The English department welcomes fiction writer, Mary Stewart Atwell, for a public reading of her recent novel, “Wild Girls,” on Feb. 22, 7 p.m., Carrington Auditorium, room 208.
Atwell will be available for conversation and autographs following the reading. The book can be purchased during the event at the Paw Prints Bookstore booth in Carrington Hall.
“Wild Girls” is a witty, biting portrayal of privileged teenage girls and a suspenseful story fueled by the threat of violence. Atwell traverses the universal territory of adolescence with a voice that’s all her own. Her wild girls are strange and fascinating creatures that offer a brilliant feminist twist on the anger and frustration teenage girls feel over their own powerlessness.
Growing up in the small Appalachian town of Swan River, Kate Riordan is overcome by two paralyzing fears: that she’ll be condemned as a townie forever, and that she’ll turn into one of the monstrous wild girls that menace Swan River, killing anything that crosses their paths. In hopes of escaping this fate, Kate enrolls in the Swan River Academy, a posh all-girls boarding school planted inside of the otherwise desolate area. There, Kate finds herself divided between two worlds: the haunted town she calls home, and the foreign realm of privilege and safety within the academy walls. The town’s dark history draws you in, but it’s Kate who pushes you forward as you root for her every step of the way.
Atwell’s eerie tale will appeal to adults and teenagers alike, captivating readers with its familiar, yet unearthly teenage drama. Early readers have been wowed by Atwell’s uncanny portrayal of female adolescence, and by the time you reach the last page I know you will be too.
Atwell’s short fiction has appeared in “Best New American Voices” and “The Best American Mystery Stories.” She grew up in southwest Virginia and now lives in Missouri.
This event is free and open to the public.