How Far We Go and How Fast - Premium Travel Backpack for Hiking, Camping & Outdoor Adventures | Durable & Lightweight Gear for Explorers
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SKU:45067729
Product Description
Sixteen-year-old Jolene, named after the girl in the Dolly Parton song, is from a long line of lowlifes, but at least they're musical lowlifes. Her mother is a tanning-salon manager who believes she can channel her karaoke habit into a professional singing career. Jolene's dad, a failed bass player, has gone back to the family demolition business and lives by the company motto: "We do not build things; we only tear them down." But Jolene and her big brother, Matt, are true musicians, writing songs together that make everything Jo hates about their lives matter less. When Matt up and leaves in the middle of the night, Jo loses her only friend, her support system and the one person who made her feel cool. As it becomes clear that Matt is never coming back, Jo must use music to navigate her loss.
Customer Reviews
How Far We Go and How Fast is a bitterly beautiful coming-of-age story of a teen named Joelene - yes, after the Dolly Parton song - who grows up in Manitoba which serves not only as a physical backdrop but also as a sort of emotional state. Her world is not warm and fuzzy, it's frozen through and needs to be manipulated in order for her to survive.In her world, however, she has her brother Matt. A fellow musician and, really, her best friend. When he goes missing, things just get worse.I had the good fortune to study with Nora Decter and can tell you that she is not only a brilliant writer, but she is also a solid human unafraid of putting in the extra work for her writing, her teaching, or for helping others.The greatest part of my MFA is that I got to see writing evolve from ideas and pieces into chapters and fully shaped manuscripts and How Far We Go and How Fast is a perfect example. What resulted is a profound, poignant story of how ugly life can be and yet how we can still come out standing tall and thriving.Decter brings us along on Joelene's journey with the anguish, sorrow, struggles, and conflicts of real life, but also with the unexpected joys and the ever-present humor that accompanies the experiences of finding our way in the world.I recommend this for teens trying to find themselves in this weird world, but also for adults who just want a good read and a reminder that we're tougher than we think we are. And, above all, for anyone needing a reminder of how powerful the relationship between siblings can be because they never need the back story.
