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Blue Straggler
“Kathy Lynn's Harris's keen insight and buoyant generosity sparkle on every page of this evocative, gorgeously written novel.”
--- Terri Guiliano Long, bestselling author of IN LEAH'S WAKE, an award-winning family story
“well drawn, believable characters and a story that you will care about.”
--- 5 Stars! Kate Farrell, from THE KINDLE BOOK REVIEW
Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family.
She has never quite fit in with her tight-knot clan, and now in her early 30s she is struggling with inner turmoil, stuck in a rut that is her life.
The tell-tale signs of her apathy? She’s drinking too much - even for a member of her family - eating spoonfuls of Cool Whip, and all of her relationship attempts seem to expire faster than the milk in her fridge. Even her quirky best friends can’t seem to make things right this time.
After being demoted from an already impossibly boring job, she quits, packs up and heads out of Texas in search of the answers to secrets from her estranged great-grandmother's past.
What she finds are the answers to some of her own secrets.
And not without a little romance along the way!
"I had to force myself to put it down at night. Bailey is the type of woman that so many of us are on the inside and so desperately wish we were on the outside."
"... I laughed till I cried, then cried till I laughed. This is one I will read over and over again."
Ever questioned 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? Get cozy, pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy every second of this laugh-out-loud and emotional ride from the comfort of your sofa!
"The charm, the wit, the heartache and pain, all overtook me and before I knew it, I was at the end."
"When [the story] ended, I just felt content, and there's really not much better than that."
"Humor, intrigue, romance and life lessons. If you are looking for a story that is women's fiction at its best, then Blue Straggler is the book for you!"
--- Terri Guiliano Long, bestselling author of IN LEAH'S WAKE, an award-winning family story
“well drawn, believable characters and a story that you will care about.”
--- 5 Stars! Kate Farrell, from THE KINDLE BOOK REVIEW
Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family.
She has never quite fit in with her tight-knot clan, and now in her early 30s she is struggling with inner turmoil, stuck in a rut that is her life.
The tell-tale signs of her apathy? She’s drinking too much - even for a member of her family - eating spoonfuls of Cool Whip, and all of her relationship attempts seem to expire faster than the milk in her fridge. Even her quirky best friends can’t seem to make things right this time.
After being demoted from an already impossibly boring job, she quits, packs up and heads out of Texas in search of the answers to secrets from her estranged great-grandmother's past.
What she finds are the answers to some of her own secrets.
And not without a little romance along the way!
"I had to force myself to put it down at night. Bailey is the type of woman that so many of us are on the inside and so desperately wish we were on the outside."
"... I laughed till I cried, then cried till I laughed. This is one I will read over and over again."
Ever questioned 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? Get cozy, pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy every second of this laugh-out-loud and emotional ride from the comfort of your sofa!
"The charm, the wit, the heartache and pain, all overtook me and before I knew it, I was at the end."
"When [the story] ended, I just felt content, and there's really not much better than that."
"Humor, intrigue, romance and life lessons. If you are looking for a story that is women's fiction at its best, then Blue Straggler is the book for you!"
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2011
17 people are currently reading
91 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