Hardcover : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1536212105
ISBN-13 : 978-1536212105
Publisher : Candlewick (October 13, 2020)
Language: : English
Praise for RURAL VOICES
The writers bring authentic voices to their work in addition to their biographies, shared at the back of the book. This collection will be a high-interest read for middle and high school students…This book is a must-purchase for libraries serving middle and high school readers. —School Library Connection
The compilation successfully meets the challenge of serving as a cohesive whole while providing readers with enough variety of tone, pace, and voice to keep the reading experience interesting. A fresh and highly accessible contribution. —Kirkus Reviews
From laughing out loud to holding back tears, readers who enjoy emotionally resonant books will not be disappointed. Those from similar geographic areas will be nodding their heads while every reader, regardless of location, will connect to the universal triumphs and tribulations of teen life. Fans of Rainbow Rowell will dive headfirst into this collection. A great addition that explores an often misrepresented portion of readers. —School Library Journal
Think you know what rural America is like? Discover a plurality of perspectives in this enlightening anthology of stories that turns preconceptions on their head.
Gracie sees a chance of fitting in at her South Carolina private school, until a “white trash”-themed Halloween party has her steering clear of the rich kids. Samuel’s Tejano family has both stood up to oppression and been a source of it, but now he’s ready to own his true sexual identity. A Puerto Rican teen in Utah discovers that being a rodeo queen means embracing her heritage, not shedding it. . . .
For most of America’s history, rural people and culture have been casually mocked, stereotyped, and, in general, deeply misunderstood. Now an array of short stories, poetry, graphic short stories, and personal essays, along with anecdotes from the authors’ real lives, dives deep into the complexity and diversity of rural America and the people who call it home. Fifteen extraordinary authors – diverse in ethnic background, sexual orientation, geographic location, and socioeconomic status – explore the challenges, beauty, and nuances of growing up in rural America. From a mountain town in New Mexico to the gorges of New York to the arctic tundra of Alaska, you’ll find yourself visiting parts of this country you might not know existed – and meet characters whose lives might be surprisingly similar to your own.
Estelle Laure
(Ten random things about HS/College)
- I skipped half of ninth grade and half of tenth.
- I kept a quote book all through high school. Some of the stuff we said was really smart but most of it was so silly.
- I was the only girl in Taos who didn’t know how to pee in the woods. Still don’t.
- I once faked being sick so I wouldn’t have to go on a school camping trip (see above) and when my mother figured it out she drove two hours in the middle of the night and woke up the entire camp just to make a point.
- I learned to drive in a brand new black Porsche. I didn’t have my license or permit and I had never gone to driver’s ed. It’s a long story but that’s the truth of it.
- My best friend died in a plane crash when I was fourteen. We had just spent a week at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat together and my uncle drove her back to Taos so she could pack and catch her plane the next day. When I found out, someone gave me a bracelet that I have never taken off since. That was my first and worst heartbreak.
- In college I briefly followed the Grateful Dead against my will. My boyfriend and I made grilled cheese sandwiches in the parking lot to get from place to place. Being that I wore all black, did not like interpretive dancing, and was openly hostile, it did not go well.
- I was an actor with the American Southwest Theatre Company and got my undergrad in theatre arts. It was the most fun I had ever had up until then.
- The mutt we had when I was in high school was named Sid and he went to work with my mom every day. Everyone knew him so he would make the rounds and get food from everyone, even waltz through restaurants. I don’t think that could happen anymore, but back then he was a legend.
- I remember the first time I left Taos and came back winding through all the curves. We came up over the last bend and even though I had lived tons of places, I saw that massive gorge and for the first time in my life I thought, “Oh. I’m home.”
ABOUT ESTELLE LAURE
Estelle Laure is the author of books for young adults, including the City of Villains Disney series, Mayhem, and This Raging Light, an Indie Next List selection and a BookExpo Buzz Book. Her books have been translated into twelve languages. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is obsessed with music, the color black, and true crime. She is a proud resident of Taos, New Mexico, for which she thanks her stars every day.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Nora Shalaway Carpenter grew up on a mountain ridge deep in the West Virginia wilderness. A graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program, she is the author of the YA novel The Edge of Anything and the picture book Yoga Frog. Before she wrote books, she worked as associate editor of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, and she has been a certified yoga teacher since 2012. She currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, three young children, and world’s most patient dog and cat.
