Courtney Miller Santo's debut novel, The Roots of the Olive Tree (William Morrow, hardcover, $25.99, on sale 8/21/12), follows the lives of five women from different generations of the same family tree, all living together under one roof.
The Keller family is five generations of firstborn women living together in the same house in a secluded olive grove in Northern California. Anna, the family matriarch, is 112 years old and determined to become the oldest living woman in the world. She is a true force of nature and rules over Hill House, the family home she shares with her daughter Bets, granddaughter Callie, great-granddaughter Deb, and great-great-granddaughter Erin. Although the live relatively ordinary lives, there is an extraordinary element to each of these women -- all are defying longevity norms. And their unusual lifespans have caught the attention of a geneticist who believes the family might hold the secrets to revolutionizing the aging process for everyone.
But Anna is not interested in unlocking the secrets the Keller blood holds. In fact, there are a great many secrets that Anna would prefer remain hidden forever. With the arrival of the curious geneticist coinciding with the return home of a pregnant and alone Erin, the youngest, explosive emotions are ignited and the exposure of revelations long-hidden threaten to break to the surface and shake the lives of all the women to their roots.
Told from varying viewpoints, Courtney Miller Santo's compelling and evocative debut captures the joys and sorrows of family, as well as the love, secrets, disappointments, jealousies, and forgiveness that tie generations to one another.
Courtney Miller Santo learned to share the stories that came to her from her great-great-grandmother, who is still living in Northern California. She teaches creative writing at the University of Memphis, where she received her MFA. She received a BA in journalism from Washington and Lee University, and although born and raised in Portland, Oregon, she has spent most of her life in the South.
If you cannot make the event, you can reserve a personalized copy of The Roots of the Olive Tree by contacting Fiction Addiction in advance at 864-675-0540 or at info@fiction-addiction.com.
ABOUT FICTION ADDICTION
Fiction Addiction is a local, woman-owned, independent bookstore established in 2001. The store carries a mixture of new and used fiction and nofiction, including children's books, as well as gift items. For more information, visit our website at http://www.fiction-addiction.com or call us at 864-675-0540.
ABOUT BOOK YOUR LUNCH
The Book Your Lunch author event program was launched in September 2009, and is a new way to bring authors and readers together -- right here in Greenville. This luncheon series provides the ultimate food for thought with a wide range of authors -- from mystery writers, to award-winning regional novelists to nonfiction and cookbook authors. Jill Hendrix, the owner of Fiction Addiction, founded the event program and is responsible for book the authors. Book Your Lunch is co-sponsored by Greenville's independent restaurant group, Table 301. For more information about Book Your Lunch, please visit our website at http://www.bookyourlunch.com.
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