Tell It Slant: A Novel by Nobody

by Larry Baker

326 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2025

About the author

A rapidly becoming obscure mid-list writer, whose first novel, FLAMINGO RISING, was a Hallmark movie and whose second, ATHENS/AMERICA, is now invisible and unattainable.
My new book, A GOOD MAN, is about drunk radio talk show hosts, food, politics, and the possible Second Coming. It also involves a threesome with Nancy Grace, Ann Coulter, and a fictional right-wing talk show host.
Book is dedicated to Harry Chapin and Flannery O'Connor, but you gotta read it to appreciate why."

Reviews

[Harry Wingfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I owe my appreciation for this book, at least partially, to my Freshman English Lit professor at the University of Georgia, Tom Waller. We had been assigned William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. I read it and hated it. Dr. Waller asked why and I said it didn't make any sense. He said, "that's the point. It's told by someone mentally ill. Stop trying to make sense of it and read it like you are listening to a crazy person." The second try worked. I remembered that lesson when I started reading Tell it Slant. The narrator is someone whose mind wanders while she is telling the story. I usually don't like stories that skip around in time and topic,. But when Emmy talked, I had to wander with her as I read and the reward was that not only did I hear her story, I also got to know her. And she is one of the most interesting characters I have ever read. I have read all of Larry Baker's books and my appreciation has grown with each one. Tell it Slant takes me beyond appreciation. I'm up there with gratitude and respect now. He knows how to tell a story. This one was brilliant.

[Ellen Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reading this novel for our April 2026 library book club. Structured in three parts, it traces one woman’s life with striking honesty. Her inner monologues feel authentic, even when her choices are difficult to admire. While she isn’t someone I’d choose as a close friend, following both her wise and misguided decisions is exactly why fiction matters to me. Through her story, I’m able to step into a life very different from my own: to admire, to judge, and to witness how someone else confronts and resolves serious problems, many of them self-created.

[Nick Stika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry is a master storyteller, and this one is certainly no exception. The story of Emily Opal Sterling is a beautiful journey, and definitely moved me. I won't give any spoilers here, as of the time of this writing, the book isn't officially published, suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Emmy's story.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This three-part story is different than other memoir-type novels I've read - It has emotional precision and gentle sorrow. It breaks your heart a little. It is a story about Emily Sterling, following her through her childhood, a forbidden affair, and a transformation when she finally becomes a novelist. The book explores how one life can be many stories.

[Daniel Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters resonated with me so that a few weeks after reading the book I’m still thinking about Emily and her poignant mother and father. The first third of the book locked me in. The second portion dealt with the psychology of adult relationships and then the third was dealing with the aftermath of decisions and going onward to live with those choices.

A worthy read and recommended.