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Tiny Little Earthquakes
Tiny Little Earthquakes
As Seen On Good Morning America, Robin Roberts calls it a "page-turner."
“Her portraits of her privilege-blind and tormented family members…are unflinching but empathetic, and her dark sense of humor is a vivifying force across the story’s often troubled territory.” Foreword Reviews
Elliot Hase is a sharp, observant nine-year-old girl growing up on a horse farm in 1980s North Carolina, where the adults are far less stable than the barn animals. Her mother, a charismatic alcoholic with a flair for drama and denial, careens through life in a haze of wine and self-pity. Her father, a distant doctor with a new family and a wife who rewrites history, offers more guilt than guidance. Caught between the two is Poppy—Elliot’s older sister, partner-in-crime, and cautionary tale—whose battles with addiction and self-destruction echo through Elliot’s own attempts to break the cycle.
As Elliot navigates funerals, failed interventions, AA and Al Anon meetings, and an elite boarding school that teaches more about co-dependency than calculus, she slowly begins to question not just the people raising her, but the identity she’s been forced to adopt to survive them. Her coming-of-age is shaped by secrets she didn’t ask for, betrayals she doesn’t deserve, and moments of brutal clarity that land like aftershocks.
The central conflict is Elliot’s internal struggle to define herself apart from the chaos of her family—trying to reconcile loyalty to her mother and sister with self-preservation, and survival with healing. Through humor, heartbreak, and sheer stubbornness, she learns that resilience isn't about being unbreakable—it's about breaking and rebuilding, again and again.
As Seen On Good Morning America, Robin Roberts calls it a "page-turner."
“Her portraits of her privilege-blind and tormented family members…are unflinching but empathetic, and her dark sense of humor is a vivifying force across the story’s often troubled territory.” Foreword Reviews
Elliot Hase is a sharp, observant nine-year-old girl growing up on a horse farm in 1980s North Carolina, where the adults are far less stable than the barn animals. Her mother, a charismatic alcoholic with a flair for drama and denial, careens through life in a haze of wine and self-pity. Her father, a distant doctor with a new family and a wife who rewrites history, offers more guilt than guidance. Caught between the two is Poppy—Elliot’s older sister, partner-in-crime, and cautionary tale—whose battles with addiction and self-destruction echo through Elliot’s own attempts to break the cycle.
As Elliot navigates funerals, failed interventions, AA and Al Anon meetings, and an elite boarding school that teaches more about co-dependency than calculus, she slowly begins to question not just the people raising her, but the identity she’s been forced to adopt to survive them. Her coming-of-age is shaped by secrets she didn’t ask for, betrayals she doesn’t deserve, and moments of brutal clarity that land like aftershocks.
The central conflict is Elliot’s internal struggle to define herself apart from the chaos of her family—trying to reconcile loyalty to her mother and sister with self-preservation, and survival with healing. Through humor, heartbreak, and sheer stubbornness, she learns that resilience isn't about being unbreakable—it's about breaking and rebuilding, again and again.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2026
95 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Hays Blinckmann
8 books32 followersAbout the Author
Hays Trott Blinckmann is a writer, journalist, teacher, and recovering painter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband and two sons. Her other novels include In the Salt, Where I Can Breathe, Here, Kitty, and the young adult novel Yell Out Loud. They are available on Amazon and at bookstores throughout Key West. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon.com. As this is a published novel, your reviews and recommendations on social media help Tiny Little Earthquakes reach a wider audience. Thank you for spreading the word—places, people. Places!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 27, 2026
If you’re a Gen Xer who grew up with divorced parents and survived on what I can only describe as benign neglect, this book is going to hit you straight in the chest.
I did not grow up with alcoholism in my family. That part wasn’t mine. But take that piece out and there were so many parallels to my own life that I felt seen in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Not dramatic. Just that quiet recognition of… oh. This was me too.
I’ll never fully understand the narcissism and selfishness that seemed to define so much of the generation that raised us. I just know a lot of us were out there raising ourselves on bare pantries, MTV, John Hughes movies, and a couple of friends who didn’t think we were strange because our families didn’t look like theirs.
And let’s just say it. When you were the kid of divorced parents back then, you felt like the weirdo. You felt like the one whose house was complicated. The one splitting weekends. The one with step-parents and step-siblings and stories you didn’t always know how to explain. And when your step-parents had their own children, you sometimes felt like the extra piece. The afterthought. Like you didn’t fully belong in that house but you didn’t fully belong in the other one anymore either.
You saw the “normal” nuclear families on TV and in your friends’ homes and you wanted that so badly. You wanted to belong to something that felt solid and uncomplicated. And instead you felt different.
Reading this made me realize how many of us were just trying to survive in homes where the adults were wrapped up in their own chaos.
I could not stop reading it. And finding out how much of this is rooted in the author’s real life made it even more powerful. Tragic in parts. Also kind of amazing. Bittersweet. Cathartic, I imagine.
This book is witty and razor sharp and raw. It’s funny in that Gen X way that hides pain inside sarcasm. And it’s so incredibly validating.
At its core, this is a story about survival. About crawling your way toward your own path. About fighting for a version of normal that you get to define for yourself. About building a life worth protecting. Knowing exactly what you want and, maybe more importantly, what you absolutely do not want.
There’s a line that just stopped me:
“All of it made me who I am, and I accept it. My imperfections are my purple hearts.”
Just wow.
I did not grow up with alcoholism in my family. That part wasn’t mine. But take that piece out and there were so many parallels to my own life that I felt seen in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Not dramatic. Just that quiet recognition of… oh. This was me too.
I’ll never fully understand the narcissism and selfishness that seemed to define so much of the generation that raised us. I just know a lot of us were out there raising ourselves on bare pantries, MTV, John Hughes movies, and a couple of friends who didn’t think we were strange because our families didn’t look like theirs.
And let’s just say it. When you were the kid of divorced parents back then, you felt like the weirdo. You felt like the one whose house was complicated. The one splitting weekends. The one with step-parents and step-siblings and stories you didn’t always know how to explain. And when your step-parents had their own children, you sometimes felt like the extra piece. The afterthought. Like you didn’t fully belong in that house but you didn’t fully belong in the other one anymore either.
You saw the “normal” nuclear families on TV and in your friends’ homes and you wanted that so badly. You wanted to belong to something that felt solid and uncomplicated. And instead you felt different.
Reading this made me realize how many of us were just trying to survive in homes where the adults were wrapped up in their own chaos.
I could not stop reading it. And finding out how much of this is rooted in the author’s real life made it even more powerful. Tragic in parts. Also kind of amazing. Bittersweet. Cathartic, I imagine.
This book is witty and razor sharp and raw. It’s funny in that Gen X way that hides pain inside sarcasm. And it’s so incredibly validating.
At its core, this is a story about survival. About crawling your way toward your own path. About fighting for a version of normal that you get to define for yourself. About building a life worth protecting. Knowing exactly what you want and, maybe more importantly, what you absolutely do not want.
There’s a line that just stopped me:
“All of it made me who I am, and I accept it. My imperfections are my purple hearts.”
Just wow.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Growing up in the 1980s on a remote horse farm in North Carolina was not always easy for nine year old Elliot Hase. After her parents’ divorce, she rarely saw her father, and was forever chasing her mother’s love and attention. Smart and shy, Elliot craved her sister’s approval even when Poppy messed up over and over again. Navigating her mother’s alcoholism was a team effort until Poppy also succumbed to this destructive disease. Often, Elliot felt alone in the world, her only company was the television, a constant backdrop to her childhood. It was through books and TV that Elliot could focus on anything other than her own misfit family, when all she ever wanted was to feel normal. As she grew up we travel along through Connecticut and Martha’s Vineyard on her mother’s many whims and attempts to run away from her troubles. Elliot reinvents herself at boarding school and later, at Tufts University as she searches for a way to help her sister and mother, whom she loved with all her heart. This coming-of-age story is both heartbreaking and mesmerizing. It’s impossible not to love Elliot and root for her every step of the way. The writing is truly magnificent as it perfectly captures the perspective of a child through an adult voice in a way that’s devastating, yet somehow humorous and quietly nostalgic for a time gone by. I was honored to receive an early read of Tiny Little Earthquakes by Hays Blinckmann, releasing February 17, 2026. A must-read for 2026 and perfect book club pick with so much to discuss! You’ll be thinking about Elliot long after the last page.
Review of advance copy
I knew absolutely nothing about this author or this book before I read it. I'm so glad I launched into it with no expectations and not having read any reviews of it. Because, if someone had told me it was about a completely dysfunctional family, alcoholism, destructive behaviors, and all it contained, I would have hesitated - maybe not even have read it.
While it may seem like I'm giving away this book's focus, I'm really not. It is so much more (and better) than that.
It is a wonderful book. Well-written, engaging, and a remarkable story told via the voice of a woman at all ages and stages of her family drama and trauma.
The author's rye insights, colorful family characters, and clear humor bring you along. I read every chapter with this "oh my god, you have got to be kidding" sense of awe. Human hope endures despite what life throws you.
This is an author you would want to meet. I know I do. Her perseverance is inspiring and her keen observations are hilarious.
Simply put: I am so glad this author wrote this book. It is fabulous.
While it may seem like I'm giving away this book's focus, I'm really not. It is so much more (and better) than that.
It is a wonderful book. Well-written, engaging, and a remarkable story told via the voice of a woman at all ages and stages of her family drama and trauma.
The author's rye insights, colorful family characters, and clear humor bring you along. I read every chapter with this "oh my god, you have got to be kidding" sense of awe. Human hope endures despite what life throws you.
This is an author you would want to meet. I know I do. Her perseverance is inspiring and her keen observations are hilarious.
Simply put: I am so glad this author wrote this book. It is fabulous.
November 24, 2025
I love a gritty, raw, eccentric, dysfunctional family story, and Tiny Little Earthquakes delivers in every way. It reminded me so much of Mary Karr’s Liar's Club, Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, and I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy — that same unflinching honesty, sharp humor, and heartbreaking resilience.
The writing is intimate and fearless, capturing the chaos, tenderness, and complicated love that shape a family in turmoil. I could SO relate to Elliott's love of TV and her complex relationship with her sister. I laughed, I winced, I rooted for every character. I must say that he character Spang really felt like a warm hug. I want a Spang in my life!
If you love stories about survival, identity, and the messy bonds that hold families together, while balancing horrifying situations with a sense of humor, this is the book for you.
The writing is intimate and fearless, capturing the chaos, tenderness, and complicated love that shape a family in turmoil. I could SO relate to Elliott's love of TV and her complex relationship with her sister. I laughed, I winced, I rooted for every character. I must say that he character Spang really felt like a warm hug. I want a Spang in my life!
If you love stories about survival, identity, and the messy bonds that hold families together, while balancing horrifying situations with a sense of humor, this is the book for you.
March 24, 2026
I adored this coming of age novel and the 80s/90s nostalgia that came with it. The name of the book was so perfect and the way it was broken up into 3 sections. Elliott is so relatable and likeable as she makes her way through girlhood amidst family chaos - an alcoholic mother, a rebellious sister, and all of the other mess of her family. I really felt for her but it was also fascinating to see how she had to find ways to survive through hobbies, friends, and everything else she could salvage. I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 22, 2026
This could be my own story, just without the generational wealth, haha. A young girl growing up in the 80's (the author mentions Live Aid, Purple Rain, and all things nostalgic), alcoholic parent, dysfunctional family, arguments and all sorts of drama. As she grows up she learns how to face the family issues head-on and set boundaries. This was well written and very familiar to me. I did have an issue with the letters and spacing on my kindle. It was a bit wonky but bearable.
March 7, 2026
Tiny Little Earthquakes
This was a hard to put down novel of the complex and codependent characteristics of an alcoholic mother and her two daughters. The main character is the youngest daughter and it was written from her view. The layers of the emotional stresses and how each affected and responded to the challenges was artfully written. This book had me in tears at the end. I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
This was a hard to put down novel of the complex and codependent characteristics of an alcoholic mother and her two daughters. The main character is the youngest daughter and it was written from her view. The layers of the emotional stresses and how each affected and responded to the challenges was artfully written. This book had me in tears at the end. I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
February 21, 2026
Really good!
I strongly related to this story. Growing up with a dysfunctional family, alcoholism, mental health issues, moved a lot... This hit home for me. I grew up with tv as a guide to life too. Parenting was not a verb then. It's a quick, interesting and very realistic book about a young girl growing up facing challenges so many of us also faced. Definitely recommend!
I strongly related to this story. Growing up with a dysfunctional family, alcoholism, mental health issues, moved a lot... This hit home for me. I grew up with tv as a guide to life too. Parenting was not a verb then. It's a quick, interesting and very realistic book about a young girl growing up facing challenges so many of us also faced. Definitely recommend!
March 9, 2026
I love the way Hays tells this story weaving true life with fiction and all with a cheeky sense of humor.
She brings you right into her family drama/life but leaves you with a sense of she somehow managed to survive and with a sense of humor and accomplishment!
I couldn’t stop thinking…. You can’t make this stuff up.
I loved this book and highly recommend it.
She brings you right into her family drama/life but leaves you with a sense of she somehow managed to survive and with a sense of humor and accomplishment!
I couldn’t stop thinking…. You can’t make this stuff up.
I loved this book and highly recommend it.
March 14, 2026
Touching
I was born in Pinehurst North Carolina and grew up spending summers in southern pines. This book captured my attention in the very 1st chapter. I felt like I was watching a friends life as I grew up next to her. I love this story and I love the character Elliot. I will be singing the praises of this book for months and months. I can't wait to tell others about it.
I was born in Pinehurst North Carolina and grew up spending summers in southern pines. This book captured my attention in the very 1st chapter. I felt like I was watching a friends life as I grew up next to her. I love this story and I love the character Elliot. I will be singing the praises of this book for months and months. I can't wait to tell others about it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I hate when the story ends. I love the way Hays has with words, she is a great storyteller. She makes me feel like I'm right there with the characters. I am always a little sad when a book I really enjoy come to an end. I highly recommend this book.
March 12, 2026
A Gen X women's story of growing up with an alcoholic mother and sister, a distant father, and all the chaos that swirled around her and her family. Blinckmann says this novel is mostly true but I wish she had made Tiny Little Earthquakes a memoir.
November 24, 2025
LOVED this book. It's the perfect coming-of-age story that is both laugh-out-loud funny and poignant, sometimes in the same sentence. I loved all the Gen X nostalgia.
November 24, 2025
One of the best I have read all year- loved it and so relatable!
March 7, 2026
Great book! I loved the details of her life and how she handled each situation.
March 9, 2026
Heartbreaking and hilarious as crazy as that is. Absolutely loved this book
March 9, 2026
Growing up with an alcoholic father, I could relate to this memoir.
March 21, 2026
Check your triggers! This book was written with so much emotion.
March 22, 2026
All you 80s girls out there will love this story!
March 23, 2026
Unessesary swearing
Good story… could do without the swearing. I saw the author on TV so I read the book to see her story.
Good story… could do without the swearing. I saw the author on TV so I read the book to see her story.
March 2, 2026
i was lucky to be able to read an advanced copy of this book and what a triumph! so thoughtfully written. emotional but still funny. a true coming of age story and like all of the author’s books, a man character that you truly root for.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews