The LGBT Fiction Shelf

Catboat Road
Kate Rounds
https://www.katerounds.com
Bywater Books
https://www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612942452, $18.95, PB, 220pp

https://www.amazon.com/Catboat-Road-Kate-Rounds/dp/1612942458

Synopsis: "Catboat Road" by Kate Rounds is the story of Candace "Ace" Ragsd= ale. No one in her family is moored to social convention. Each of them has = learned to surf the wave of the unfamiliar and make the most of chaos. From=
Ace's womanizing-yet-worshipful brother to her elusive-yet-loving parents,=
we watch this well-meaning family weave its way into a rich tapestry of to= wnspeople, often to comic effect.

The backdrop to "Catboat Road" is the Massachusetts seaside town of Horton,=
cut off from the world. On the surface, boats sway on their moorings, whil=
e below bubbles a primal brew of salt and sea life -- much like the Ragsdal= es, a decidedly modern family whose humor and goodwill skim breezily above =
an ocean of smoldering emotions.

Into this infinite chaos careens a rebel grandmother who shows up to help t=
he family save the town windmill, whose mysterious energy whips up the coas= tal disturbances of a changing world. As this spectacle of public conflict = and private anguish unfolds, Ace must pilot the turbulent waters of love, s= ex, and traditionally non-traditional small-town values.

Critique: A deftly crafted novel of LGBTQ romance, "Catboat Road" is an ext= raordinary and original story that fully showcases author Kate Rounds story= telling skills. A fascinating read from first page to last, "Catboat Road" =
is one of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after t=
he book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreser= vedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Literary = Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of a= nyone with an interest in LGBTQ fiction that "Catboat Road" is also availab=
le in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Kate Rounds (https://www.katerounds.com) is a veteran journ= alist who grew up on the Massachusetts coast and lives without a cat.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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