Young protagonist Juniper Kowalski returns to her small hometown after her grandmother’s passing, living in a trailer and working at the local Vacation Express hotel. When she finds out she’s pregnant after a brief affair with a married hotel guest, she becomes angry and frustrated at contributing to what she views as a family tradition of good for nothing father figures amidst a past of generational trauma. But bolstered by the resilient women in her life, Juniper strives to make something of herself and help raise her community up despite the hand they’ve been dealt, reigniting her creativity. Addressing controversial issues related to parenting, social constructs, and first world poverty, TWINE is a beautifully told tale of a quiet young hero who shows up, defies constraint and probability, and ultimately thrives.
· “Twine tackles many complex life issues, yet there is a lightness, a sense of hope about the book. With relatively short chapters, the pace is just right and it is an easy read to move through. Duncan’s writing style creates a pleasant, comfortable mood to draw the reader in and the female characters are quite endearing.” —The Nerd Daily
· “A juicy, occasionally literary rendering of a complicated young adulthood.”—Kirkus Reviews
· “There is so much to love and admire about TWINE—in fact, everything. Monica Duncan’s characters are authentic and lovable, their relationships absorbing, their causes just. What a pleasure to read a book that is equal parts brain, heart, and good old-fashioned storytelling. It was hard to leave these pages.” —Elinor Lipman, author of Good Riddance, On Turpentine Lane, The Inn at Lake Devine
Monica Duncan is a writer of literary fiction, musician, wife, and mother. Originally from Michigan, she now lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Monica holds music degrees from Michigan State and Indiana University, and is active as a freelance musician and teacher in the Greater Boston area. She’s pretty sure she’ll always be in love with the soundtrack from “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, and has discovered that her favorite skill as a writer she learned from her life in music: Be a good listener.