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Judy Chicurel’s exquisitely written debut evokes the atmosphere of a 1970s summer in a close-knit working class community on Long Island.
Katie and her young friends face a changing world, with prospects very different from those presented to their parents. The Vietnam War seems pointless to many but has devastated lives that remain broken even after the fighting is over. As, with bittersweet humour, the characters’ experiences unfold, daily events mirror bigger issues: an illegal abortion is plotted; the town is sinking into an economic abyss forcing Katie’s friends to leave in search of more promising horizons; drugs claim the lives of those often too high to recognise the danger until it is too late; and Katie dreams of a boy back from Nam who’s still fighting a battle she doesn’t understand.
IF I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE THIS BEAUTIFUL, I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET YOU GO touchingly conveys the magic of everyday living during a darkened time.
(P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Katie and her young friends face a changing world, with prospects very different from those presented to their parents. The Vietnam War seems pointless to many but has devastated lives that remain broken even after the fighting is over. As, with bittersweet humour, the characters’ experiences unfold, daily events mirror bigger issues: an illegal abortion is plotted; the town is sinking into an economic abyss forcing Katie’s friends to leave in search of more promising horizons; drugs claim the lives of those often too high to recognise the danger until it is too late; and Katie dreams of a boy back from Nam who’s still fighting a battle she doesn’t understand.
IF I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE THIS BEAUTIFUL, I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET YOU GO touchingly conveys the magic of everyday living during a darkened time.
(P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Reviews
'Tender and brave storytelling'
'A really wonderful book that will capture your heart and occupy your thoughts'
Despite the dark sides, If I Knew is gorgeous and thoughtful; a compelling, wonderful look at a particular point in time
The story hooked me in so I felt the characters' pain and hope
'A thought-provoking debut novel'
'This love story set in 70s Long Island is guaranteed to have you gripped'
Raw, nostalgic, utterly compelling and very, very cool... A mind-blowingly impressive debut
Beautiful and heart-breaking at once. A mesmerising, compulsive combination
This book will haunt you long after you've finished
Beautifully written prose... Rarely do books evoke so viscerally a place, so tangibly a time and such a broad sweep of big themes
Beautifully evocative
Chicurel [is] a gifted and versatile writer, and always draws you in
Chicurel's novel has its dark moments, but the overriding sentiment is one of acceptance, resilience and the enduring power of friendship. A coming-of-age-tale with a haunting quality 4*