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About Ann

Ann Weisgarber, born and raised in Kettering, Ohio, has been fascinated by the gritty spirit of pioneer homesteaders ever since her first childhood trip to the American West. After graduating from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, she was a social worker in a psychiatric hospital before moving to Houston, Texas, with her husband, Rob. Read more

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The Personal History of Rachel DuPree

I still see her, our Liz, sitting on a plank, dangling over that well. She held on to the rope that hung from the pulley, her bare feet pressed together so tight that the points on her ankle bones were nearly white.

So begins The Personal History of Rachel DuPree, an unforgettable novel about love and loyalty, homeland and belonging.

Announcement

Viking Press will release The Personal History of Rachel DuPree in the United States in August 2010.

Honors

* Selected by the UK's bookgroup.info as January 2010's Book of the Month.

* Shortlisted for the 2009 Orange Award for New Writers
Listen to Ann’s reading at London’s Southbank Centre:

* Longlisted for the 2009 Orange Prize
Click here to see pictures of the Orange Prize Awards Ceremony in London.

* Recipient of the 2009 Steven Turner Award for Best Work of First Fiction


Reviews

"...beautifully done, rendered in spare, un-showy prose as denuded as the Dakota earth." -Alfred Hickling, The Guardian

"From the dramatic first chapter it's a powerful story of courage in the face of adversity. Ann Weisgarber's first novel is a gem." -Gabrielle McGrane, Irish Examiner

"...a stunning read, with more than a nod at Steinbeck, yet enough distance to place the writer in her own territory." -Trish Simpson-Davis, The Bookbag

"Vintage Americana, as chilling as Cold Mountain." -Viv Groskop, Red

"...Weisgarber has taken a little-known area of American history and created a novel that is beautifully written, intelligent and thoroughly diverting." -Irene Haynes, bookgroup.info

"I found it a fascinating story and quickly found empathy with Rachel." -Marilyn Sherlock, Historical Novels Review

"Rachel is a strong and courageous heroine who faces universal dilemmas..." - Sarah Johnson, Readingthepast.blogspot.com