Book cover of Pete and Alice in Maine

Book description

“Gripping.”—Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls

“Shetterly’s debut achieves a subtle grace, a quality of light and shadow worthy of a Bergman film.”—Allegra Goodman, New York Times Book Review

"Pete and Alice in Maine is a tender, big-hearted, clear-eyed portrait of a marriage, and a family, in crisis—set during the…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Pete and Alice in Maine as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Pete and Alice in Maine is about a New York City family that escapes to their summer home in Maine in the early months of the pandemic during a marital crisis.

Shetterly writes beautifully about marriage and parenting as she inhabits the perspectives of the members of the family, primarily Alice but also Pete and their two young daughters, Iris and Sophie.

I loved the intimacy and honesty of Shetterly’s writing. I felt like I knew this family, that in some ways, I was this family.

If you love Pete and Alice in Maine...

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Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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