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Needlework

A Novel
By Julia Watts
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.25 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 208 ratings, 57 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Needlework by Julia Watts is a Young Adult novel that delves into the life of a sixteen-year-old living in a struggling small Tennessee town. The story revolves around the challenges and awakenings experienced by Kody, as he navigates the complexities of his family's legacy, personal identity, and the art of quilting inherited from his ancestors. With a focus on self-discovery and resilience, the novel paints a vivid picture of the bonds that hold families together amidst adversity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This story might appeal to you if you enjoy exploring the resilience and bonds formed in challenging circumstances, especially in a young adult setting. It offers a compelling dive into themes of friendship and survival through the eyes of teenagers navigating difficult family dynamics. The narrative beautifully captures the complexities of growing up in an environment where love and hardship are intricately intertwined.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In rural Kentucky, a sixteen-year-old boy with a love of quilting, cooking and Dolly Parton helps his grandma care for his opioid-addicted mother, until the discovery of a family secret upends everything he has ever believed.

While other sixteen-year-old boys in Morgan, Kentucky, love hunting and football, Kody prefers to spend his time quilting with his grandmother ('Nanny'), watching Golden Girls reruns, and listening to old Dolly Parton albums. Nanny is Kody's main caregiver, but it takes both Nanny and Kody to take care of Kody's mother, whose drug problem is spinning out of control.

Between looking after Mommy and trying to survive in a place that doesn't look kindly on feminine boys, Kody already has a hard time making sense of his life. But then he uncovers a family secret that will change everything in his life.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

a story set in rural Kentucky, centres around Kody, a gay sixteen-year-old who navigates complex themes like addiction, family, and identity. Reviewers have praised its engaging narrative, poignant exploration of significant societal issues, and vivid portrayal of Appalachian life. The characterisation of Kody as both vulnerable and resilient resonates deeply with readers, while the book avoids simple resolutions, offering instead a hopeful yet realistic portrayal of life’s struggles.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781953103079

Publisher: Three Rooms Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 November 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Three Rooms Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

Collections

Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fiction Julia Watts LGBTQ+ Young Adult

About the Author

Julia Watts is the author of fourteen novels and several short story collections in the genres of young adult fiction and lesbian fiction/erotica. Her books are set in her native Appalachia and often depict the lives of LGBTQ people in the Bible Belt. Her most recent novel, Needlework, was selected as Tennessee's youth selection for the "Great Reads from Great Places" list for the 2022 National Book Festival of the Library of Congress, and also won Honorable Mention for Best YA novel of the year in the Foreword INDIES awards.Her novel Finding H.F. (Alyson Press) won the Lambda Literary Award in the children/young adult category. Her novel, Quiver, set in rural Tennessee, received a rare "Perfect 10 Rating" from VOYA Magazine, and, along with several of her other novels, was selected for the American Library Association's Rainbow List. Her historical YA novel Secret City (Bella Books) was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and a winner of a Golden Crown Literary Award. In 2020 Watts was given the Tennessee Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Award. She lives in Knoxville and is working on a PhD in Children's and Young Adult Literature at The University of Tennessee.

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