Camellia Season: A Novel

by Natasha Peterson

Winner! 2024 Silver Medallion for Fiction, William Shakespeare Book Award presented by the Independent Authors Academy.

"I devoured this evocative, exquisitely detailed tale of teenage girls and boys coming of age in turbulent 1960s New Orleans. The next best thing to being there!" —Alexandra Sokoloff, Author, The Huntress/FBI series

"I loved this book. It's a wild ride from beginning to end, with such great insights into an era when young women started to build a fresh, new confidence and independence for themselves." -Reidar Jönsson, Author, My Life as a Dog Trilogy

SYNOPSIS: Set in New Orleans, CAMELLIA SEASON is a laughter and tears, coming-of-age story about Cherie, who longs to escape the clutches of her crazy French mother. Cherie’s touchstone is her Wordless Diary, coded with illustrated numbers only she can understand. Beginning in 1965, we follow Cherie and her friends over five years, as they grow up amid the glorious magic and dangerous mayhem of the city's streets. Nourished by the dark gumbo of local culture, Cherie and her krewe both thrive and are crushed among the poets, painters, and predators that lap up the town.

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 22, 2024

About the author

Released Spring, 2024, CAMELLIA SEASON A Novel by Natasha Peterson won a Silver Medallion in Fiction from the Independent Authors Academy and a 5-star "Highly Recommend" Citation from Literary Titan. Booklife-Publishers Weekly called it, "vibrant, intriguing, sparkling...."

CAMELLIA SEASON is Natasha Peterson's first novel. She co-authored MEMOIR YOUR WAY and created the graphic novel, THE 9-11 STORY BOOK, illustrated by Alan Gerson. Her first nonfiction was SACRED SITES.

“I started thinking about CAMELLIA SEASON after Hurricane Katrina. I wanted to give life to all the wild stories and atypical Southerners I knew growing up in New Orleans. Yet, even with an award-winning career in copywriting, my first draft had a long way to go. Structure, narrative voice, hero’s arc — I had to learn it all. I received enough encouragement (along with a lot of criticism) to not give up. Two more drafts and a half-dozen working titles later, I knew I could let my book meet the world.”

Reviews

[Lee W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camellia Season accurately captures the impetuous nature of the teenage years in the 1960’s, still pertinent today in all it heartbreak of lost/misplaced love, and the confusion and uncertainty of self in relation to others.

Her specific naming and personification of the fates that deliver the weather to this flood-endangered region adds a bit of colorful whimsy to this conflicted love letter to New Orleans, which interweaves some of its history in all it’s pain, beauty and pageantry, with a telling of the creative coping mechanism of a young girl in a turbulent home situation and the friends that both support and entangle her. It is an intriguing and heartfelt story of survival, hurt, and triumph in the turbulent teenage years.

[Kris Pottharst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never cheered so hard for a character in my life! Cherie and friends are some sassy and iconoclastic young New Orleans delta babies. I grew up in uptown New Orleans, and the author got it just right; New Orleans is filled with artists, writers, and musicians, drawing young minds and daring young souls into what should be beautiful but is sometimes tawdry. And sometimes you learn that you have to cling to good friends to find the wherewithal to dance through the pain.

[Greta S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this captivating coming-of-age story set in New Orleans in the 1960's. The author grabbed my attention from the very beginning, and I was hooked from then on. I couldn't wait to read the next page. I just had to find out what happened to these characters as they navigated their teen years, with all the twists and turns that come with growing up, as well as the changes of that decade in US history. Very satisfying from beginning to end. I very much hope there's a sequel!

[Susan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most enjoyable tale of the adventures of Cherie and her friends as they navigate coming of age in New Orleans. It touched upon all emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Charles Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written, poignant novel transports you back to New Orleans in the late 1960's as a sensitive and rebellious teen (Cherie) copes with a promiscuous mother, predatory older men, a repressive school system, and a radically changing culture. Cherie is desperate to escape and writes a secret, coded diary that counts down the days before she can do so. The author's richly nuanced and exquisitely drawn portrayal of Cherie's colorful, idiosyncratic friends brings them to life. Written by an author who grew up in New Orleans during this period, it paints a vivid and compelling picture of the life in the Big Easy.

[Beth Slucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle school and high school in the ‘60s was a challenging time for kids in the US. Add the communist threat, Vietnam War, the draft, counter culture, desegregation, and parents scarred from WWII, and Peterson’s focus on a group of girls in New Orleans gives us a peek into what it was like to live through this period.

[Rebecca Tenshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I felt like I was one of the gang all the way through, right from the beginning. It left me looking forward to a part 2!

[Literary Titan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camellia Season, by Natasha Peterson, is a moving character-driven coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of late 1960s New Orleans. The narrative centers on young Cherie and her friends as they navigate the complexities of adolescence amidst a city in flux. Cherie, confined by the turmoil of her unhinged mother and the challenges of her environment, finds solace in her wordless diary—a silent companion filled with drawings marking time and counting down to an uncertain future. As her diary ticks toward zero, Cherie must confront and overcome the trials that come with the threshold of adulthood.

Peterson's novel is a masterfully written exploration of growing up, offering a profound look into Cherie’s world and the people who shape it. The depth of character development is remarkable, vividly bringing to life the personalities, beliefs, and aspirations of each individual in Cherie's life. The nuanced portrayal of these characters creates a compelling narrative where each person’s story is integral, adding rich layers to the overall tapestry of the novel. Cherie's evolution is palpable through her actions, narration, and increasing comprehension of her world.

Peterson’s skillful use of tone effectively conveys the darker elements of the story through the eyes of a younger protagonist, adding an authentic and relatable perspective to the unfolding events. The intertwining of side characters' stories—whether uplifting or tragic—enhances the sense of a living, breathing world where every character matters.

Camellia Season is an immersive read that I highly recommend, especially to young women seeking a resonant, heartfelt story. It captivates from the first page, drawing readers into Cherie’s tumultuous life and her yearning for escape. This is a novel that beckons you to return, eager to delve deeper into its narrative layers. Natasha Peterson has crafted a compelling tale, and I eagerly anticipate her future works.

[John Landis · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAMELLIA SEASON A NOVEL is the best and most gratifying summer reading I’ve enjoyed in a long time. I’m happy to give author Peterson five stars for this masterwork because it is warranted. As a career public school librarian of 28 years (21 in high schools), I am certain this book would be enticing and edifying for ages 16 and up. This work is truly a rich, flavorful gumbo, mixing tumultuous history, famous artists and luminaries from the 60s who happened to have an actual New Orleans connection, and a colorful array of locals, many with an intriguing amount of depth and nuance. The themes of friendship, family and coming-of-age in rapidly changing times are universal, and the characters are uniquely compelling. No doubt, this work would be cherished by any high school junior or senior that reads it. And heads up to the adults: put CAMELLIA SEASON A NOVEL on your “must list.” It is a surprising and gripping read that could have you reflecting on your own journey and place in this world.

[Farnhamingridgmail.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherie's teen years in New Orleans are sustained by her network of friends, more than by her WWII traumatized French mother. Cherie and her friends experience many formative escapades, including encounters with famous authors and the authorities. New Orleans' history peeks through many passages, like Cajun seasoning in an ever-changing gumbo of adventures too savory to describe in a review.

The adventures (and misadventures) of Cherie and her friends are a feast for the lover of a finely crafted story that evokes the turbulence of emotions of the teen years, set in the unique charm of New Orleans.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Cherie's life growing up in New Orleans. Although a different culture than my midwestern one, Cherie had deep friendships, conflicts with her mother, and questioned authority figures just like me. As well, she stood up for the causes and people she cared about and endured the consequences. All this in a coming-of-age story flavored with the local culture of the French Quarter in the sixties and seventies.

[Linda Rothbart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book -- could not put it down! I want a sequel!

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Cyndy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this book but it was not what I thought it would be. The characters were a group of unhappy teenage girls coming of age in New Orleans. I don't think I like any of them.