In the Absence of Serpents

by Amanda Gibson

To escape her former life and everyone in it, food writer Lorelai Erland relocates to a tiny, seemingly idyllic hamlet in the middle of the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Wyoming. There, she owns and operates a bookstore on Main Street, attempting to blend in and carry on a life of anonymity: a goal Lorelai soon finds is impossible to realize in the town of Langley. From the Elvis impersonator/illusionist to a woman who makes "spiritual house calls," Lorelai begins to notice the oddities her neighbors exhibit on a daily basis. Lorelai finds kinship in Edie Waters, the hard-partying, neurotic schoolteacher struggling with a dead-end relationship of her own, and Eric Southerland, the handsome but hardheaded lawyer, also new to the town. By hiring help in the bookstore, Lorelai also provides security and protection to sixteen-year-old Skye Byrd, who desperately yearns for a more stable home life free from the clutches of her violent brother. Throughout her struggle to fit into her new life, Lorelai influences those around her in immeasurable ways.

Genres: Fiction

289 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2021

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praise for Amanda Gibson's debut novel, In the Absence of Serpents. In the Absence of Serpents tells the story of Lorelei Erland, a woman who leaves one life behind to begin anew and finds a life that is different than the one she initially imagined for herself. Her new life is complex and not everything is picture perfect. Only in starting over is Lorelei able to find out who she truly is. Gibson's novel gives the readers a view into a raw reality, while developing complex characters who tug at your heartstrings.

[Amanda Nelson (The Midtown Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's give it up for a talented new female debut from an Alabama author!

Lorelai Erland is a food writer for her beloved city of New Orleans. Life is good for her. Beautiful home, a job that she loves, and a handsome husband. Yet with one mail delivery, her life is turned upside down and Lorelai is ready to change everything-and everyone-in her life.

Looking for a new beginning, she picks up everything she has and moves to the mountains of northwestern Wyoming. She opens a bookshop and although she attempts to stay guarded, she begins to make friends with her new community. Enter the quirky landlady who cannot mind her own business, the frustratingly handsome lawyer, and the downcast young girl needing saving from her home life. Lorelai quickly learns that no matter how hard she tries, she is incapable of hiding away from the relationships she is creating and the ties that bind.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book- having heard so much about it around social media, I squealed when I unpacked it from my mailbox!

Lorelai is an amazing lead for this new book. You truly cannot help but root for her in every circumstance that she finds herself. I am one of those people that believe the characters surrounding a lead are just as-if not more- important. Skye, Edie, Eric, and Tallulah were so enjoyable and I found myself falling in love with each of their stories and quirks.

The atmosphere for this novel is painted with an expert and loving hand. You can tell Gibson loves where she is from and where she has been. The author is herself, quite a foodie and the descriptions of cooking shrimp and grits, gumbo, and even simply pouring a glass of expensive cabernet- is a delight for the senses. I could smell the butter melting in the pan and the jazz playing through the streets of New Orleans at times. In the later half of the book, the cold mountain air was pushed in my face as I entered the crowded Bookery bookstore off of Main Street. I was transported.

My criticisms for In the Absence of Serpents comes from the pacing of the novel. At times, it felt as though I was reading two separate books. The first 40% of this book was set up with a lighter hand, feeling more chick-lit and women's literature. But the second half of the novel really takes a sudden and very dark turn where I thought I had been dropped from a "charming" feel and into a more sinister and seedy underbelly. The subject matter transitions quite suddenly and I was surprised by the tonal shift this book went for.

However, the writing was so well executed and once I readjusted my expectations of where the novel was headed, I was in all the way.

The only other miss for me was that quite some explanation went into how Lorelai had these "quirks" now after going through her hard time. She would click light switches three times, knock on the counter three times- you get the idea. However, I only remember it being mentioned in the second half of the book maybe twice? Those character quirks seemed to fade quickly from the narrative of the book and I was left wondering if it was forgotten.

Other reviewers have said it here and I would like to echo them. This book is one I will be thinking about for some time. Specifically the ending. I am dying for more people to grab this beautiful debut novel so that I have more readers to chat with about it! I have a strong feeling that we will be hearing from Amanda Gibson again very very soon.

Thank you to Amanda Gibson and her publisher for the advanced reader copy for a fair and honest review.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the book. I loved following the growth of the main character throughout the book and the impact she had on those around her. The ending totally threw me. The author did put some foreshadowing in place but I couldn't figure out exactly what was coming for the main character. I fell in love with the characters and, while I couldn't put this book down, I was sad when it was over. Definitely add it to your reading list!

[Elizabeth Minto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The setting was a change of scenery from my typical comfort zone (Southern or period fiction), the characters were original and interesting and their interconnections were so thought provoking. The storyline is timely yet timeless. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amanda Gibson can certainly write. Her dialogue has an easy rhythm to it, and her characters are quirky and two dimensional. I felt that her debut novel has a bit of trouble knowing what it is. There's a feel good romance in there, along with a heartbreaking family tragedy, and the story of a woman trying to figure out who she is. There are paths that are started and not finished, such as Lorelei's OCD tendencies which trail to nothingness after the first few chapters. There's also a second love interest that disappeared after a bit of a buildup. The book reads as a fun romance but then takes an unexpected turn without foreshadowing merely 20 pages from the end. It was jarring. I look forward to the author's next book and would like to see what she puts together now that her first novel is completed.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I really did enjoy this book. It isn't perfect, but right away I was enjoying the story of Lorelai. Yes the story had some farfetched things happening but it was still enjoyable reading.

[Emily Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a page-turner from the start. My only gripe is that the ending seemed to come so fast, which threw me off a little bit. I’m looking forward for the next Amanda Gibson novel!