, the debut novel of playwright Laura Harrington. The book grew out of Harrington's off-Broadway musical "Alice Unwrapped". Expanding the one-woman show to a book gave Harrington an opportunity to explore the the idea of war as seen from the homefront, including the loss of a father. (Harrington cites the post-war PTSD of her father, a WWII navigator/ bombardier, as one of the greatest mysteries and inspirations of her life.) I love Harrington's work in theatre and can't wait to see what she does with this book. Advance review copy is on the way, and I'm working out so I can armwrestle Bobbi for it. We'll keep you posted.
Per the PR:
Alice Bliss is fifteen and is heartbroken when she learns her father is being deployed to Iraq. He’s leaving just as his daughter blossoms into a full-blown teenager. She will learn to drive, shop for a dress for her first dance, and fall in love all while trying to be strong for her mother and take care of her younger sister.
Alice wears her dad’s shirt every day; even though the scent of him is fading and his phone calls are never long enough. Life continues without him, but nothing can prepare Alice for the day two uniformed officers arrive at their door with news.
Faced with life without him, Alice must learn to get through each day until it no longer hurts to smile; until she can see she still has a family, and she’s still surrounded by love. A profoundly moving, uplifting novel ALICE BLISS is a story about those who are left at home during wartime and a teenage girl bravely facing the future.
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