She was a national book award finalist for the novel highwire moon in 2001. Susan straight is a national book award finalist, for 2002s highwire moon, and teaches in the mfa creative writing program. As with all her work, straight s fourth novel presents a vital and unsparing vision of america. Read highwire moon by susan straight available from rakuten kobo. Susan straight, author info, published books, bio, photo. Serafina, a mexican mother featured in highwire moon, showed up unexpectedly when i wrote this new novel. Highwire moon by susan straight book club discussion. Susan straight was born and raised in riverside, california, and continues to live there with her three daughters. Straight i been in sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots, 1992, etc. It was optioned for film by little monument pictures.
Joan didion, a native californian like me, said, you have to pick the places you dont walk away from. Susan straight was born and raised in a multiracial neighborhood in. With a new introduction by the author finalist for the national book award. Susan straight, author of eight novels, was a national book award finalist for the book highwire moon. A young mexican mother struggles to reconnect with her child in americaa heartrending, take.
Henry prize, the lannan literary award for fiction, and a guggenheim fellowship. Susan straight has published eight novels, including highwire moon, between heaven and here, and a million nightingales. Highwire moon by susan straight book club discussion questions. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of highwire moon by susan straight. Anchor houghton mifflin harcourt more about this book. Theres much to admire in straights i been in sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots heartrending, takenoprisoners fourth novel, which returns to the fictional california town of rio seco to expose the horrific dangers facing migrant farm. I picked rio seco, a fictional place like the place i. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. It is the last in the rio seco trilogy, which began with a million nightingales and take one candle light a room. Highwire moon 2001 finalist for the national book award. Highwire moon is a work of realistic fiction by susan straight.
Aug 06, 20 a finalist for the national book award, straight s highwire moon is a compelling story of serafina, an illegal migrant from the mexican state of oaxaca, who speaks only mixtec, a regional dialect. The washington post book world an eyeopener of a novel, a road map to the real california. Highwire moon is an illuminating journey into the dark corners of american life and into the hearts and minds of the. Susan straight read more than 500 novels this year. Susan straight has published eight novels, including highwire moon, finalist for the national book award in 2001, and between heaven and here. Her tongue rose in her throat, and she gasped for air when he caught her. Buy highwire moon by susan straight online at alibris. The only book that travels far away is a million nightingale s when i started this trilogy about a family from 1778 to the present, i realized fantines ancestor, moinette, was a slave in louisiana, and so that novel is set south of new orleans. A finalist for the national book award, straights highwire moon is a compelling story of serafina, an illegal migrant from the mexican state of oaxaca, who speaks only mixtec, a regional dialect. A finalist for the national book award, straight s highwire moon is a compelling story of serafina, an illegal migrant from the mexican state of oaxaca, who speaks only mixtec, a regional dialect. She has published eight novels and two childrens books. Susan straight born october 19, 1960 is an american writer. Highwire moon ebook by susan straight 9781640093607. As with all her work, straight s fourth novel presents a vital and unsparing vision of.
From national book award finalist susan straight comes a haunting historical novel about a louisiana slave girls perilous journey to freedom. Nominated for the national book award, highwire moon is an illuminating journey into the dark corners of american life and into the hearts and minds of the people trapped in the shadows. Houghtonin this powerful, greathearted story, susan straight takes us back to the multiracial area of southern california that is, in faulkners phrase, her. She can actually see the hospital from her kitchen window, which her daughters find kind of pathetic. Click to read more about highwire moon by susan straight. A national book award finalist her gallery of misfits reminds one of flannery oconnors. Susan straight was born in riverside, california, where she still lives with her family. Susan straight is a national book award finalist, for 2002s highwire moon, and teaches in the mfa creative writing program at uc riverside.
Blacker than a thousand midnights 1st edition by susan straight and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Highwire moon book jackson county library services. Times book prizes robert kirsch award for lifetime achievement. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. A national book award finalist her gallery of misfits reminds one of flannery oconnorsbut with a dash of sympathy and human goodness. Susan straight was born in riverside and still lives there with her family. Sales of her last two books were disappointing, but there is a chance. In books with titles like aquaboogie, i been in sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots and the gettin. In inland southern california, near the desert and the mexican border, susan straight, a selfproclaimed book nerd, and dwayne sims, an africanamerican basketball player, started dating in high school. Aug 26, 2001 the policeman tackled her on the grass and lifted her by the elbow, and she dropped her shoulder and began to run again. Susan straight books list of books by author susan straight. When her daughter, elvia, is only three years old, serafina is involved in a car crash, after whichforced to leave elvia behindshe is deported to. Susan straight s newest novel is between heaven and here.
A young mexican mother struggles to reconnect with her child in americaa heartrending, takenoprisoners novel publi. Susan straight has always been one of americas gutsiest writers, a storyteller with a civic purpose, a polyglot with an. Her most recent, between heaven and here, is the final book in the rio seco trilogy. Her other books include a million nightingales and the gettin place. The story of a young mother deported and separated from her child, and the pair.
Highwire moon was released in paperback by anchor books in october, 2002. Straight, whose novel highwire moon was a finalist for the national book award in 2001, is an effusive writer. When her daughter, elvia, is only three years old, serafina is involved in a car crash, after whichforced to leave elvia behindshe is deported to mexico. She has published eight novels, including i been in sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots 1992, highwire moon 2001,a million nightingales 2006, take one. See all books authored by susan straight, including the best american short stories 2003 the best american series, and a million nightingales, and more on. Her new novel a million nightingales, was published by pantheon in march 2006, and was a san francisco chronicle bestseller. Aug 22, 2019 straight, whose novel highwire moon was a finalist for the national book award in 2001, is an effusive writer. Susan straight is the author of six novels, including a million nightingales and the national book award finalist highwire moon. Read highwire moon, by susan straight online on bookmate a young mexican mother struggles to reconnect with her child in americaa heartrending, takenoprisoners novel publishers weekly and n. Born and raised in riverside, straight has made the region the subject of her fiction. Nov 19, 2015 susan straight has published eight novels. Daughter of an african mother and a white father she never knew, moinette is a house maid on a plantatio. The policeman tackled her on the grass and lifted her by the elbow, and she dropped her shoulder and began to run again.
Susan straights highwire moon was a finalist for the national book award in 2001. Highwire moon by susan straight goodreads share book. Straight portrays several parentchild relationships in highwire moon, from serafinas devotion to elvia and to her own mother when she returns to mexico to callies blatant and sometimes dangerous neglect of jeff, to elvias complicated feelings about larry and sandy narlette and her longing for. From national book award finalist straight highwire moon, 2001, etc. Harper perennial harpercollins more about this book highwire moon.
Oct 22, 2019 a finalist for the national book award, straight s highwire moon is a compelling story of serafina, an illegal migrant from the mexican state of oaxaca, who speaks only mixtec, a regional dialect. National book awards 2001 national book foundation. Highwire moon was a finalist for the national book award in 2001. Susan straight audio books, best sellers, author bio.
In the paper highwire moon by susan straight the author discusses the character out of the book serafina mendez, a mexican indian girl and the protagonist studentshare our website is a unique platform where students can share their papers in a matter of giving an example of the work to be done. I been in sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots 1993. As in her highly acclaimed earlier novels, she has created a world of richly imagined characters struggling to retain their dignity and humanity in an often. The story of a young mother deported and separated from her child, and the pairs efforts to locate each other years later highwire moon narrates the journeys of a young mother and daughter divided. Why does elvia refuse to speak when she is placed in foster care pp. Her short stories have won an edgar award more about susan straight. Serafina is an illegal migrant worker living in california when the p. Dec 05, 2012 susan straights highwire moon was a finalist for the national book award in 2001. Her book, highwire moon, is about a mother and daughter separated by deportation. She teaches at the university of california, riverside. Serafina is a mexicanindian scraping by in southern california. Her new memoir, in the country of women, will be published in august 2019 by catapult.
She is the author of aquaboogie, which won the milkweed national fiction prize, i been in sorrows kitchen and licked out all the pots, blacker than a thousand midnights, the gettin place, and highwire moon, which was both a national book award finalist and winner of the gold. Her descriptions of raucous parties in neighborhood driveways, of plentiful. A million nightingales pantheon books, 2006 was a san francisco chronicle bestseller. What does highwire moon share with other classic american novels built around journeysfor example, mark twains the adventures of huckleberry finn, john steinbecks the grapes of wrath, and jack kerouacs on the road.