Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands: A Novel | 
Today is the birthday of my muse, #EmilyDickinson, and an inspiration for my novel, CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS. Fun fact: many of her poems can be sung to the theme from Gilligan‘s Island. Not kidding, this is totally legit.
The caption COULD be: “Look who wants to devour this book.” This is, after all, the only one of my novels with a dog as a critically important character. But two things: 1) This pic is here because this novel was published nine years ago this week. 2) My beloved Jesse is licking her chops because I am posing her with cheese on my head, a dog-plus-book trick I learned from Pamela Klinger Horn. Happy reading, my friends!
Emily Dickinson, one of my muses, died on this date in 1886. My novel, CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS, includes some of my own thoughts about the remarkable poet. My narrator Emily Shepard‘s devotion to her work was inspired by my own obsessions when I was in college at (yes) Amherst, and walked past her home almost daily. Incidentally, you will see a lot of Emily Dickinson in a short story I have arriving this summer. Stay tuned.
Today is the birthday of one of my muses: Emily Dickinson. Her work figures prominently in CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS.
Currently reading. Apocalyptic story of a girl's survival after a nuclear disaster.
panI enjoyed this years ago in print, but yesterday on audio, it didn‘t work at all, which pains me to say because his daughter narrated. 🫣 Parts didn‘t didn‘t ring true for teens in 2013 either. Not his best.
A nuclear reactor in rural Vermont has melted down, and it looks like it is Emily‘s (alcoholic) dad‘s fault. As the teen runs farther away from her problems, she lands deeper in others, including cutting, prostitution, and drugs.
pickA story I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. But. Very very good.
pickThe book is rough as it shows the life of a homeless teenage girl. I did cry a few times, usually in reference to Maggie, the dog Emily had left behind in the radioactive zone. I had to laugh at the “connection” between Emily Dickinson‘s poems and the “Gilligan‘s Island” theme! I quite liked this and it got just a bit more interesting toward the end, but I‘m not sure I liked it as much as others I‘ve read by Bohjalian
pickVery unique high concept coming-of-age novel. Intriguing and a real page turner.
Hard to believe, but it was six years ago this summer that my novel about two Emilies — Emily Dickinson and Emily Shepard — was published. I still worry about that second Emily and her dystopian world every single day.
Happy birthday to #Emilydickinson. My word, I loved using her poetry and telling a story slant in this novel.
so-soI‘m falling somewhere between pick and so-so on this one. This story is, as stated by the author in the interview at the end of the book, tragically sad, and that is exactly the overwhelming feeling I got when reading this. Not my favorite of Bohjalian‘s, but certainly worth a read.
CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS was published 5 years ago this week. The story of a Vermont teen trying to stay alive after being orphaned by a meltdown at a Vermont nuclear plant is infused with the remarkable fire of #EmilyDickinson‘s poetry. Thank you Doubleday Books and Vintage Anchor!
It was on this date in 1886 that #EmilyDickinson died. Her work was an inspiration for me and for the narrator of my novel, CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS — Emily Shepard. I still worry about that Emily. She is among my favorites of my heroines. Also? I love the way my amazing Grace Experience narrated the audio of that novel, and brought both Emilies to life.
Finished listening to the audio of this awesome book today. The narrator, Grace, did a fabulous job bringing Emily to life. It made complete sense when I learned during the interview at the end of the book that Grace is Chris‘s daughter. A beautiful collaboration! I‘ve only been to Vermont once and it was in this area. I‘m glad this wasn‘t a nonfiction book!
It was four years ago this month that this novel was published. So proud of it in part because it was my first collaboration with my amazing @graceexperience — who did such a beautiful job on the audio bringing Emily Shepard to life. “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.” — Emily Dickinson My deepest thanks to her and Jenny Jackson, Kelly Gildea, and the whole team at Doubleday Books and Vintage Anchor.
pickA dark, heartbreaking and entertaining story that‘s unputdownable.
Emily loves Emily Dickinson poetry + aspires to be a writer but something cataclysmic happens, her parents are unaccounted for + life changes from the get go. During her school‘s evacuation she run‘s away, but life on the street isn‘t pretty + she does whatever needs to be done, that is until she meets a 9yr old fleeing his 5th foster home.
A must read!
Enjoyed + recommend! 4.5 ☆
It was on this date in 1886 that Emily Dickinson died. The book on the right would not exist were it not for the book on the left. I still worry about Emily Shepard...but I am confident that she is taking comfort from the woman for whom she was named. “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.” #grateful
1. My granddaughter‘s 2nd birthday;
2. Donuts;
3. Yes, the tagged book;
4. Playing with my granddaughter
5. Anyone who wants to play!
#friyayintro @jesshowbooks
pickI didn‘t realize until the interview at the end that this audiobook is narrated by the author‘s daughter. She really brings the teenage protagonist to life. There‘s a lot more to this than nuclear melt down and Emily Dickinson. Check it out.
My new audiobook might not have been the best choice for my commute, since I live 4 miles from a nuclear power plant and drive past it on my way to work. . . But it‘s drawing me in. 😊
pickDisclaimer - listened to the audiobook. This was an odd story, but very well told. The narrator/author pull you in and make you cheer for the protagonist, giving fully descriptive scenes and thoughts.
“I kind of understood at a young age that I didn‘t play well with other kids in the sandbox.” 🙌 #quote #quotes #bookquote #bookquotes #bookishquote #bookishquotes #quoththeraven #ireaditinabook #childhood #kidsplay
pickThis book was definitely not at all what I thought it would be about, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be recommending it. ❤️
Not at all what I thought this book was going to be About, but I'm loving it so far. 👌
True fact: I basically always choose my books by the cover. I try not to always read the back cover description. ❤️
So cool when one of your favorite authors recognizes you!
Three years ago this week, this novel was published. So grateful to the wonderful team at @DoubledayBooks Vintage Books Penguin Random House Audio and Penguin Random House Library Marketing -- and to Jenny Jackson, Todd Doughty, John Pitts, Judy Jacoby, Suzanne Herz, Bill Thomas, Anne Messitte, Jen Marshall, and Kelly Gildea. Also, big thanks to Grace Experience for bringing Emily Shepard to life on the audio. I'll always be so proud of this one
There is a reason why my 2014 novel is called "Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands." And there is a reason why Megyn Kelly should not be giving air time to Alex Jones. Denying Sandy Hook and the scar it has left on the soul of the world is appalling -- especially in our current political climate.
"Tainted. I loved it. That was a word I would have expected Emily Dickinson to use, not this guy. He should have used contaminated or radioactive." -- from my novel of nuclear meltdown and Emily Dickinson, because it was on this date the Belle of Amherst died in 1886.
Another by Bohjalian. Not sure I'm ready for one quite so soon, but I'm already sucked right in for the ride.
"'Grave' is the right word. The remains of the Chernobyl reactor are encased in a massive sarcophagus. The Fukushima ruins are, too. So, I figured a part of the cleanup in the Kingdom involved building a sarcophagus atop Reactor One. A therapist here thinks when I went there, I was bonding with my mom and dad. Maybe. But mostly I just wanted to say good-bye." -- Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Trying out the cloudLibrary app. The Apple app very easy to use and it syncs across devices including the Kindle Fire. There's a few extra steps to install the app on the Fire as it's an Android app and not a Kindle App Store app. Adobe Digital Editions isn't needed for this app. Yah!!!
pickEmily Shepard becomes an orphan and homeless when both her parents are killed when the nuclear power plant in northern Vermont has a meltdown. This novel takes the reader into a lifestyle unknown to the majority of people. Emily's path is difficult and the choices she makes lead her from the Northeast Kingdom to Burlington and back to what she knows best.
Because Emily Dickinson was born on this date in 1830. This is the epigraph for "Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands."
Had such an awesome surprise last night. I had posted a recommendation on my Little Free Library FB page for Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands. And Chris Bohjalian replied to my post! How cool is that!
so-soThe book is about a teenage girl's struggle for survival following a nuclear disaster caused by her parents. This was my library's book club selection for September. I really didn't enjoy it at all, although that could have been the author's intention.
