Quiver: A Novel

New
Paperback
2018
$13.07

Set in rural Tennessee, QUIVER, a YA novel by Julia Watts, focuses on the unlikely friendship between two teens from opposite sides of the culture wars.
Libby is the oldest child of six, going on seven, in a family that adheres to the quiverfull lifestyle: strict evangelical Christians who believe that they should have as many children as God allows because children are like arrows in the quiver of God's righteous warriors. Meanwhile, her new neighbor, Zo is a gender fluid teen whose feminist, socialist, vegetarian family recently relocated from the city in search of a less stressful life. Zo and hir family are as far to the left ideologically as Libby's family is to the right, and yet Libby and Zo, who are the same age, feel a connection that leads them to friendship--a friendship that seems doomed from the start because of their families' differences.
Through deft storytelling, built upon extraordinary character development, author Watts offers a close examination of the contemporary compartmentalization of social interactions. The tensions that spring from their families' cultural differences reflect the pointed conflicts found in today's society, and illuminate a path for broader consideration.

Synopsis

Set in rural Tennessee, QUIVER, a YA novel by Julia Watts, focuses on the unlikely friendship between two teens from opposite sides of the culture wars.
Libby is the oldest child of six, going on seven, in a family that adheres to the quiverfull lifestyle: strict evangelical Christians who believe that they should have as many children as God allows because children are like arrows in the quiver of God's righteous warriors. Meanwhile, her new neighbor, Zo is a gender fluid teen whose feminist, socialist, vegetarian family recently relocated from the city in search of a less stressful life. Zo and hir family are as far to the left ideologically as Libby's family is to the right, and yet Libby and Zo, who are the same age, feel a connection that leads them to friendship--a friendship that seems doomed from the start because of their families' differences.
Through deft storytelling, built upon extraordinary character development, author Watts offers a close examination of the contemporary compartmentalization of social interactions. The tensions that spring from their families' cultural differences reflect the pointed conflicts found in today's society, and illuminate a path for broader consideration.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 300
Publisher: Three Rooms Press
Published: 01 Nov 2018
ISBN 10: 1941110665
ISBN 13: 9781941110669

Media Reviews

Quiver is an amazing, heartfelt book with a powerful lesson to share. Nearly all young adults feel judged or excluded at some point in their lives; this story will help anyone, no matter their situation, see that acceptance is possible. --Foreword Reviews, starred review
Opens important conversations about faith, family, independence, and identity. Kirkus Reviews
This just may be the perfect book for our times, when acknowledgement of common ground and empathy are sorely needed. --New York Journal of Books
Remarkable. . . . If you're looking for a book that allows you to experience worlds you aren't familiar with, I can't recommend Quiver strongly enough. --Dews Reviews
A hopeful book. . . . Recommended for readers who seek possible bridges across the divides in our society. --Me, You, and Books
With Quiver, Julia Watts captures the essence of growing up in two wildly disparate families, and weaves a unique, compassionate tale of unlikely friendship. It's impossible not to root for Libby and Zo! --Meagan Brothers, author, Weird Girl and What's His Name
Told from alternating points of view, this beautifully written book is just what the world needs right now. Quiver aimed for my heart and hit it straight on. --Lesl a Newman, author October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard
Julia Watts' latest novel captures, with painful accuracy, the pointed conflicts between liberals and ultra-conservatives, tensions that pervade the United States in general and Appalachia in particular at this perilous point in our country's history. Quiver is one of the most moving books I've ever read. --Jeff Mann, author, Cub and Country
HIGHLY Recommend. This is the type of book that can make magic happen: it can open minds and challenge viewpoints through the unfolding of a truly beautiful story. --Amy Christine Parker, author, Gated and Astray
Julia Watts is a natural-born storyteller, and in her latest novel she has quite a story to tell. In its empathic and even-handed focus on the unlikely friendship between two teens whose families are on opposite sides of the religious/political spectrum, Quiver is a necessary book that's both of and for these terrible times. --Robin Lippincott, author, Blue Territory: A Meditation on the Life and Art of Joan Mitchell

Author Bio

A native of Southeastern Kentucky, Julia Watts has written thirteen novels for adults and young adults, most of which explore the lives of LGBT people in rural and smalltown Appalachia. Her novel Finding H.F. won the 2002 Lambda Literary Award in the Children's/Young Adult category. A novel for adults, The Kind of Girl I Am, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award in the Women's Fiction category, and her 2013 young adult novel Secret City was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and a winner of a Golden Crown Literary Award. Julia's other titles include Gifted and Talented; Hypnotizing Chickens; and most recently, Rufus + Syd, co written with Robin Lippincott. Julia holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University and has spoken at various national and regional conferences, including the AWP Conference, the NCTE Conference, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, and the Denham Symposium on Appalachian Literature. She teaches at South College and in Murray State University's low-residency MFA in Writing program. She was recently inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. She currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.