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Flood
A sparkling debut set in Mark Twain's boyhood town, FLOOD is a story of what it means to be lost…and found.
Laura Brooks fled her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, ten years ago after a historic flood and personal heartbreak. Now she’s returned unannounced, and her family and friends don't know what to make of it. She says she's just home for a brief visit and her high-school reunion, but she's carrying too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is embroiled in small-town affairs—the contentious divorce of her rowdy best friend, Rose; the campaign of her twelve-year-old godson, Bobby, to become the town's official Tom Sawyer; and the renewed interest of the man Laura once thought she'd marry, Sammy McGuire.
Leaving town when she was eighteen had been Laura’s only option. She feared a stifling existence in a town ruled by its past, its mythological devotion to Mark Twain, and the economic and racial divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. She can’t forget that fateful Fourth of July when the levees broke or the decisions that still haunt her. Now as the Mississippi rises again, a deep wound threatens to reopen, and Laura must decide if running away once more might be the best way to save herself.
Laura Brooks fled her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, ten years ago after a historic flood and personal heartbreak. Now she’s returned unannounced, and her family and friends don't know what to make of it. She says she's just home for a brief visit and her high-school reunion, but she's carrying too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is embroiled in small-town affairs—the contentious divorce of her rowdy best friend, Rose; the campaign of her twelve-year-old godson, Bobby, to become the town's official Tom Sawyer; and the renewed interest of the man Laura once thought she'd marry, Sammy McGuire.
Leaving town when she was eighteen had been Laura’s only option. She feared a stifling existence in a town ruled by its past, its mythological devotion to Mark Twain, and the economic and racial divide that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. She can’t forget that fateful Fourth of July when the levees broke or the decisions that still haunt her. Now as the Mississippi rises again, a deep wound threatens to reopen, and Laura must decide if running away once more might be the best way to save herself.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published June 27, 2017
23 people are currently reading
2179 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Scholes Young
7 books167 followersMelissa Scholes Young is the author of the novels The Hive and Flood, and editor of Grace in Darkness and Furious Gravity, two anthologies by women writers. She is a contributing editor at Fiction Writers Review, and her work has appeared in the Atlantic, Ms., Washington Post, Poets & Writers, Ploughshares, Literary Hub and elsewhere. She has been the recipient of the Bread Loaf Bakeless Camargo Foundation Residency Fellowship and the Center for Mark Twain Studies’ Quarry Farm Fellowship. Born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri, she is now an associate professor in Literature at American University. http://melissascholesyoung.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 1, 2017
3.5 The title couldn't be more apropos, as we have been dealing with flooding in my area, as in many other areas. Our river path, bike trails and islands are under water, the Fox River overflowing. Though since we have had a few days break n the rain, it is slowly receding. The string, Hannibal, Missouri, home of the unsinkable Molly Brown and Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain was also a big draw.
A novel about coming home to a small town where everyone knows you, the place you once couldn't wait to leave. So it is for Laura Brooks, who returns after ten years, to her best friend Rose and the boy, now a man, that she broke up with right before she left. Finds things have changed, some not for the better. Full of small town problems, mainly flooding of the great Mississippi, that has caused devestation in the past. Always a concern when one lives close to a river. Loved the characters, the story is a lighter one but a good one too. A first novel, well written and a quick read. A feel good novel with some bite, a novel about finding one place and having the courage to follow through.
The author herself comes from Hannibal, and I loved that in alternating chapters she included tidbits about the life of Twain, the town and the river. Very interesting and a wonderful background too the story. Reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama,the feels, the tone and I kept thinking of the song by Bon Jovi, Who says you can't go home, while I was reading. A delightful change of pace novel for between heavier reads. Nicely done.
A novel about coming home to a small town where everyone knows you, the place you once couldn't wait to leave. So it is for Laura Brooks, who returns after ten years, to her best friend Rose and the boy, now a man, that she broke up with right before she left. Finds things have changed, some not for the better. Full of small town problems, mainly flooding of the great Mississippi, that has caused devestation in the past. Always a concern when one lives close to a river. Loved the characters, the story is a lighter one but a good one too. A first novel, well written and a quick read. A feel good novel with some bite, a novel about finding one place and having the courage to follow through.
The author herself comes from Hannibal, and I loved that in alternating chapters she included tidbits about the life of Twain, the town and the river. Very interesting and a wonderful background too the story. Reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama,the feels, the tone and I kept thinking of the song by Bon Jovi, Who says you can't go home, while I was reading. A delightful change of pace novel for between heavier reads. Nicely done.
June 26, 2017
Ten years ago, Laura Brooks decided she wouldn't end up pregnant (like her best friend) or forever stuck defending her home and farmland from the flood-prone Mississippi River (like her boyfriend). So she left her very small home town of Hannibal, Missouri to make a better life for herself--and eventually she does. But after ten mostly good years in Florida, things suddenly fall apart, and Laura is forced to return home...back to her critical mother, her junkie brother, and her melodramatic and unstable best friend. Though she arrives at her childhood home feeling superior to the people she left, the more time she spends in Hannibal, the more she realizes that the past isn't so black and white, and sometimes family is all you've got.
This was a completely fine novel, in my opinion. I had no trouble zipping through the story; it held my interest well enough. The hard part was trying to empathize with any of the characters. Laura does have her good moments, and I really loved seeing her care for her best friend's son, Bobby. But there are so many mean, ignorant, drunk, racist white trash characters in here. I give author Young props for painting such a vivid picture (yikes), but it got to be a little much. Laura's mother is relentlessly negative; her brother is such a deadbeat. And watching Laura's best friend use Bobby again and again to get back at her ex-husband...good grief. It was demoralizing. Humanity at it's worst, you know?
Even though I knew the moral of the story in the end was that family is family and you have to stick together no matter what, I finished the book thinking, Laura, you're better off back in Florida. Get away from these people while you still can, girl. Blood may be bond, but sometimes it's just not worth it.
ARC provided through Amazon Vine.
This was a completely fine novel, in my opinion. I had no trouble zipping through the story; it held my interest well enough. The hard part was trying to empathize with any of the characters. Laura does have her good moments, and I really loved seeing her care for her best friend's son, Bobby. But there are so many mean, ignorant, drunk, racist white trash characters in here. I give author Young props for painting such a vivid picture (yikes), but it got to be a little much. Laura's mother is relentlessly negative; her brother is such a deadbeat. And watching Laura's best friend use Bobby again and again to get back at her ex-husband...good grief. It was demoralizing. Humanity at it's worst, you know?
Even though I knew the moral of the story in the end was that family is family and you have to stick together no matter what, I finished the book thinking, Laura, you're better off back in Florida. Get away from these people while you still can, girl. Blood may be bond, but sometimes it's just not worth it.
ARC provided through Amazon Vine.
March 23, 2018
This grown-up version of “America’s Hometown” is about life in this small midwest Mississippi River town for Laura Brooks, whom I found a very likable character.
Laura returns to her Missouri hometown after leaving during the great flood of 1993 under mysterious circumstances. She grew up there but never really felt like she belonged. Sad.
I could relate to many of the landmarks and places mentioned and loved the interesting Mark Twain book references.
A well-written first novel!
Laura returns to her Missouri hometown after leaving during the great flood of 1993 under mysterious circumstances. She grew up there but never really felt like she belonged. Sad.
I could relate to many of the landmarks and places mentioned and loved the interesting Mark Twain book references.
A well-written first novel!
August 22, 2017
Like many people, I never felt like I truly belonged in the small town I grew up in. I wasn’t born there, and despite living there for a decade until I graduated from high school, I could never shake the feeling that I was and always would be the new kid in town, an outsider.
After I left my boyhood home of Hannibal, Missouri, in August of 1990, I never really came back. Oh, I’d pop in for a short visit now and again to throw back a few beers with my old crew, but despite my mother and brother remaining in Hannibal three additional years after I moved away, the town never really felt like home again.
Until now, that is.
When the flood of 1993 devastated communities up and down the Mississippi River, Hannibal was mostly spared, except for the folks who lived closest to the river, on the wrong side of the 3rd Street viaduct, whose property was not protected by the flood walls built to save the historic (money-making) district. Although my family lived on top of a hill, they were not immune to the river’s wrath. When the levee at West Quincy, Missouri, was intentionally breached by a man who was later sentenced to life in prison for his reckless actions, my mom, and many others like her who worked across the river in Illinois, could not get to her job. It would be two more months before the bridges spanning the river reopened.
Yet, I still ignored my hometown, and my family, for the most part during that time. I didn’t even come home to help with the sandbagging efforts. Over the years, my guilt for turning my back on my hometown eased to a tolerable level. And over the years, I became less and less inclined to ever return.
And then Melissa Scholes Young, a dear friend and fellow Hannibal native, slapped me upside the head. Figuratively, of course. “Missy,” as she has been known to her friends and family since she was a little girl, is much too kind to ever really strike anyone. But her new novel, FLOOD, has had the effect of knocking some sense into me, and it will likely have the same effect on others (especially those from smaller towns) who have wrestled with conflicted feelings of where and what “home” is.
FLOOD is set in Hannibal, ten years after the Great Flood of ‘93. It tells the story of Laura Brooks, who, like me, ran from Hannibal as soon as she had the chance, leaving her mother and brother behind, only to find herself longing for that familiar sense of home years later. In the story, Young interweaves a tale of small-town drama, lost loves, and messy families with historically accurate descriptions of Hannibal and its most famous writer Mark Twain. The result is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Without sugar-coating modern Hannibal, a town desperate to convince tourists of its wholesomeness while battling an increasingly frightening drug scene, Young manages to humanize the community and its people without degrading it. She reminds us of the charms of living in “America’s Hometown” with all of its Toms, Beckys, Hucks, and of course Twains.
More importantly, she has reminded me of the fact that while it is true that you can never go home again, home will always be Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal has a rich history and thousands of decent, fun-loving citizens. There are a few bad apples to be sure, but no more so than in the wild-west days when it was a bustling river port and home to gamblers, gun-fighters, ladies of the night, and a young Sam Clemens.
Thank you, Missy, for opening my eyes and showing me that life in that White Town Drowsing wasn’t so bad after all. Despite the small-town drama, loves lost, and messy family issues that defined my time in Hannibal, (as well as Laura’s), I am grateful to have grown up in Twainland. And I’m grateful to know you. You are a fantastic writer, my friend, and I can’t wait to come celebrate your literary success with you the next time you’re in town. Our town. Our home town.
Our home.
--Travis Naughton, friend/fan/fellow author
After I left my boyhood home of Hannibal, Missouri, in August of 1990, I never really came back. Oh, I’d pop in for a short visit now and again to throw back a few beers with my old crew, but despite my mother and brother remaining in Hannibal three additional years after I moved away, the town never really felt like home again.
Until now, that is.
When the flood of 1993 devastated communities up and down the Mississippi River, Hannibal was mostly spared, except for the folks who lived closest to the river, on the wrong side of the 3rd Street viaduct, whose property was not protected by the flood walls built to save the historic (money-making) district. Although my family lived on top of a hill, they were not immune to the river’s wrath. When the levee at West Quincy, Missouri, was intentionally breached by a man who was later sentenced to life in prison for his reckless actions, my mom, and many others like her who worked across the river in Illinois, could not get to her job. It would be two more months before the bridges spanning the river reopened.
Yet, I still ignored my hometown, and my family, for the most part during that time. I didn’t even come home to help with the sandbagging efforts. Over the years, my guilt for turning my back on my hometown eased to a tolerable level. And over the years, I became less and less inclined to ever return.
And then Melissa Scholes Young, a dear friend and fellow Hannibal native, slapped me upside the head. Figuratively, of course. “Missy,” as she has been known to her friends and family since she was a little girl, is much too kind to ever really strike anyone. But her new novel, FLOOD, has had the effect of knocking some sense into me, and it will likely have the same effect on others (especially those from smaller towns) who have wrestled with conflicted feelings of where and what “home” is.
FLOOD is set in Hannibal, ten years after the Great Flood of ‘93. It tells the story of Laura Brooks, who, like me, ran from Hannibal as soon as she had the chance, leaving her mother and brother behind, only to find herself longing for that familiar sense of home years later. In the story, Young interweaves a tale of small-town drama, lost loves, and messy families with historically accurate descriptions of Hannibal and its most famous writer Mark Twain. The result is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Without sugar-coating modern Hannibal, a town desperate to convince tourists of its wholesomeness while battling an increasingly frightening drug scene, Young manages to humanize the community and its people without degrading it. She reminds us of the charms of living in “America’s Hometown” with all of its Toms, Beckys, Hucks, and of course Twains.
More importantly, she has reminded me of the fact that while it is true that you can never go home again, home will always be Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal has a rich history and thousands of decent, fun-loving citizens. There are a few bad apples to be sure, but no more so than in the wild-west days when it was a bustling river port and home to gamblers, gun-fighters, ladies of the night, and a young Sam Clemens.
Thank you, Missy, for opening my eyes and showing me that life in that White Town Drowsing wasn’t so bad after all. Despite the small-town drama, loves lost, and messy family issues that defined my time in Hannibal, (as well as Laura’s), I am grateful to have grown up in Twainland. And I’m grateful to know you. You are a fantastic writer, my friend, and I can’t wait to come celebrate your literary success with you the next time you’re in town. Our town. Our home town.
Our home.
--Travis Naughton, friend/fan/fellow author
July 25, 2019
this is one of those quiet reads that suddenly isn't. it's set in the town of hannibal, missouri. hannibal is a town that is defined by its most famous citizen Mark Twain. laura returns home to hannibal after losing her job & reflects on the decisions that made her leave without once looking back in the ten years that she was gone. as she gets to know her friends & family again i realized a sort of refashioning of the character's from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes place. i was slow to recognize the connections to twain's work but once i did i settled into the story with a different ear. it read as a subtle but also poignant nod to twain's background. it's also a melancholic read b/c it asks the age old question: is it possible to go back home?
September 30, 2017
FLOOD, the debut novel by Melissa Scholes Young, is set in Hannibal, MO -- yes, that Hannibal where Mark Twain once lived and where Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and more "lived" along with Mississippi River. That mighty river plays a large part in this wonderful novel as does Twain's characters.
In chapters that alternate between modern day struggles of a struggling white working class family and Twain history, this reader was totally drawn into the present and the past of this small town via the narrator, Laura Brooks. Laura is just returned to her mother's trailer after being laid off from her junior-level CNA nursing job in Florida. In her late twenties, she faces her best friend Rose, who never left Hannibal; her high school sweetheart--a 10 year high school reunion-- and her brother, Trey, who's running with the absolutely worse crowd. Laura feels that she has changed, but so many people she knew have not. She doesn't believe she belongs here, or does she?
The writing is vivid, often poetic-- especially about the Mississippi River and its levees and its floods and storms, and how this all bound up with living on the precarious edge in Hannibal. The world of small town America may be on the brink of disasters, but there's still a sense of optimism, that we can celebrate Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain, and that we are, somewhat, resilient.
I would recommend this for any book club that reads debut fiction -- it's worth sharing and discussing this novel!!
--TGIF
Caroline
In chapters that alternate between modern day struggles of a struggling white working class family and Twain history, this reader was totally drawn into the present and the past of this small town via the narrator, Laura Brooks. Laura is just returned to her mother's trailer after being laid off from her junior-level CNA nursing job in Florida. In her late twenties, she faces her best friend Rose, who never left Hannibal; her high school sweetheart--a 10 year high school reunion-- and her brother, Trey, who's running with the absolutely worse crowd. Laura feels that she has changed, but so many people she knew have not. She doesn't believe she belongs here, or does she?
The writing is vivid, often poetic-- especially about the Mississippi River and its levees and its floods and storms, and how this all bound up with living on the precarious edge in Hannibal. The world of small town America may be on the brink of disasters, but there's still a sense of optimism, that we can celebrate Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain, and that we are, somewhat, resilient.
I would recommend this for any book club that reads debut fiction -- it's worth sharing and discussing this novel!!
--TGIF
Caroline
March 23, 2017
Laura Brooks has come home to Hannibal, Missouri, looking for “a soft place to land.” Trouble is, she fled ten years before and not everyone is happy to have her back. Over a summer, with the river rising and threatening local farms, Laura tries to reconcile her past with her present and to regain her footing at home and in the world. The author, Melissa Scholes Young, is also from Hannibal and it shows in her intimate knowledge of the people, the place, and the river. The book takes you to Mark Twain’s and the author’s Hannibal, while following Laura on her journey. It’s a page turner that goes deeper, answering the questions where is home and what good is it to have someone else’s heart if you’re not true to your own. This is a debut novel not to be missed.
July 8, 2017
Laura Brooks may be the protagonist in "Flood" but it's Hannibal Missouri that really takes center stage. As Laura grapples with her own quarter-life crisis (a crisis of purpose, as well as place, understandable to anyone who is or ever was in their mid 20's) the story gets its original flair from the detail, history, and love shown to Laura's hometown. Hannibal is its own character and the story thrives because of it.
For anyone who has ever questioned whether home is where you're from, where you are, or where you're meant to be, "Flood" embraces the question and embraces the reader. It's okay to ask, and it's okay if we all have different answers.
For anyone who has ever questioned whether home is where you're from, where you are, or where you're meant to be, "Flood" embraces the question and embraces the reader. It's okay to ask, and it's okay if we all have different answers.
July 5, 2017
FLOOD treats issues of class and identity with honesty and explores the difficult in-between existence led by those who try to better themselves, never quite fitting into their new or old existences. Also interesting are the subtle echoes of Twain's characters in Young's.
FLOOD is a must read for fans of Twain and Midwest literature, or anybody who loves an honest story about class, family, and the complexities of the idea of home.
FLOOD is a must read for fans of Twain and Midwest literature, or anybody who loves an honest story about class, family, and the complexities of the idea of home.
May 28, 2019
Wherever you’ve been, you go home and sink into the familiarity of home for all it's good and bad - The colloquialisms, the familial roles, and if you’re lucky, the Aunt Bettys too. I really enjoyed this very different book and learned a lot about (a particularly interesting) small town life and a constant anxiety about the levees keeping homes and livelihoods from succumbing to the Mississippi. The Mark Twain tidbits rounded out this unique story full of vivid characters I really felt for. 1 tissue read.
August 21, 2017
A few of my notes from reading:
1. The author takes on the tremendous challenge of delving into issues of class and race that others stray away from because it's so hard to get right. But she's clearly invested significant time into her craft as the book addresses these issues in an intentional and conscientious way that brings the reader along for the journey.
2. Loved, loved, loved that the author found a way to incorporate the New Madrid Fault Line and its history of earthquakes into the book. I remember being fascinated by the stories about the 1811-12 earthquakes as a kid after reading about them in The Big One. Especially because I remember there was some period of time in the 2000s when there was a series of Midwest earthquakes — I think Illinois and there was at least one with an epicenter in Iowa. I remember wondering if they were a precursor to a "big one" that ultimately never came.
3. I couldn't help but crack up when I read the part about Laura and Mama watching Wheel of Fortune after dinner. I literally wrote to myself, "LOL, does every Midwest family grow up watching Wheel of Fortune?" I think my mom and I watched that almost every single night growing up while making dinner or eating.
This book is well worth a read!
1. The author takes on the tremendous challenge of delving into issues of class and race that others stray away from because it's so hard to get right. But she's clearly invested significant time into her craft as the book addresses these issues in an intentional and conscientious way that brings the reader along for the journey.
2. Loved, loved, loved that the author found a way to incorporate the New Madrid Fault Line and its history of earthquakes into the book. I remember being fascinated by the stories about the 1811-12 earthquakes as a kid after reading about them in The Big One. Especially because I remember there was some period of time in the 2000s when there was a series of Midwest earthquakes — I think Illinois and there was at least one with an epicenter in Iowa. I remember wondering if they were a precursor to a "big one" that ultimately never came.
3. I couldn't help but crack up when I read the part about Laura and Mama watching Wheel of Fortune after dinner. I literally wrote to myself, "LOL, does every Midwest family grow up watching Wheel of Fortune?" I think my mom and I watched that almost every single night growing up while making dinner or eating.
This book is well worth a read!
November 20, 2017
What in the world...I think I might be missing the ending...Did Laura stay did she run again and did Sammy go with her..What the heck.. One thing is for sure I learned a whole lot about Mark Twain and Huckleberry cause some of that stuff I did not know.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2017
Flood: A Novel
By
Melissa Scholes Young
What it's all about...
Laura returns home from her nursing job in Florida. Her family lives in Hannibal, Missouri...where Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens lived. Laura was one of the few people who actually left Hannibal to make something of her life. Most everyone else just stays. However...she comes back defeated...I will let the reader read the book to find out why. Her mother is bitter...mad at her for leaving and mad at her for returning. Her brother and friends are dysfunctional...into drugs, errant ways and alcohol.
Why I wanted to read it...
The book was really good. Once I started reading this book I could not stop.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
I loved the way this book alternated between Laura's life and Mark Twain's life. Laura had secrets that were bound to explode eventually. The town revolves around a Tom Sawyer pageant and the rapidly rising river. How Laura deals with all of this was surprising.
Why you should read it, too...
Readers who love stories that alternate between fact and fiction...should enjoy this book.
By
Melissa Scholes Young
What it's all about...
Laura returns home from her nursing job in Florida. Her family lives in Hannibal, Missouri...where Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens lived. Laura was one of the few people who actually left Hannibal to make something of her life. Most everyone else just stays. However...she comes back defeated...I will let the reader read the book to find out why. Her mother is bitter...mad at her for leaving and mad at her for returning. Her brother and friends are dysfunctional...into drugs, errant ways and alcohol.
Why I wanted to read it...
The book was really good. Once I started reading this book I could not stop.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
I loved the way this book alternated between Laura's life and Mark Twain's life. Laura had secrets that were bound to explode eventually. The town revolves around a Tom Sawyer pageant and the rapidly rising river. How Laura deals with all of this was surprising.
Why you should read it, too...
Readers who love stories that alternate between fact and fiction...should enjoy this book.
May 13, 2018
I love this book! I felt invested in the characters by the end and wanted to keep reading. Young paints a clear picture of a small town life full of complex characters, dysfunctional families, and misunderstandings. It makes me want to take a trip to Hannibal, Missouri, and re-read all of Mark Twain’s books! Great first novel!!!
July 25, 2023
3.5 stars
Like the main character of this novel, I grew up in a river town in Missouri. The town I grew up in was on the Missouri River, rather than the Mississippi River, which appears in this book. The Flood of '93 is a strong memory from my childhood. I think having lived the small-town, Missouri experience, I couldn't help but feel drawn into this book. I visited Hannibal as a young teen and regularly drive through on my way to my in-law's home, so it was fun to see some familiar things mentioned throughout the story.
I sometimes felt like the story only showed one side of small-town life and it felt cliched or what those who don't live here think this place is. The characters all seemed to fall into the category of "country" or "white trash." I don't remember everyone being that way, but that's just my own experience pulling me out of the story a bit. I do know how stifling a small town can be and how your worldviews are truly shaped by that tiny world that you're living in. I think the author did a good job of capturing that aspect.
At the end of the day, I always was pulled into the story when I picked it up. And the ending gave me a nice surprise. I think I'd be willing to read more from this author.
Like the main character of this novel, I grew up in a river town in Missouri. The town I grew up in was on the Missouri River, rather than the Mississippi River, which appears in this book. The Flood of '93 is a strong memory from my childhood. I think having lived the small-town, Missouri experience, I couldn't help but feel drawn into this book. I visited Hannibal as a young teen and regularly drive through on my way to my in-law's home, so it was fun to see some familiar things mentioned throughout the story.
I sometimes felt like the story only showed one side of small-town life and it felt cliched or what those who don't live here think this place is. The characters all seemed to fall into the category of "country" or "white trash." I don't remember everyone being that way, but that's just my own experience pulling me out of the story a bit. I do know how stifling a small town can be and how your worldviews are truly shaped by that tiny world that you're living in. I think the author did a good job of capturing that aspect.
At the end of the day, I always was pulled into the story when I picked it up. And the ending gave me a nice surprise. I think I'd be willing to read more from this author.
July 6, 2017
"Should I stay or should I go?" Those words from the famous Clash song of the 80s rang in my ears as I was pulled into Laura Brooks's dilemma about whether her life will unfold back in her hometown of Hannibal or on a path that leads her to another destiny. Many of us feel like Flood's main character: we adore the friends and family that formed our childhood but, especially if we've left home for college or jobs, we wonder if we've changed too much to fit back in? Or whether going home feels like a step backward?
In Flood, Melissa Scholes Young weaves together the loudest of family gatherings set on the banks of the lush and threatening Mississippi River, and layers the life of Mark Twain and his characters into the past and present of the town of Hannibal. She brings us right into the middle of the lives of characters whose voices are raw, hilarious, and sometimes hurtful - just like family and best friends can be. Laura's story asks what we all ask ourselves, especially in our late twenties, still working out relationships and life paths: do I belong? Will I be loved? Who am I and what is my purpose?
I'm always captivated by stories about female friendship and navigating motherhood. The friendship-since-kindergarten between Laura and her feisty best friend Rose is equal parts exasperation, laughter, and loyalty. The two friends test each other and stand by each other, even though sometimes they're circling like two fighters sizing up a rival. Laura's mother shows more outward affection to the chickens she's raising than to her own daughter, and yet in the author's deft hands, we see her revealed eventually as fiercely loving, just unspeakably hurt by what life has thrown at her. In a lovely riff on the many mothers we might have in our lives, we meet Aunt Betty, who is independent and insightful and always offers even a grown up Laura a warm lap to crawl into.
A friend told me he'd realized as he'd gotten older that "most people are honestly just trying to do the best they can." In Flood, Scholes Young gives us characters in a rural world who are doing their best as life comes at them. Some of them, like Rose, or Laura's brother Trey, make bad decisions driven by youth or desperation. Others like Laura's mother or the young girl living in a trailer at the end of the road struggle to defy what life has thrown at them: a husband's alcoholism, a parent's death, the Mississippi flood waters. Not all of these characters are likable, but you will care about them because even when they fall short, the author treats them with respect. These voices are real; they're funny; they're honest, rude, endearing and loyal. I wanted to wrap my arms around Bobby, Rose's son, and just high-five him for his resilience. You'll find a favorite character too.
I highly recommend Flood for its plot, characters, setting, pacing, and themes. An intelligent, lively, engaging read that you will think about long after you turn the final pages.
In Flood, Melissa Scholes Young weaves together the loudest of family gatherings set on the banks of the lush and threatening Mississippi River, and layers the life of Mark Twain and his characters into the past and present of the town of Hannibal. She brings us right into the middle of the lives of characters whose voices are raw, hilarious, and sometimes hurtful - just like family and best friends can be. Laura's story asks what we all ask ourselves, especially in our late twenties, still working out relationships and life paths: do I belong? Will I be loved? Who am I and what is my purpose?
I'm always captivated by stories about female friendship and navigating motherhood. The friendship-since-kindergarten between Laura and her feisty best friend Rose is equal parts exasperation, laughter, and loyalty. The two friends test each other and stand by each other, even though sometimes they're circling like two fighters sizing up a rival. Laura's mother shows more outward affection to the chickens she's raising than to her own daughter, and yet in the author's deft hands, we see her revealed eventually as fiercely loving, just unspeakably hurt by what life has thrown at her. In a lovely riff on the many mothers we might have in our lives, we meet Aunt Betty, who is independent and insightful and always offers even a grown up Laura a warm lap to crawl into.
A friend told me he'd realized as he'd gotten older that "most people are honestly just trying to do the best they can." In Flood, Scholes Young gives us characters in a rural world who are doing their best as life comes at them. Some of them, like Rose, or Laura's brother Trey, make bad decisions driven by youth or desperation. Others like Laura's mother or the young girl living in a trailer at the end of the road struggle to defy what life has thrown at them: a husband's alcoholism, a parent's death, the Mississippi flood waters. Not all of these characters are likable, but you will care about them because even when they fall short, the author treats them with respect. These voices are real; they're funny; they're honest, rude, endearing and loyal. I wanted to wrap my arms around Bobby, Rose's son, and just high-five him for his resilience. You'll find a favorite character too.
I highly recommend Flood for its plot, characters, setting, pacing, and themes. An intelligent, lively, engaging read that you will think about long after you turn the final pages.
August 17, 2017
Flood is a wonderful book, with rich characters--and in that list of characters, I would include the setting of Hannibal, Missouri, whose complex past is warmly and expertly drawn. This is a perfect read for anyone who's left home and longed to go back and found that longing complex and contradictory at times. Plus, I learned a lot about Mark Twain at the same time. So many wins in this one!
August 22, 2017
Where do we belong? This is one of the questions I found myself asking while reading this book. The main character Laura left her small hometown of Hannibal, MO ten years ago in search of something greater, than the town could offer. She returns to Hannibal, where she comes face to face with her past, and has to make decisions about her future.
I could identify with the protagonist having also left my hometown, now a long time ago. The story stirred memories and feelings of my own departure. Is it possible to come back and not to feel as an outsider? How do you keep relationship with people we leave behind? It remind me of "I am Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
The book provides a great depiction of a small American town where people try to live their lives while battling the river, lack of jobs, and addiction. Every character made me feel a flood of emotions towards them - not one of them left me indifferent or bored. They are complex, emotional people. From the moment I opened this book I couldn’t put it down until I was done.
I also really enjoyed how the author included historical information about Mark Twain, and his legacy in Hannibal, which intertwines delightfully with the plot.
Go ahead and be swept away by this story…
I could identify with the protagonist having also left my hometown, now a long time ago. The story stirred memories and feelings of my own departure. Is it possible to come back and not to feel as an outsider? How do you keep relationship with people we leave behind? It remind me of "I am Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
The book provides a great depiction of a small American town where people try to live their lives while battling the river, lack of jobs, and addiction. Every character made me feel a flood of emotions towards them - not one of them left me indifferent or bored. They are complex, emotional people. From the moment I opened this book I couldn’t put it down until I was done.
I also really enjoyed how the author included historical information about Mark Twain, and his legacy in Hannibal, which intertwines delightfully with the plot.
Go ahead and be swept away by this story…
August 16, 2023
The question Melissa Scholes Young’s novel Flood asks is; Should anyone ever go back home? After reading Flood and its jarring emphasis on the “Misery” of Missouri, you might wonder why anyone would ever want to return to a place like Hannibal. Some readers may find it depressing, bleak and even far fetched. After many years of residing in the belly of the Missouri beast I vouch for Flood to be an honest realistic brutal depiction of rural American poverty. With a cast of broken characters struggling for redemption, the grimness of unfulfilled American dreams, a scattering of factual history, and told with a backdrop of searing heat and thunderous storms - Flood is exactly my kind of book.
July 9, 2017
Interesting story about a young woman who returns to her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri and discovers that events of the past in this small town were not exactly as she believed. Included periodically in her story are passages from a lengthy essay about Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), who made Hannibal famous with his tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and whose characters are celebrated in the town even today.
September 6, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! the plot was fantastic and it tackled questions that every young girl who leaves home ends up facing at one point or another. and the ending was superb! completely unexpected.
I was lucky enough to get to hear Melissa Scholes Young read on NPR and can't wait to read more of her work!
I was lucky enough to get to hear Melissa Scholes Young read on NPR and can't wait to read more of her work!
August 22, 2017
Great read. This was one of those novels that you don't want to stop reading. Female Tom and Huck adventure story. It offers many lovely parallels of the Mississippi River, one's past, family, friendships and growing up.
November 28, 2017
Melissa Scholes Young gives us a story following the in the tradition of Mark Twian. Flood is written in a clear descriptive style carried along in the local dialogue of Hannibal, MO. If Mark Twain were alive today, he'd approve. The story gives us a lesson in perceptions. In the background are the flood waters of the Mississippi--a sense of foreboding with the residents of Hannibal always reliving their history of floods and fearing those to come. Running throughout the story is the question of not only whether you can go home again but what is home. Pick up and read--you'll be well rewarded.
June 25, 2017
This book had its ups and downs for me. It was interesting learning about the struggles living in the Mississipi River flood zones and how the inhabitants lives revolved around the weather report, the water level and the levees. I also enjoyed the historical inserts about Mark Twain and the famous town Hannibal, where Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn made their debut.
The weak link for me was Laura's homecoming story. Maybe it was just too "real" for me without enough redeeming moments. I found it depressing and I just wanted to shake some sense into most of the characters. But all in all, I'm glad I read it. You could really feel the pride the author has for her home town and the history surrounding it. And I am totally inspired to pick up Tom Sawyer and reacquaint myself with Mark Twain's writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The weak link for me was Laura's homecoming story. Maybe it was just too "real" for me without enough redeeming moments. I found it depressing and I just wanted to shake some sense into most of the characters. But all in all, I'm glad I read it. You could really feel the pride the author has for her home town and the history surrounding it. And I am totally inspired to pick up Tom Sawyer and reacquaint myself with Mark Twain's writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2018
FLOOD intertwines Hannibal's most famous resident, Mark Twain, and the main protagonist, Laura. Laura is struggling to get her life together during the annual Tom and Becky contest while the mighty Mississippi hits flood stage. The Mississippi and Hannibal come to life under Melissa Scholes Young's hand. The ending was less than satisfactory. I didn't know if Laura would really stay, would Sammy leave with her. Does the flood destroy her either physically or metaphorically? Many questions.
I won this book through a givereads giveaway.
I won this book through a givereads giveaway.
June 13, 2017
This book is the story of what happens when you leave town, and then come back. Laura Brooks left Hannibal, Missouri, after high school graduation in pursuit of a nursing degree. After her job in Florida is cut due to budgets, she has nowhere to turn but back home, only it’s not the soft landing spot she had hoped. Her mother is less than welcoming, her best friend Rose is going through a messy divorce and is adamant on putting Laura in the middle, and her godson Bobby captures her heart in a way she didn’t expect.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I read the description. The characters were both relatable and exacerbating. Rose and Josh drove me insane and I wanted to slap both of them almost every time they were mentioned. Laura was decent and I liked her most of the time. She was in a rough and very confusing time of life and I have definitely been there before. She was working on trying to be better and figure out her life. Bobby was super sweet and a kid that most parents would adore. I love how he was the most mature person in this whole book and he was 12.
This book is basically immature adults dealing with the realities of life. They struggle to make ends meet and fight the flood all the while passing the blame for the problems in their life. This book felt like real life, messy, chaotic, and utterly confusing.
The writing was vivid and I could imagine the town of Hannibal and all the wacky residents. The only thing I didn’t like about it was all the Mark Twain information between chapters. Some of it was interesting but then it just started to feel tedious to me. Luckily for me, these were really short and easy reading; It just didn’t seem pertinent to me.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It’s not a book that I couldn’t put down, but it held my attention and kept me wanting more.
*I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.*
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I read the description. The characters were both relatable and exacerbating. Rose and Josh drove me insane and I wanted to slap both of them almost every time they were mentioned. Laura was decent and I liked her most of the time. She was in a rough and very confusing time of life and I have definitely been there before. She was working on trying to be better and figure out her life. Bobby was super sweet and a kid that most parents would adore. I love how he was the most mature person in this whole book and he was 12.
This book is basically immature adults dealing with the realities of life. They struggle to make ends meet and fight the flood all the while passing the blame for the problems in their life. This book felt like real life, messy, chaotic, and utterly confusing.
The writing was vivid and I could imagine the town of Hannibal and all the wacky residents. The only thing I didn’t like about it was all the Mark Twain information between chapters. Some of it was interesting but then it just started to feel tedious to me. Luckily for me, these were really short and easy reading; It just didn’t seem pertinent to me.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It’s not a book that I couldn’t put down, but it held my attention and kept me wanting more.
*I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.*
February 16, 2020
2.5 stars.
I found this book fine. Easy to read and well written. I liked how Mark Twain was wound into the story. I thought the main character was well developed and believable. The storyline wasn't groundbreaking and probably won't leave a lasting impression. I'm interested to know if the Tom and Becky competition is a real thing that happens in Hannibal.
I found this book fine. Easy to read and well written. I liked how Mark Twain was wound into the story. I thought the main character was well developed and believable. The storyline wasn't groundbreaking and probably won't leave a lasting impression. I'm interested to know if the Tom and Becky competition is a real thing that happens in Hannibal.
Want to read
May 4, 2018Thank you to the author, the publisher, and BookSparks for a copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
#SRC2018 #BookSparks
#SRC2018 #BookSparks
September 9, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and miss them now that I've finished the book. They were perfectly flawed and relatable in a way that made me consider the many choices I make on a daily basis. A terrific book by a terrific author!
October 9, 2017
This was a very different book than I would normally choose for myself-Steve picked it out at the library for me. I felt immersed in the culture, and I found it kind of suffocating and depressing, feeling part of the poverty and the circumstances. I’m not sure if that proves the author did a great job capturing the atmosphere there or what... I was invested and curious as to how the main character ended up. The very other chapter that was about the history was weird and useless/annoying to me. Also, I hated the ending. As I’m writing this, I’m seeing maybe I really didn’t like this book very much! I think sticking with chick lit and upbeat novels are much more my speed.
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