Pimping Alison McGhee

Alison McGhee is one of my favorite authors. I don't know when, where, or how i first heard about her and her novels, but one day i borrowed Rainlight from the library. Loved it. It immediately shot up onto my list of favorite novels. I thought it had a good story, but what set Rainlight apart was how well the story was told. The book description from McGhee's website is:

Even in a small town people have secrets, including how much they really mean to each other. In Alison McGhee’s haunting debut, a tragic event sparks revelations from nine-year-old Mallie, her mother, her grandfather, a waitress, and Mallie’s father’s ex-lover. They discover long-hidden truths and forge new bonds in this unforgettable, heartbreaking novel about parents, children, and love.

Rainlight is a very moving story and it is told through multiple narrators and they each give a little bit more to the story and each character has something interesting to tell and a new perspective that feels necessary.

McGhee's other novels are Shadow Baby and Was It Beautiful?. She also has two children's books and one young adult novel published.

This is a bit selfish, but i wish that McGhee would focus more on writing novels than the children's books (as good as Snap and Countdown to Kindergarten were). She has created a town near the Adirondack mountains and all of her novels (as well as Snap) are set in the region. You'll see characters from one novel mentioned in the others, but what works best is how strong of an emotional connection McGhee allows the reader to feel with her characters. I don't know how popular or well known McGhee is, but she is a top rate author and i am always looking forward to one of her new novels. I'll even read her children's books. Alison McGhee is a Minnesota author (which is always nice to see) and if you have not read any of her work, give Rainlight a try. I did, and i was hooked from that point on.