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17 days and 17:54:11
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Record Lows
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Expected 18 Feb 27Win a free print copy of this book!
17 days and 17:54:11
25 copies available
U.S. only
An “intimate and epic” (Claire Lombardo, Same As It Ever Was) family drama wrapped in a missing-persons case, set during the historic Buffalo blizzard of ’77
It’s 1977 and in the town of Oneira, New York, a blizzard is gathering force…
Harmon Pond, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, is struggling to keep afloat amid mounting debt and vanishing ad revenue. So when the creditor who’s been secretly funding him vanishes without a trace, Harmon thinks it’s his lucky break. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Teresa—the paper’s ambitious intern—sees a story that could make her name.
But for Harmon’s devout Italian American wife, Pauline, the disappearance stirs up memories of a childhood she has tried hard to put behind her, and secrets she would prefer to keep buried.
With the parents tangled in their own concerns and Teresa relentlessly searching for answers, no one notices that middle-child Fran has developed a habit of sneaking out at night, and Lonnie, the youngest, is taking dangerous risks of his own.
As the manhunt intensifies, and the snowstorm builds into one of the worst in history, the Pond family must find a way to accept the truth, and each other, before they lose themselves forever.
In a dazzling debut that Rumaan Alam calls "gripping (and funny) and beautifully written,” Record Lows announces CJ Green as a thrilling new American voice.
It’s 1977 and in the town of Oneira, New York, a blizzard is gathering force…
Harmon Pond, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, is struggling to keep afloat amid mounting debt and vanishing ad revenue. So when the creditor who’s been secretly funding him vanishes without a trace, Harmon thinks it’s his lucky break. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Teresa—the paper’s ambitious intern—sees a story that could make her name.
But for Harmon’s devout Italian American wife, Pauline, the disappearance stirs up memories of a childhood she has tried hard to put behind her, and secrets she would prefer to keep buried.
With the parents tangled in their own concerns and Teresa relentlessly searching for answers, no one notices that middle-child Fran has developed a habit of sneaking out at night, and Lonnie, the youngest, is taking dangerous risks of his own.
As the manhunt intensifies, and the snowstorm builds into one of the worst in history, the Pond family must find a way to accept the truth, and each other, before they lose themselves forever.
In a dazzling debut that Rumaan Alam calls "gripping (and funny) and beautifully written,” Record Lows announces CJ Green as a thrilling new American voice.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 18, 2027
About the author
CJ Green
1 book3 followersCJ Green is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop who lives with his family in Virginia. Record Lows is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Harmon and Paulina Pond, who became parents and were married at 16 barely knowing one another, are now 36 and have three children; Teresa, Fran and Lonnie.
Set in 1977, during a severe blizzard in upstate New York, Record Lows is a deeply moving portrayal of how one family slowly unravels as the past catches up with them.
This is a simple family tale of how one incident can spiral out of control and end up with the most unimaginable outcome possible. The novel switches between the present day and the teenage years of Harmon and Paulina, slowly setting the scene of how the characters lives are intertwined. The characters make frustrating choices, say the wrong things and hurt each other deeply; however, their moments of genuine connection feel incredibly earned and heartbreakingly real.
The pacing in the middle of the book sags just a little for me making this not quite a five-star review – I would place it at 3.5 to 4 stars. The slow burn pacing of the plot works very well to establish the mood but few chapters felt like they were stagnant rather than moving the emotional arc forwards.
Overall, Record Lows is a poignant look at resilience, grief and the messy reality of every day family life. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates character driven stories and fans of gritty emotional dramas.
Harmon and Paulina Pond, who became parents and were married at 16 barely knowing one another, are now 36 and have three children; Teresa, Fran and Lonnie.
Set in 1977, during a severe blizzard in upstate New York, Record Lows is a deeply moving portrayal of how one family slowly unravels as the past catches up with them.
This is a simple family tale of how one incident can spiral out of control and end up with the most unimaginable outcome possible. The novel switches between the present day and the teenage years of Harmon and Paulina, slowly setting the scene of how the characters lives are intertwined. The characters make frustrating choices, say the wrong things and hurt each other deeply; however, their moments of genuine connection feel incredibly earned and heartbreakingly real.
The pacing in the middle of the book sags just a little for me making this not quite a five-star review – I would place it at 3.5 to 4 stars. The slow burn pacing of the plot works very well to establish the mood but few chapters felt like they were stagnant rather than moving the emotional arc forwards.
Overall, Record Lows is a poignant look at resilience, grief and the messy reality of every day family life. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates character driven stories and fans of gritty emotional dramas.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I DEVOURED THIS!!!!!! can’t wait for everyone to read it
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews