An Appreciation of the Author: Beth Kephart

There are so many ways in which the past four and a half years of book blogging have changed my reading habits, and so many books and authors I’d never have known without it. Beth Kephart is near the top of that list, and the loss would have been all mine.

Despite her prolific and varied output and a National Book Award nomination for her first book, the memoir A Slant of Sun: One Child’s Courage, Beth Kephart wasn’t on my radar at all until just a couple of years ago, when I became aware that she had connections to a few good friends, who led me to her blog. Beth Kephart Books quickly became part of my required daily blog-reading, but I have to admit I resisted her books themselves for a while longer. While Beth has published nonfiction in a few genres, notably memoir and history, her most recent books are young-adult fiction, and for some time, I was highly ambivalent about expanding my reading into that particular category, being many years past that vintage.

Eventually, my enjoyment of her blog and other bloggers’ praise of her books won me over, and I decided that it was time to see for myself. I read four of Beth’s YA novels in 2010, put one of them - The Heart is Not a Size - on my 2010 “Books of the Year” list, and named her as my Author of the Year.

BEA 2011: Beth Kephart (r.) and me

As I mentioned, I’m well past my own YA years, but I came of age along with the category in the late 1970’s, and Beth’s YA fiction reminds me of the books I loved to read then in its realistic settings and relatable stories and characters, but I have to say it’s much better written than some of my old favorites. Those qualities help me understand why so many adult readers are drawn to her books - and in all honesty, I’m probably more likely to recommend them to adults over teen readers. I’m just afraid that many teens - even my own intelligent, mature, book-loving 17-year-old stepdaughter - might not properly appreciate her.

As I said, I knew Beth first as a blogger, and I think my appreciation of her as an author has only enhanced my appreciation of her as a blogger. Beth’s blog is a finalist for “Best Published Author Blog” in the 2011 BBAW Awards, and it absolutely belongs on that short list. She talks about her books, yes, and also so much more. She reads avidly and regularly blogs her reflections on what she’s read; I’ve come to value her opinions and recommendations highly. She has a distinctive voice and a gift for choosing the right words. Beth also teaches writing, and I think her students are very fortunate people.

Beth and I got to know each other through our blogging, and have built up a friendship via Facebook. This past May, we had the chance to meet in person at Book Expo America, and she made my first-ever (and so far, only) experience in vlogging - a clip we made for Armchair BEA - a lot of fun and much more comfortable than I ever thought it could be. I stayed for her book signing, and it was truly one of the highlights of my week at BEA; she was gracious and generous and genuinely interested in everyone who came by to meet her.

The books Beth was signing at BEA were galleys of You Are My Only, her upcoming YA novel - it’s publishing on October 25, but you can pre-order* it now (or request it from NetGalley, if you have an account there). Here’s the book description:

Emmy Rane is married at nineteen, a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock. 

Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the "No Good." One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that gives Sophie the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever. . .  

The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.

I have one of those signed galleys, but I’ve been holding myself back from reading it - I usually try not to read and review ARCs too far ahead of their publication date. But it’s getting harder to wait; I’ve been eagerly anticipating this novel since I read the first sentence in that description, as I was also married at nineteen and a mother by twenty. However, some folks have already read and loved You Are My Only - you can find links to their reviews on its Book Guide/Q&A page at Beth Kephart Books. They just may win me over to an early read - bloggers and Beth Kephart are a terrific combination.

*Pre-orders via this link will earn me a small commission as an IndieBound affiliate.