Make the story bigger than you are by making it more true, and, always, strike the emptythat meaningless phrase, that excessive detail, that tired trope, that obvious epiphany, that unmurdered little darling. When i finally reached the storm, the book progressed very well. The third part is the reason why i gave this book four stars. The story of a huge storm and its impact on one small community, this is the story of you is shot through with the gorgeous lyricism of kepharts writing. This is a transcript of her interview with cracking the cover for this is the story of you.
This is the story of you by beth kephart published by chronicle books on april 12th 2016 pages. Beth kephart teaches at the university of pennsylvania and is the author of handling the truth. Beth kephart is the awardwinning author of 19 books. Young and in a bad marriage, baby was the only thing good in emmys life. This is the story of you, by beth kephart publication. On haven, a sixmile long, halfmilewide stretch of barrier. Beth kephart is a writer, known for articulate with jim cotter 2015 and philadelphia. Having a younger brother with hunter syndrome is hard on mira banul and her mother, mickey, who works multiple jobs to pay for jasper lees. When i sat down to read beth kepharts newest novel, this is the story of you, its title and cover art caught my attentionpersonal, serene, then chaotic. A story of strength, rebuilding, friendship, and family, beth kephart manages to express the experience that mira goes through in precise and lyrical language. Maybe i just wasnt ready at the time or maybe it was the person i was back then.
Purchased on haven, a sixmile long, halfmilewide stretch of barrier island, mira banul and her yearrounder friends have proudly risen to every challenge. Beth kephart interviews leslie pietrzyk about her new novel, silver girl. Just as in real life, people are complicated, not just personifications of good or bad. Beyond the prose that shines in all her work, kephart crafts a compelling narrative in the ya novel this is the story of you. Kephart small damages crafts an absorbing story of young love and conflicting ideologies set in 1983 berlin. This is the story of you by beth kephart fictiondb.
On the writing of memoir, which is just out and published by gotham. Beth kephart is one of my favorite young adult authors because her sophisticated. Mira, a lifelong resident of haven a place just one e short of heaven, she muses finds herself cut off from her mother and brother on the eve of a massive, destructive storm reminiscent of hurricane sandy. It tells the story of survival and a community sticking together during difficult. The devastating superstorm arrives without warning at night, destroying the bridge connecting haven, a new jersey barrier island, to the mainland and isolating residents from one another. If the novels pacing is a little awkward at timesslowing in the middle and rushing through climactic twistskepharts liquid prose drives the story, fueling the readers own emotional turmoil and. This is the story of you by beth kephart book thoughts. To ask other readers questions about this is the story of you, please sign up. Katherines guilt and sense of betrayal leaves her longing for death, until a surprise encounter and another near.
Awardwinning author beth kephart writes memoir, nonfiction, poetry, and fiction, and was a finalist for the 1998 national book award for her nonfiction work, a slant of sun. On haven, a sixmile long, halfmilewide stretch of barrier island, mira banul and her. This is the story of you, a young adult novel by beth kephart. This is the story of you, a young adult novel by beth. This is the story of you by beth kephart laceys library. A fiveday workshop that will change the way you see and tell the story of your life, presented by beth kephart, a nationally renowned memoirist and teacher. This book is this is the story of you by beth kephart and while i was reading it i found it to be very interesting. The story of a huge storm and its impact on one small community, this is the story of you is shot through with the gorgeous lyricism of kephart s writing. I liked it because it took place during a storm on a small section of the coast, reminding me of summer vacations at the shore.
Beth kephart is the awardwinning author of books for both adults and young readers, including going over and this is the story of you. But then a superstorm defies all predictions and devastates the island, upending all logic and stranding miras mother and brother on. Gripping and poetic, this is the story of you is about the beauty of nature and the power of family, about finding hope in the wake of tragedy and recovery in the face of overwhelming loss. There were a couple of events and the characters that made me think otherwise. This is the story of you by beth kephart kephart has. Now, though, after reading kepharts you are my only, i feel that i can confidentially say that i get it. Ada, 15, lives an impoverished life in west berlin with her mother and grandmother, while 18yearold stefan who ada has loved for years lives with his grandmother in dull friedrichshain on the other side of the wall. This is the story of you by beth kephart goodreads.
Gripping and poetic, this is the story of you is about the beauty of nature and the power of family, about finding hope in the wake of tragedy and recovery in the. In the tradition of anne lamotts bird by bird, a critically acclaimed national book award finalist shares inspiration and practical advice for writing a memoir. As the acclaimed author of five memoirs spanning significant turning points in her life, beth kephart has been both blessed and bruised by the genre. On haven, a sixmile long, halfmilewide stretch of barrier island, mira banul and her yearrounder friends have proudly risen to every challenge. When i first read a book by beth kephart, i wasnt too keen on it. Im the awardwinning writer of more than twodozen books in multiple genres memoir, middle grade and young adult fiction, picture bo. Beth kepharts prose has a dreamy, poetic feel that infuses the story with urgency. This is the story of you by beth kephart guest post and.
A feast for the eyes, the prose contained in these pages make the story that much more impactful, and manage to add an. This is the story of you, the latest from national book award finalist beth kephart, is a beautiful rendering of a terrifying event. Beth kepharts latest book is about love, family, survival and nature when a superstorm hits a small town. If you are the publisher or author of this book and. We found copies of this book courtesy of the public library, and our personal boughtitmyself libraries. This is the story of you by beth kephart chronicle books, 256 pages. If the novels pacing is a little awkward at timesslowing in the middle and rushing through climactic twists kephart s liquid prose drives the story, fueling the readers own emotional turmoil and. Notes for readers, writers, and teachers of memoir. She lives in devon, pennsylvania, and teaches creative nonfiction at the university of pennsylvania. Author beth kephart sat down with temple university presss gary kramer to discuss her new book love. August 2010 hardcover 192 pages could any two sisters be more tightly bound together than the twins, katherine and anna.
Kephart describes a memoir as a strut and a confession, a whisper in the ear, a scream, with a creative process that is different. Beth kephart is an american author of nonfiction, poetry and young adult fiction for adults and teens. She knows everyone, has gone to school with the kids her age since they all started out together, and is used to the rhythm of her life. Im the awardwinning writer of more than twodozen books in multiple genresmemoir, middle grade and young adult fiction, picture bo.
Mira banul has lived all her life on the sixmile long, halfmile wide island called haven, and shes seen everything. On the writing of memoir by beth kephart, 9781592408153, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Its an unusual choice that helps both to separate their voices and to pull readers into stefans experience. I read the first line of chapter oneblue, for exampleand fell in love with the writing. When i first started reading the book, this is the story of you i thought it was going to be boring. Read on to find out more about the book, read author beth kepharts thoughts about writing environmental stories, and enter to win a copy of this is the story of you for yourself. Writing memoir is a deeply personal, and consequential, undertaking. This is the story of you by beth kephart, hardcover. If you cant enroll in her class, at least you can read her new book, handling the truth. Beth kephart eloquently celebrates the rigors and rewards of the creative process and equally necessary the art of crafting a meaningful life. But then a superstorm defies all predictions and devastates the island, upending all logic and stranding miras mother and brother on the mainland.
She blogs daily on literature and life at bethkephart and the winner is i hope you enjoy writing lessons. The main genre would be realistic fiction but this book also has hints of. Beth kephart is the awardwinning author of 21 booksincluding six memoirsand the 20152016 recipient of the beltran family award for innovative teaching and mentoring at the university of pennsylvanias kelly writers house. This book started out for me how we were liars did. Beth kephart seventeenyearold mira lives in a small island beach town off the coast of new jersey yearround, and when a devastating superstorm strikes she will face the storms wrath and the destruction it. Nancy banks, bookseller, city stacks books and coffee beth kephart has written a lyrical novel where it. Interview tamara smith interviews beth kephart, about her ya novel, small damages, that brings the heat, the colors, and the smells of seville, spain alive a feast for the heart and the soul, and a comingofage novel not easily forgotten. Beth kephart explains in the introduction to her latest book, strike the empty. Kephart has written and published over ten books and has received several grants and. This is the story of you by beth kephart novel ink. Each sentence is as polished as sea glass and uniquely melodic, and this novels beach town setting will entrance and enchant you while it attests to the. When i sat down to read beth kepharts newest novel, this is the story of you, its title and cover art caught my attentionpersonal, serene, then. Lets pretend you want to know the story behind the story.
Nancy banks, bookseller, city stacks books and coffee beth kephart has written a lyrical novel where it is as easy to get lost in the language as the story. In handling the truth, she thinks out loud about the formon how it gets made, on what it means to make it, on the searing language of truth, on the thin line between remembering and imagining. This is the story of you by beth kephart tells the story of mira, who lives in a small community. This is the story of you by beth kephart scholastic. Beth kephart has read the genre closely, put her own feet to the fire, and distilled the form with all the passion of a great teacher. This is the story of you written by beth kephart published by chronicle books on april 12th 2016 isbn. Strike the empty by beth kephart the woven tale press. Like our own sara author sara lewis holmes, peerless poet and member of our writing group, beth kephart has a wonderful, lyrical way with words that. While adas story is told in the first person, stefans is told in the second person.