Heaven and Other Zip Codes

by Mathieu Cailler

Heaven and Other Zip Codes follows the complicated relationships between lonely, thirty-something-year-old mother Searcy, her awkward preadolescent son Theo, cheating husband and disingenuous stepfather Hoit, and young, attractive, painter-turned-after-school-tutor Emerson.

When anonymous letters accusing Hoit of infidelity start to arrive on the doorstep, Searcy takes her flirtation with her son's tutor to the next level, and the family begins to fracture in the sunny Southern California suburb they call home.

Will Searcy and Emerson act upon their feelings? Will Hoit’s adulterous exploits come back to haunt him? Will the boys at school stop bullying Theo? Who is writing the mysterious letters? And where exactly is the location of Heaven and Other Zip Codes?

This contemporary novel explores family, guilt, manipulation, betrayal, and love.

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2020

About the author

Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: one novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His stories, poems, and essays have appeared in over one hundred publications, including the Saturday Evening Post and the Los Angeles Times. He is the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the Shakespeare Award, the Short Story America Prize, the New England Book Festival Award, the Los Angeles Book Festival Prize, and the Paris Book Festival Prize. Feel free to connect with him on social media @writesfromla or at mathieucailler.com.

Reviews

[Kali White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romantic, bittersweet family drama with an irresistible setting. Reminded me of a west coast Elin Hildebrand crossed with John Cheever.

[Sophfronia Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cailler's first novel is a poignant read, about the illusion of a family and the love that makes up a real one. Heartfelt characters paired with powerful storytelling. Enjoy it on a Sunday afternoon.

[Niles Reddick]

Once again, Mathieu had me floored with HEAVEN AND OTHER ZIP CODES! He's the writer's teacher, the novelist who writes poetically, and he deserves a prize for this one! Beautiful. Could not put it down. Wishing I wrote this well. LOVED IT

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Family was touted as steel, but its construction was nothing more than papier-mâché: flaps of wet fabric sealing other flaps of soaked cloth, finding its strength and hardening over time.”

Searcy, wanting to help her awkward son Theo in school, hires a tutor for him. Mr. Emerson Toffler is young and hip, lives on a boat in a marina, and instantly bonds with Theo. Hoit, Searcy’s world traveling and secretly philandering husband, takes an instant dislike to Emerson. When mysterious letters alleging Hoit’s infidelity start showing up on Searcy’s front steps, she takes her previously innocent flirtation with the tutor to the next level. Will Hoit be able to win his family back, or will Searcy realize that happiness just may be in another zip code?

I really enjoyed this one! The writing is beautiful and I could really feel the angst that these characters experience as their family is breaking apart. They are all damaged in their own way, be it from deaths or tragedies earlier in life, and just trying to make it in the world. Having left an unhappy marriage myself, I can relate to Searcy and her struggles on a visceral level. Is it ok to choose you? Will you damage your child beyond repair if you seek happiness at the cost of the family unit? Is staying married the most important thing? There is no right answer, except to do what you feel is best. The children will be ok ❤️.

Heaven And Other Zip Codes was a real page turner, especially towards the end! Does she leave? Does she stay?? Ahhhhh. I became very invested in these characters and I was anxious to see if they would ultimately find happiness. Pick this one up so you can find out for yourself.

“A person was always one decision away from a different life.” Indeed.

Thank you to the author Mathieu Cailler for reaching out to me and sending me a complimentary copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review. I just love supporting up and coming authors, so go check him out! In addition to a great author, he also seems to be a great human. Start your new year off right by supporting him!

[Shawn Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heaven and Other Zip Codes, by Mathieu Callier, tells the story of Searcy and Theo and their desire to feel loved. Searcy’s husband died when Theo was a little boy. She then married Hoit, who provided a safe, comfortable life, something Searcy needed, being a single mom. But did he also promise a life full of devoted love? Did she really love him?

Then Emerson enters Searcy’s and Theo’s life. He is hired as Theo’s tutor, but he becomes so much more to both. As Hoit is traveling for work, Searcy and Theo both start to lean on Emerson in different ways. Emerson accepts and appreciates the sweet nature of Theo, and he awakens the long asleep passion in Searcy.

Emerson also gains so much from both of these relationships, as he is dealing with his own troubled and sad past. Emerson feels needed by Theo, and Theo revels in his friendship with Emerson. His confidence grows and he learns about who he is. But Searcy and Emerson fight their growing emotions for each other, intensely believing it is not okay for them to give in to their passion.

You’ll have to read the book to see how the story unfolds and whether Searcy and Emerson succumb to their emotions. Mathieu’s characters are wonderfully written. Nobody is all good or all bad. They are flawed and trying to figure out who they are and where they fit. In other words, they are all human.

I highly recommend Mathieu Callier’s first novel Heaven and Other Zip Codes. I sure hope he’s working on a second novel now. :)

[Estelle Ford-Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finishing *Heaven and Other Zip Codes*! Mathieu Cailler has hit on so many cylinders with this book. He wraps in Wes Montgomery, an orange Karmann Ghia, and many references to Catalina Island and many other touchstones for life in Southern California. I lived there for a short time, so I appreciated all the mentions, including dropping a mention of the perennial advertisements featuring George Burns. Had I never been to LA, I’d still love Mathieu’s story telling skills: a short story he wrote received the Short Story America Prize in 2017 (I was a finalist and got to meet him in Beaufort, SC at the SSA Festival then.) The love triangle with its conflicts and ambiguities was so well done. This one has Theo, and that makes all the difference! Thank you for such a terrific book. I’ll reread it for sure. I hate to finish it!

[Racquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever fan here! This is the kind of novel that readers will want to read multiple times. In his addicting debut novel, Mathieu Cailler skillfully weaves a story that balances universal complexities humans are often faced with. Cailler’s well-crafted characters blur the lines of morality and offer compelling viewpoints that impel us to challenge our own way of thinking. Packed with raw emotion, Heaven and Other Zip Codes is a story about the tremendous bravery it takes to choose happiness and follow your heart.

[Samuel Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recommend this book enough. Mathieu has crafted a wonderfully engaging narrative that continued to surprise even to the final pages. The tone of the novel reminded me of Raymond Carver in Mathieu's ability to pivot abruptly within a scene, introducing a new key plot point or heightening the tension. It was the rare novel that was both a page turner that I couldn't put down while also being a book I wanted to savor and soak in the beautiful scenes he's crafted.
I can't wait to read his next novel!

[Cheryl Wright-watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cailler's novel reminds us of the human need for connection, never more essential than in this time of isolation and quarantine. His characters come alive on the page with realistic concerns and flaws, needs and desires, and stirs the reader's compassion for their sorrows and joy for their triumphs. Read this book and remember hikes, picnics, the awkward days of adolescent, the heart-pounding thrill of new love, hearts connecting.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing and sensitively written, this gains power and momentum as it tells its compelling story from four very different points of view. Although Theo was my favorite character, all of the protagonists are flawed but interesting, and Cailler has a particular talent of ending sections with the perfect grace notes. I could easily see this as a feature film or high-profile TV movie.

[Michelle Hein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A labyrinth of fascinating relationships that explores just how close to heaven we can get on earth. Cailler's rendering of love and tenderness is light and close and moving. The story flows so seamlessly I read it in the space of 3 (very busy) days. Expertly done!

[Pam Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a really good book. I couldn’t put the book down. I’m glad everything worked out in the end.

[Donald Quist · Rating 5 out of 5]

"With clear and empathetic prose, Heaven and Other Zip Codes examines familial guilt and romantic passion. The secret lives of Cailler's characters reflect conflicts between what we want and what we owe the people we love. At times heartbreaking, at times bittersweet and even funny, Cailler searches the complexities of everyday affairs in this deeply moving novel." - Donald Quist, author of Harbors and For Other Ghosts