The Mahoneys are the quintessential Irish Catholic family, living what might seem a perfect life in the affluent New Jersey suburbs. But behind closed doors, they struggle with alcoholism, sexual orientation, and mental illness--they love and hate one another, save one another, and break one another's hearts. Snapshots is a portrait of the Mahoneys, which begins when Kate, Patty, Sean, and Nora, all grown, come home for Christmas to the family's summer house on the Jersey Shore. William Norris's innovative novel then works deftly backwards in time, telling the story of their past twenty-five years as a family, filling in the rich, deep hues of the Mahoneys' family bonds.
About the Author :
William Norris has taught writing for the New School and the Gotham Writer's Workshop, and is currently teaching at Hofstra University. He is the curator of the Emerging Voices Reading Series at New York's KGB literary bar. He lives in Brooklyn.
Review :
"Norris beautifully captures the intimacies of family life."-Kirkus Reviews
"A vivid tale of family bonds." -Hartford Courant
"Norris renders anecdotes of family conflict and nurturing--some trivial, others tragic--with energy and compassion." -Publishers Weekly
"Richly and sympathetically detailed."-Booklist
"A gripping portrayal of how a family deals with its heartbreaks and tragedies... Norris offers no easy solutions for a content family, but he develops a vivid picture of the Mahoneys as strong, believable characters, full of virtues and flaws. Readers will find themselves rooting for the Mahoneys in their quest for individual happiness." -The Irish Echo
"Norris has a knack for creating sympathetic characters." -The Washington Post Book World
"Peers beyond the glowing veneer of the successful Mahoney family in suburban New Jersey. In a story that spans 25 years, Norris develops a vivid tale of family bonds....sensual prose"--Hartford Courant
"Well-crafted....In short vignettes, alternating rapidly like riffled pages in a photograph album, the Mahoney family is seen through a variety of lenses."--Publishers Weekly
"Snapshots is a vivid family portrait, illuminating as it does the strange and complex relationship between past and present. William Norris has a wonderful gift for capturing those ordinary gestures which, like snapshots in a family album, retrospectively emerge as significant and telling in the lives of his engaging and authentic characters. An auspicious debut."--Katharine Weber, author of The Music Lesson
"An honest reflection on the secrets, lies and joys that visit most families--even those that look too good to be true."--Rocky Mountain News
Norris beautifully captures the intimacies of family life. Kirkus Reviews A vivid tale of family bonds. Hartford Courant
Norris renders anecdotes of family conflict and nurturing some trivial, others tragic with energy and compassion. Publishers Weekly
Richly and sympathetically detailed. Booklist
A gripping portrayal of how a family deals with its heartbreaks and tragedies Norris offers no easy solutions for a content family, but he develops a vivid picture of the Mahoneys as strong, believable characters, full of virtues and flaws. Readers will find themselves rooting for the Mahoneys in their quest for individual happiness. The Irish Echo
Norris has a knack for creating sympathetic characters. The Washington Post Book World
Peers beyond the glowing veneer of the successful Mahoney family in suburban New Jersey. In a story that spans 25 years, Norris develops a vivid tale of family bonds .sensual prose Hartford Courant
Well-crafted .In short vignettes, alternating rapidly like riffled pages in a photograph album, the Mahoney family is seen through a variety of lenses. Publishers Weekly
Snapshots is a vivid family portrait, illuminating as it does the strange and complex relationship between past and present. William Norris has a wonderful gift for capturing those ordinary gestures which, like snapshots in a family album, retrospectively emerge as significant and telling in the lives of his engaging and authentic characters. An auspicious debut. Katharine Weber, author of The Music Lesson
An honest reflection on the secrets, lies and joys that visit most families even those that look too good to be true. Rocky Mountain News
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