The Atlas of Love

Finalist: Pacific Northwest Book Award

Can three PhD candidates and a baby make a family?

Of course. But like any good family drama, THE ATLAS OF LOVE involves betrayal, Jewish grandmothers, Mormons, tests of the spirit (religious, emotional, and oral before a four-person examining committee), plus baseball, a gender-misidentified dog, and some dinner table smack downs. The Atlas of Love explores love and loss, friends and family and the fuzzy lines between the two, literature and pedagogy, and timeless mysteries such as who would you forgive for having you arrested and why must the Yankees always make the post-season.

"Strikingly pure of heart, voice and message, The Atlas of Love tells the story of a life lived on the treadmill of academia. It is likely to be a favorite of your bookseller, because it's a life that will resonate -- a lot of hard work, little traditional payoff, yet, somehow, all worthwhile. Therein lies the brilliance of this book. Frankel puts the reader into that frame of being, where it becomes easy to understand how a friend would be willing to give so much to help sustain another. Though the payoff is hard-earned and unusual, it's also extraordinary. Frankel's prose flows easily, heavily laced with candor, wit, and emotion, in a way that brings to mind a modern Jane Austen of the Pacific Northwest." 
--Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Awards Committee 

"Laurie Frankel displays a great ear for dialogue and a witty turn of phrase in quick characterizations....She makes the lovely optimism shared by the three young women compellingly real." 
--Seattle Times  

 "The narrative is sprinkled with literary techniques that color each chapter beautifully. Verdict: Frankel's debut is a wonderful literary treat that offers a fresh twist on the modern family, one that relies on the bonds of women."      
--Library Journal Starred Review

"This beautifully written debut novel offers something for everyone--humor, richly drawn characters and a tender exploration of love, friendship and food."      
--L.A. Times Magazine

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