voice carries the book, and readers will find Elliot enjoyably
unlikable. While superfluous detail occasionally detracts from the story, Raskin's second novel (after Close)
is a well-detailed legal drama held together by engrossing depictions of relationship strife, both personal
and professional. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Best Intentions." Publishers Weekly, 19 June 2017, p. 88+. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A496643854/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=bc9926b0.
Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A496643854
3/24/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1521935127650 2/2
Close
Margaret Lane
MBR Bookwatch.
(Oct. 2014):
COPYRIGHT 2014 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Close
Erika Raskin
Harvard Square Editions
2152 Beachwood Terrace, Hollywood, CA 90068
www.harvardsquareeditions.org
9780989596039, $19.95, 278pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Single-mom Kik Marcheson is doing the best she can. But effort doesn't seem to count for much
in the parenting department. Her oldest daughter, Doone, is swimming in the deep end of adolescence.
Casey, the middle-child slash good-girl is fraying along the edges and Tess, a quirky kindergartner, has
installed an imaginary playmate in the family abode. When Doone falls in with the wrong crowd, a TV
therapist offers to help. And things do start to look up. But only for a while.
Critique: Author Erika Raskin's ability to deftly blend humor and drama into a relentlessly entertaining
novel that holds the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end without letup is truly impressive! Very
highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library General Fiction collections, it should
be noted that "Close" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Margaret Lane
Reviewer
Lane, Margaret
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Lane, Margaret. "Close." MBR Bookwatch, Oct. 2014. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A386436593/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=30657df7.
Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A386436593
Review: Best Intentions by Erika Raskin
ARDI ALSPACH
Best Intentions: A Novel by Erika Raskin
Best Intentions: A Novel by Erika Raskin
Best Intentions by Erika Raskin is a captivating domestic suspense novel that weaves together high-stakes hospital politics, the pressures of family life, and the consequences of trying to do the right thing, particularly in a city with a history as fraught as Richmond's.
Erika Raskin’s sophomore effort, Best Intentions, is a fast-paced, chilling story about family, motherhood, and the failure of a marriage. The novel begins at the end and at the beginning. It’s a first-person narrative told by Marti Trailor, and the first thing we know about her is she’s entangled in a murder trial. The second thing we know about her is that she’s the loving mother of three children and the wife of a successful OB-GYN in Richmond, Virginia. What we don’t know is the full truth, which lies between the two narratives as the story unfolds. We’re going from future to past in one timeline and from past to future in the other.
It may sound confusing, but it isn’t. As these two stories are told by Marti in parallel, there’s a sense of foreboding because we don’t yet know what happened at the point where these two timelines connect. It’s a beautifully executed plot device that is extremely effective because of the stark contrast between the two. In one timeline, we know Marti has been accused of murder. In the other, she’s a loving mother and frustrated wife. Completely relatable to the core as she constantly worries about the attractive young nurses at her husband’s job, among other things. Marti is an extremely likable character, and I found her humor despite her troubles endearing:
My personal backup singers, the Anxieties, roused. They crooned concern about the sitter’s references not really being legit, then finished with a flourish about me hiring someone shady to take a job my family didn’t want me to have in the first place.
Marti has taken a job as a social worker at the same hospital where her husband works. She and her boss, Win, provide assistance to young mothers—many of whom are in trouble or have no one else to guide them—and she’s very good at it.
Another element I found particularly engaging was the setting and the commentary on social class that is integral to the plot. Marti is the daughter of a powerful congressman, which puts her in a particular social class—as does being the wife of a doctor—but she’s still an outsider as a Jewish woman living in the Deep South where old money rules all. Her house, by comparison, is modest, as is the way her family has chosen to live despite the fact that she and her husband come from wealthy families. The social jockeying, the gossip, and the facade of politeness and propriety that tends to surround the social elite of the Deep South is spot on and provides a dramatic background to the events of the story.
“Did you tell Mikey that John isn’t a fan of Dr. Barbie? I mean that’s pretty much the only intel he really needs.”
Paige appeared in the doorway. “Excuse me, everyone! I just got a call from Bob. Little Tara Corelle was born a few minutes ago. All is well with new mama and baby. Hopefully our significant others will be arriving soon.”
A smattering of polite clapping broke out and I whispered, “Tara Corelle! Sounds like Confederate dinnerware.”
Colby smiled, adopted full-on southern. “The hostess pattern, hearkening back to simpler times, comes in lily white.”
The barbed comments from Marti and her best friend Colby provide a little comic relief and a sense of normalcy despite the freight train of events rushing to the dramatic courtroom showdown at the climax of the novel. Raskin certainly keeps us on our toes as we don’t even find out who the murder victim is until more than halfway through the book—and I bet it won’t be who you expect.
Best Intentions is a breathtaking novel of suspense that is utterly believable and incredibly compelling with an empathetic and relatable character. Trust me when I say that once you pick this one up, you won’t be able to put it down until the end.
Book Review: Close by Erika Raskin
Posted on October 20, 2014 by Cindy Hudson
Close cover imageThe Marcheson family is slowly coming undone. The parents are divorced, and Kik, the mom, is afraid she’s about to lose her teaching job. The oldest daughter is skipping school, doing drugs, and angry most of the time. The middle daughter is cracking under the family stress, and the youngest is precocious. Grasping at straws, they turn to a TV psychologist for help. Just as they are beginning to see improvements, one of the girls goes missing. The crisis will either tear the family apart forever or help them bind together.
Close by Erika Raskin, looks at the fragile link that holds families together. The unraveling of one thread can rapidly lead to the disassembling of the whole unit. Parents and children may have the best intentions, but they don’t always let their true selves be known. Instead, they may hide sadness and insecurity behind a mask of anger, sarcasm, disorganization, and overwork. Finding a way out is difficult, because someone has to know how to take the first step. But if they can find a way to express love and trust with each other, they may be able to carve a path to a brighter future.
Close switches back and forth between the Mom’s point of view and that of each of the two oldest daughters. This lends a little perspective that helps readers understand each of their stories and makes it readable by a wide range of ages from 15 up.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
CLOSE
Erika Raskin
Harvard Square Editions (Oct 16, 2014)
Softcover $19.95 (278pp)
978-0-9895960-3-9
Raskin easily balances humor and drama in this novel about parenting, reality TV, and family.
Erika Raskin’s Close is a welcoming and nuanced novel that offers a window into the life of the Marcheson family—with ultimately much of America peering through that window as well.
The Marchesons’ story unfolds in Charlottesville, Virginia, where mom Kik (an acronym for maiden name Klara Isabella Kauffman) tries to manage the daily juggling of a single parent’s extended schedule. Kik has three daughters and a professorial ex-husband, she teaches writing yet longs to be a novelist, wouldn’t mind a second chance at love, and in general experiences the ups and downs of an intelligent, charmingly quirky forty-something female:
The past was crammed with haphazard snapshots that Kik was sure could be separated into two albums. When My Husband Loved Me. And After He Stopped.
Through an unusual crimp of fate, Kik, her daughters, and their father, Owen, end up as the public project of one Dr. Price, famed television therapist and advice guru. Eldest teen daughter Doone lashes out through rebellion and substance abuse, middle teen Casey suffers from the stressful need to be perfect, and the baby of the family, Tess, is an unusually imaginative and challenging five-year-old. Kik’s parenting methods are loving yet sometimes overwhelmed, but Dr. Price feels he can quick-fix this family on his show.
Raskin’s narrative skillfully develops characters and uses shifting perspectives between Kik and her two older daughters. Young Tess is especially vivid, and even less-than-sympathetic Owen seems genuine enough to elicit sympathy during a time of intense crisis.
The author also excels with details of how a reality TV crew can invade private lives, and how the surreality of the viewing audience can continue to invade emotionally and physically. The hypercritical Internet postings of Dr. Price’s many fans are finely satirized, making one think of the “peanut-crunching crowd” of Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus, full of voyeuristic zeal and swarming to comment on the latest spectacle.
Close easily balances humor and drama, and despite the academic setting, the tone is accessible and unaffected. And while the last one hundred pages of plot seem to hasten a bit toward anxious climax and multiple resolutions, Kik and her daughters have become appealing and indeed close enough to make us want to wish them all the very best.
Reviewed by Meg Nola
July 30, 2014