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Blue Straggler
“... A refreshing new voice in fiction.”
“... I found myself laughing out loud unexpectedly.”
A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it. But this is not a story about astronomy.
Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life.
“... The characters are so richly drawn, and the story humorous yet poignant. Harris is one of those rare writers who has real affection for the people she creates.”
Bailey's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge.
Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, sassy 60-plus-year-old Idamarie and Bailey's quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time.
“... The characters made me laugh, cry, and wish that the story went on forever.”
“... every single Texas reference Kathy Lynn Harris made was so descriptive that I knew exactly what she was talking about. I felt as if I was living the story.”
So she packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past. The novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio, Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado and back again, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also some painful secrets of her own. All while finding love along the way.
“... both thoughtful and laugh-out-loud funny! I also hope that the author is working on a sequel.”
“... I laughed till I cried, then cried till I laughed. This is one I will read over and over again.”
If you have ever wondered why you got stuck with the family you did, what you are doing with your job and your life, or had a sudden desire to run off to the mountains, sit back and join Bailey for this laugh-out-loud, yet poignant ride.
"I loved Bailey, the main character in Blue Straggler. She is a misfit in her own family, searching for her future through her long-hidden past. That she creates meaningful connections wherever she is - and tackles life with a wry sense of humor - makes her an endearing character and this novel a must-read." --- Best-selling author Kaira Rouda, author of HERE, HOME, HOPE
“... I found myself laughing out loud unexpectedly.”
A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it. But this is not a story about astronomy.
Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life.
“... The characters are so richly drawn, and the story humorous yet poignant. Harris is one of those rare writers who has real affection for the people she creates.”
Bailey's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge.
Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, sassy 60-plus-year-old Idamarie and Bailey's quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time.
“... The characters made me laugh, cry, and wish that the story went on forever.”
“... every single Texas reference Kathy Lynn Harris made was so descriptive that I knew exactly what she was talking about. I felt as if I was living the story.”
So she packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past. The novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio, Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado and back again, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also some painful secrets of her own. All while finding love along the way.
“... both thoughtful and laugh-out-loud funny! I also hope that the author is working on a sequel.”
“... I laughed till I cried, then cried till I laughed. This is one I will read over and over again.”
If you have ever wondered why you got stuck with the family you did, what you are doing with your job and your life, or had a sudden desire to run off to the mountains, sit back and join Bailey for this laugh-out-loud, yet poignant ride.
"I loved Bailey, the main character in Blue Straggler. She is a misfit in her own family, searching for her future through her long-hidden past. That she creates meaningful connections wherever she is - and tackles life with a wry sense of humor - makes her an endearing character and this novel a must-read." --- Best-selling author Kaira Rouda, author of HERE, HOME, HOPE
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2011
16 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Lynn Harris
3 books52 followersKathy Lynn Harris was lucky enough to grow up in a ranching family in rural South Texas — surrounded by flat, dry land; mesquite trees; Larry McMurty books; and colorful, real-life characters who knew how to work hard, get their hands dirty, and drink straight whiskey on Saturday night.
She’s eaten fried rattlesnake, braised squirrel, and just about every part of a cow that’s edible, except the testicles. (A girl must have standards.) She attempted vegetarianism for two weeks in 1999, her spirit eventually broken by her dad’s barbecue sausage and her mom’s world-famous chicken-fried steak.
More than 10 years ago now, Kathy packed up her boots and left Texas to make the move to Colorado—to live out her dream of being a kick-ass, back-to-nature pioneer woman. Which sounds like she doesn’t shave her legs. But she totally does. Most of the time.
She bought a log cabin at the top of a mountain, at an elevation of 10,500 ft. above sea level, where electricity and running water are not givens, and it snows 10 months out of the year. But the trout are plentiful. The Continental Divide is right there in the backyard. The stars are so close you can almost touch them. And the closest (and nicest) neighbors are foxes, mountain lions and bears.
Kathy is the author of two Amazon bestselling novels, one of which won a national literary award in 2013. She’s also written children’s books, magazine articles, a nationally recognized online column on mountain living, short stories, essays and award-winning poetry. Her work has appeared in numerous published anthologies, as well.
Ice-cold Dr Pepper, good manners, and Texas A&M football are still part of her religion. According to Buzzfeed and Zimbio: Her celebrity lookalikes are Sandra Bullock and Catherine Zeta-Jones (in the curvy years). If she were a dog she’d be a pit bull. And her Big Bang Theory character is Penny, although her husband believes she’s really more like Sheldon. But that’s only because of her fear of germs. She does not, and never has, watched Star Trek.
Her greatest accomplishments to date include raising the world’s smartest and most beautiful little boy, marrying a handsome and funny husband who cooks up a mean taco, and adopting two untrainable golden retriever mixes who rack up so many food and vet bills she has to crowdfund them.
Be sure to check out Kathy’s blog, You can take the girl out of Texas, but …, where she writes about anything she damn well pleases at kathylynnharris.com/blog
Kathy loves to hear from readers, so feel free to email via kathy@kathylynnharris.com.
Find out more about Kathy's writing at http://kathylynnharris.com.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/BlueStraggler...
Twitter: http:twitter.com/comtnliving
Kathy is also pleased to join book discussion groups who choose her novels for discussion — just ask!
She’s eaten fried rattlesnake, braised squirrel, and just about every part of a cow that’s edible, except the testicles. (A girl must have standards.) She attempted vegetarianism for two weeks in 1999, her spirit eventually broken by her dad’s barbecue sausage and her mom’s world-famous chicken-fried steak.
More than 10 years ago now, Kathy packed up her boots and left Texas to make the move to Colorado—to live out her dream of being a kick-ass, back-to-nature pioneer woman. Which sounds like she doesn’t shave her legs. But she totally does. Most of the time.
She bought a log cabin at the top of a mountain, at an elevation of 10,500 ft. above sea level, where electricity and running water are not givens, and it snows 10 months out of the year. But the trout are plentiful. The Continental Divide is right there in the backyard. The stars are so close you can almost touch them. And the closest (and nicest) neighbors are foxes, mountain lions and bears.
Kathy is the author of two Amazon bestselling novels, one of which won a national literary award in 2013. She’s also written children’s books, magazine articles, a nationally recognized online column on mountain living, short stories, essays and award-winning poetry. Her work has appeared in numerous published anthologies, as well.
Ice-cold Dr Pepper, good manners, and Texas A&M football are still part of her religion. According to Buzzfeed and Zimbio: Her celebrity lookalikes are Sandra Bullock and Catherine Zeta-Jones (in the curvy years). If she were a dog she’d be a pit bull. And her Big Bang Theory character is Penny, although her husband believes she’s really more like Sheldon. But that’s only because of her fear of germs. She does not, and never has, watched Star Trek.
Her greatest accomplishments to date include raising the world’s smartest and most beautiful little boy, marrying a handsome and funny husband who cooks up a mean taco, and adopting two untrainable golden retriever mixes who rack up so many food and vet bills she has to crowdfund them.
Be sure to check out Kathy’s blog, You can take the girl out of Texas, but …, where she writes about anything she damn well pleases at kathylynnharris.com/blog
Kathy loves to hear from readers, so feel free to email via kathy@kathylynnharris.com.
Find out more about Kathy's writing at http://kathylynnharris.com.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/BlueStraggler...
Twitter: http:twitter.com/comtnliving
Kathy is also pleased to join book discussion groups who choose her novels for discussion — just ask!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 15, 2016
A surprising novel that I couldn't put down. I love books with quirky, small-town characters, and this novel definitely delivered.
June 28, 2018
A wonderful true-to-the-soul book!! I definitely recommend this wise, funny, & genuinely adventuresome American writing.
October 12, 2015
I struggled through this book, then when we find out about Annie, it was such a disappointment. All that build up, for nothing. I also didn't laugh once through this book, and several reviews state how funny it is.
November 13, 2019
This book has a beginning that’s tough to get past. It’s slow and somewhat misleading. Once the protagonist leaves the state on her sojourn, however, it takes off. Much more engaging.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews