For fans of authors like Barbara Kingsolver and Leif Enger, a stunning new voice in contemporary literary fiction.
"Tragedy and blessing. Leave them alone long enough, and it gets real hard to tell them apart."
Elena Alvarez is living a cursed life. From the deadly fire she accidentally set as a child, to her mother's abandonment, and now to an unwanted pregnancy, she knows better than most that small actions can have terrible consequences. Driven to the high mountains surrounding Leadville, Colorado by her latest bad decision, she's intent on putting off the future. Perhaps there she can just hide in her grandmother's isolated cabin and wait for something–anything–to make her next choice for her.
Instead, she is confronted by reflections of her own troubles wherever she turns–the recent widower and his two children adrift in a changed world, Elena's own mysterious family history, and the interwoven lives within the town itself. Bit by bit, Elena begins to question her understanding of cause and effect, reexamining the tragedies she's held on to and the wounds she's refused to let heal.
But when the children go missing, Elena's fragile new peace is shattered. It's only at the prospect of fresh loss and blame that she will discover the truth of the terrible burdens we take upon ourselves, the way tragedy and redemption are inevitably intertwined–and how curses can sometimes lead to blessings, however disguised.
Genre: Literary Fiction
"Tragedy and blessing. Leave them alone long enough, and it gets real hard to tell them apart."
Elena Alvarez is living a cursed life. From the deadly fire she accidentally set as a child, to her mother's abandonment, and now to an unwanted pregnancy, she knows better than most that small actions can have terrible consequences. Driven to the high mountains surrounding Leadville, Colorado by her latest bad decision, she's intent on putting off the future. Perhaps there she can just hide in her grandmother's isolated cabin and wait for something–anything–to make her next choice for her.
Instead, she is confronted by reflections of her own troubles wherever she turns–the recent widower and his two children adrift in a changed world, Elena's own mysterious family history, and the interwoven lives within the town itself. Bit by bit, Elena begins to question her understanding of cause and effect, reexamining the tragedies she's held on to and the wounds she's refused to let heal.
But when the children go missing, Elena's fragile new peace is shattered. It's only at the prospect of fresh loss and blame that she will discover the truth of the terrible burdens we take upon ourselves, the way tragedy and redemption are inevitably intertwined–and how curses can sometimes lead to blessings, however disguised.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Margo Catts compassionate observation of human nature shines through in her unforgettable characters, as she immerses the reader in lives that are torn by tragedy, challenged, and changed. This is a finely crafted and uplifting novel full of warmth, wisdom, and generosity of spirit." - Judith Allnatt
"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Margo Catts is the perfect guide to Leadville and to life, with a sharp eye for everyday details, a pitch-perfect ear for conversation, a sympathetic heart for her characters' travails, and a sure foot along their unpredictable paths. I'm so happy this book crossed my desk and will definitely be looking out for a second novel from Catts." - Brigid Pasulka
"If Anne Tyler turned her attention to the inter-generational intrigue of small town Colorado, it might look something like Margo Catts' arresting debut. Drenched in lyrical language and blade's edge observation with a heartbreaking secret at its core, Among the Lesser Gods is an essential American love story for our nomadic, unrooted times." - Carrie La Seur
"In Among the Lesser Gods, Margo Catts writes with grace and insight about the deep wounds of childhood and how the mistakes we made as kids can haunt us as adults. With vivid, complex characters and seamless prose, Catts takes us on a journey into the dark heart of guilt and the discovery of redemption. The layers of this novel kept me greedily delving in until the last page." - Heather Skyler
"Smart, unsettling, and meticulously composed, Margot Catts's debut novel affirms the power of narrative to redeem . . . The assaults of the past on the present, of badly buried guilt that keeps one from knowing how to live; the ways in which ordinary wisdom proceeds from the shadow of tragedy; the essentiality of family and community to all manner of healing--these are just a handful of the themes weaving through this unforgettable tale of accidental salvation." - Lynn Stegner
"I didn't want the story to end, even as I was desperate to know what would happen next." - Tiffany Quay Tyson
"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Margo Catts is the perfect guide to Leadville and to life, with a sharp eye for everyday details, a pitch-perfect ear for conversation, a sympathetic heart for her characters' travails, and a sure foot along their unpredictable paths. I'm so happy this book crossed my desk and will definitely be looking out for a second novel from Catts." - Brigid Pasulka
"If Anne Tyler turned her attention to the inter-generational intrigue of small town Colorado, it might look something like Margo Catts' arresting debut. Drenched in lyrical language and blade's edge observation with a heartbreaking secret at its core, Among the Lesser Gods is an essential American love story for our nomadic, unrooted times." - Carrie La Seur
"In Among the Lesser Gods, Margo Catts writes with grace and insight about the deep wounds of childhood and how the mistakes we made as kids can haunt us as adults. With vivid, complex characters and seamless prose, Catts takes us on a journey into the dark heart of guilt and the discovery of redemption. The layers of this novel kept me greedily delving in until the last page." - Heather Skyler
"Smart, unsettling, and meticulously composed, Margot Catts's debut novel affirms the power of narrative to redeem . . . The assaults of the past on the present, of badly buried guilt that keeps one from knowing how to live; the ways in which ordinary wisdom proceeds from the shadow of tragedy; the essentiality of family and community to all manner of healing--these are just a handful of the themes weaving through this unforgettable tale of accidental salvation." - Lynn Stegner
"I didn't want the story to end, even as I was desperate to know what would happen next." - Tiffany Quay Tyson
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