Review Praise for Another Place You've Never Been Long-listed for the 2016 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize "Fans of the vignette style of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood might enjoy Rebecca Kauffman’s take on the roman à clef. It’s an inventive debut that’s already been compared to Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad and from an indie press, to boot!" ―Huffington Post "Another Place You've Never Been is a gorgeous, witty novel that reminded me of Olive Kitteridge . . . if Olive had been a down-on-her-luck waitress dreaming of love in upstate New York. I loved this kindhearted, beautiful book.”―Amanda Eyre Ward, author of The Same Sky and How to Be Lost “In this mesmerizing novel, composed of short, powerful, interlocking stories, Rebecca Kauffman gives us a wide cast of characters struggling to find happiness, and maybe even transcendence, in a harsh landscape. At the center of it all is Tracy, a woman fighting against the odds, one of the most complex and memorable figures to appear in recent American fiction. Clear-eyed, witty, and dazzlingly inventive, this is a novel that disturbs and delights. An extraordinary debut.”―Brian Morton, author of Starting Out in the Evening and Florence Gordon "Kauffman’s immediately involving novel-in-stories, delivered in crisp language and with a strong sense of the characters surrounding her . . . is an accomplished debut―at times emotionally gritty but always emotionally true." ―Library Journal (starred review) "[A] wonderful debut . . . Watching how these characters intersect is incredibly satisfying. In clear and vivid prose, Kauffman potently depicts lonely and isolated lives, marked by rash decisions made in the hope of finding connection. By the end of the novel, the pieces of the puzzle that is Tracy’s life fit together, her disappointments as much a part of her as her small victories, resulting in an undeniably moving and emotionally true portrayal of the kitchen sink of human experience." ―Publishers Weekly (starred and boxed review) "Kauffman's compassion for her lonely characters is evident." ―Kirkus Reviews "Through the eyes of the characters in these stories―many tragic but making the best of what they have―we glimpse Kauffman’s deep and abiding empathy."―Read it Forward, Favorite Read for October "Kauffman’s prose is spare and vivid. She knows just the right details to bring a place or a person to life. It’s fun to anticipate the connections among characters from story to story, and to watch Tracy realize how the relationship with her father has colored her choices . . . Another Place You’ve Never Been is a moving, elegantly constructed tribute to human frailty and loss, and to our stubborn insistence on striving for human connection despite a slew of obstacles. In the character of Tracy, Kauffman has given us a fascinating portrait of a modern, tragic heroine, and a lens into our own darkest, most hopeful places." ―Fiction Advocate Read more About the Author REBECCA KAUFFMAN is originally from rural northeastern Ohio. She received her B.A. in Classical Violin Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and several years later, she received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New York University. She currently lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Read more
A**.
Truely beautiful reflection on the lives we lead
I adored this novel. Kauffman's characters are rich and thoughtful, and she weaves together their lives with a refreshing naturalness. Each vignette is powerful and insightful, beautiful and hauntingly real. Even more impactful is how in the dark moments that freckle these characters lives, there is more beauty and resiliency than doom and gloom. I found my self often in tears not over the sadness they felt, but because of how they bore through it. Tracy, the central figure in the book, is someone we all have known or have been at certain times in our lives. This one sits with you long after you've finished. I am recommending it to everyone I know.
A**R
One of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time
One of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time.I absolutely loved this book. This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time after your close the back cover. The characters are so richly drawn and HONEST, which I think is a pretty incredible feat. I love the format with the lives of each character being unraveled through out moments in time from different points of view. It reminded me of the first time I read "The Things They Carried" for the first time. The characters are familiar to me as if I have met them in life but wholly original in literature.Ms. Kauffman's writing is the true star of this novel. Immediate and to the point, not a single wasted word but still poetic and evocative."The Christmas morning sun split the day wide open like a cracked egg over the cold, clean horizon. White morning light soared in through the windows. Something in the world felt different to Tracy. As though everything that came before was part of a different dream."I feel like many of my favorite writers take fifteen years or better to get their writing to sound like this, which is why I am so surprised to find out it is a debut novel. I truly look forward to Rebecca Kauffman's next novel.
L**P
Kauffman is brilliant in her storytelling- a weaving of vignettes that meld ...
Kauffman is brilliant in her storytelling- a weaving of vignettes that meld together magically to tell the story of Tracy. Reading this like looking at snapshots of a beautiful and indescribable lake from every different angle and throughout all the seasons. I found the language to be incredibly fluid and engaging, easy to read, but with real weight. I read the entire second half in one sitting. I can't wait for more from this author!
K**R
Masterful
Kauffman's characters are deeply, deeply flawed. But it's love they're driven by, love and the belief that there's never going to be a slice of it for them. There's Tracy, raised by a pill-popping mother, cheated out of summer visits by her father's jealous girlfriend. Is it any wonder she's the kind of woman who dates mostly married men because "Something ugly inside of her had always been driven to prove that she was as good as a woman who someone considered marriage material--that she was every bit as desirable." This is a book driven by desires, few of them sexual, many of them hollow in the end.Kauffman does a masterful job playing with our sympathies--building them up, undercutting them, resurrecting them again.
P**O
childhood to damaged adult
I bought this because it is based in Buffalo, where I live. I could see all the locations that were discussed. The main female character is well done. She needs a good kick in the behind, but you really get that impression from the well developed character and the well written story line. it was also a fairly quick read. I am looking forward to this author's newest book.
B**H
Beautiful writing and story.
This story wraps people / place / time all together to remind us how we all are connected in some way - no matter how hard we may fight for solitude. I loved the writing - and loved how the story unwound so beautifully from beginning to end.
E**Y
A Remarkable Novel
This is a remarkable novel, written in segments that are, essentially, short stories. For a few stories, the reader may not make connections--I didn't anyway--between characters. But then it begins to fall into place. The novel focuses upon people who, in some cases, have lost their way, have disconnected from others, but who, in all cases, have opportunities (created by them, not for them) for redemption. The ending is just so beautiful, making one think of a connection with Hemingway's old man and his fish in "The Old Man and the Sea." I know I will read and re-read this novel.
M**B
Uh...did I read the same book? 5 stars...really??
I am not going to waste my time defending my opinion to those of you who felt this was an amazing book! There was no real plot and this book just rambled through people’s lives without any point. And, don’t even get me started on the lame ending!!! I only kept reading because I thought it was gonna make sense at some point; that there was going to be a tie-in between all of these random people. Now I’m just angry that I did.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
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