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Cherise Wolas

Goodreads Author

Born

Los Angeles, The United States

Website

http://www.cherisewolas.com

Twitter

@CheriseWolas

Genre

Literature, Fiction

Member Since

October 2013

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Cherise Wolas is the author of two highly acclaimed novels: The Resurrection of Joan Ashby and The Family Tabor.

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby is a 2019 International Dublin Literary Award nominee, a PEN Debut Fiction Prize semi-finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and Paperback Row selection, an American Bookseller Association Indie Next Great Read pick, a Kirkus Reviews Best Novel and Best Debut Novel of 2017 and named a Best Novel, Best Debut Novel, and top 10 novel of the year, by various other venues. Published now in France, the UK, and Poland, it’s being translated into a variety of other languages, including Hebrew, Turkish, and Chinese.

The Family Tabor is an ABA Indie Next Great Read in Hardcover, Paperback, and ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi Cherise! I have no idea how you are able to read so much! I am wondering if you can recommend two books that have really made an impression on you -- two that you'll always count on your top ten list and perhaps influenced YOUR book? Thanks!

Cherise Wolas Hi Jane!

Thank you for being my very first question here!

I think I was born with this particular superpower—to read voraciously and retain what I read…moreHi Jane!

Thank you for being my very first question here!

I think I was born with this particular superpower—to read voraciously and retain what I read, and I feel so lucky to have it.

Two books that have made a great impression on me in the last few years are 2666 by Roberto Bolano, his final book before he died, and The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez. Both are South American writers. Bolano was Chilean, Vasquez is Colombian.

2666 is massive, 900 pages, with a title that remains elusive (though apparently explained in another novel). It is a five-part narrative, each comprised of different characters and stories. Each part is amazing, but it’s only at the end do you start to realize each is like the spoke of wheel, and you begin to see how the spokes unite, see that it is a wheel. It is a stylistically rich literary labyrinth that defies categorization, and yet, perhaps unbelievably, it is easy to read. It mesmerized me, and I plan to read it again.

The Sound of Things Falling by Vasquez, at 320 pages, seems like a novella in comparison. It is an exploration of the ways in which stories profoundly affect lives, and how the stories of others affect us. When I finished it, I promptly read all of Vasquez’s other novels and collections.

Neither of these marvelous novels influenced The Resurrection of Joan Ashby; I read them after writing it. But perhaps I’m so enamored with them (and am always recommending them) because their themes resonate intensely with me both as a reader and as a writer who explores narratives within narratives and the interrelationship of things. They are different but equally fabulous writers for whom the actual writing is as important as the plot, which it what I strive for too.

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I loved The Resurrection of Joan Ashby, especially a story of family and all the short stories she wrote about, I especially liked the one about the twins, when they were thrown out of their house, what happened to them? That could really be a book, Please write more books. I can't wait to read them.

Cherise Wolas
Hi Ilene Harris,
I’m so pleased you loved The Resurrection of Joan Ashby! And so pleased too that you loved Joan Ashby’s short stories. Ah, you want to…more
Hi Ilene Harris,
I’m so pleased you loved The Resurrection of Joan Ashby! And so pleased too that you loved Joan Ashby’s short stories. Ah, you want to know what happens to Silas and Abe, the twins abandoned at birth, lovingly fostered, and then sent away on their 18th birthdays. Maybe, one day, they will have their own book. And yes, I am writing more books and thrilled that I will have you as a reader! (less)

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Cherise Wolas’s books

Average rating: 3.76 · 3,139 ratings · 838 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Resurrection of Joan Ashby 3.84 avg rating — 2,122 ratings — published 2017 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Family Tabor 3.58 avg rating — 1,017 ratings — published 2018 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

104 posts
Cherise Wolas's Blog

Author Interview with Cherise Wolas for the Campaign for the American Reader

I answered some fantastic questions in connection with my second novel, THE FAMILY TABOR, about writing, titles, naming characters, if my teenager reader self would be surprised by my novels, if I find it harder to write beginnings or endings, if I see myself in my characters, and what non-literary inspirations influence me.

The link is: bit.ly/TheFamilyTaborCWolas Read more of this blog post »

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Published on April 23, 2020 09:01

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Cherise is Currently Reading

Cherise Wolas is currently reading

Love's Labor

by Stephen Grosz

bookshelves: currently-reading, 2026, nonfiction, psychology

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Apr 27, 2026 11:31AM

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Cherise Wolas rated a book liked it The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'm always fascinated reading accounts of psychoanalysis, therapy sessions, the exploration of issues. Here, a series of patients, their issues, not summed up, but brief explorations. Human and interesting, even though I was left wanting more. I'm no ...more
Apr 27, 2026 11:54AM · 1 like · like · see review
Cherise Wolas is currently reading Love's Labor by Stephen Grosz	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2026 11:31AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love's Labor by Stephen Grosz. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love's Labor by Stephen Grosz <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cherise Wolas rated a book liked it The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'm always fascinated reading accounts of psychoanalysis, therapy sessions, the exploration of issues. Here, a series of patients, their issues, not summed up, but brief explorations. Human and interesting, even though I was left wanting more. I'm no ...more
Apr 27, 2026 11:29AM · 1 like · like · see review
Cherise Wolas and 44 other people liked Alwynne's review of The Möbius Book: "In the aftermath of a devastating split from her partner, fellow author Jesse Ball, Catherine Lacey began writing a memoir rooted in the circumstances surrounding that event. But a chance conversation with her British editor raised potential issues w" Read more of this review »
Jul 31, 2025 08:37PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cherise Wolas rated a book liked it Peptides Made Simple: Usage, Dosing, Cycling & More by Matthew Farrahi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Useful as a resource.
Dec 04, 2024 08:49AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Peptides Made Simple by Matthew Farrahi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Peptides Made Simple by Matthew Farrahi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cherise Wolas rated a book really liked it Underground Life Extension Handbook: An A - Z of Anti-Aging Compounds And How To Use Them Effectively: Supplements - Drugs - Peptides - Hormones - Experimental Compounds by Ryker Black (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Good resource.
Dec 04, 2024 08:46AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Underground Life Extension Handbook by Ryker Black. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Underground Life Extension Handbook by Ryker Black <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cherise Wolas has read Optimize your Health with Therapeutic Peptides: Extend your Life by Becoming More Muscular, Leaner, Smarter, Injury-Free, and Younger by Jay Campbell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 04, 2024 08:46AM · like
Cherise Wolas has read Underground Life Extension Handbook: An A - Z of Anti-Aging Compounds And How To Use Them Effectively: Supplements - Drugs - Peptides - Hormones - Experimental Compounds by Ryker Black (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 04, 2024 08:46AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Underground Life Extension Handbook by Ryker Black. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Underground Life Extension Handbook by Ryker Black <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cherise Wolas has read Peptide Handbook: A Professional's Guide to Peptide Therapeutics by James B. LaValle RPhCCN	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 04, 2024 08:44AM · like
Cherise Wolas has read A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Review to come.
Dec 04, 2024 08:42AM · 1 like · like · see review

More of Cherise's books…

Quotes by Cherise Wolas (?)

“Joan thinks then that writers have infinite choices and mothers nearly no choice at all.”
― Cherise Wolas, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby

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“Joan Ashby is one of our most astonishing writers, a master of words whose profound characters slip free of the page...”
― Cherise Wolas

4 likes

“All the ways in which women become mothers of some sort. Is motherhood inescapably entwined in female life, a story every woman ends up telling, whether or not she sought or desired that bond; her nourishment, her caretaking, her love, needed by someone standing before her, hands held out, heart demanding succor, commanding her not look away, but to dig deep, give of herself unstintingly, offer up everything she can?”
― Cherise Wolas, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby

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Cherise’s Quotes

“When asked 'Do you think great things are ahead of you or behind you?' Harry had replied, 'The past no longer exists, there is only the future, whatever it may hold,' and something about his answer to that consideration of mystical simplicity has continued to give him pause”
― Cherise Wolas, The Family Tabor

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“Joan Ashby is one of our most astonishing writers, a master of words whose profound characters slip free of the page...”
― Cherise Wolas

4 likes

“The middle seat holds an old woman, teeny, not much bigger than a doll. She is creased and wrinkled and rheumy-eyed. Her eyes, though, beneath their cloudy scrim, sparkle like emeralds. And she is bright. She is very bright. Her cheeks rouged a happy pink. Her sweater a hot pink, the vibrant color masking the heavy load on her sloped, thin shoulders.”
― Cherise Wolas, The Resurrection of Joan Ashby

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“A bright red car whizzes past. She is like that car, carrying herself with spangle and spark, but the strength that has long held her up is weakening.”
― Cherise Wolas, The Family Tabor

tags: phoebe-tabor

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