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Mary Rowen
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Leaving the Beach Kindle Edition

by Mary Rowen (Author), Jessica West (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
3.5 out of 5 stars 61
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“This is an outstanding novel... Erin is a perfectly flawed heroine.” ~ Semifinalist, 2017 BookLife Prize (10 out of 10 in All 5 Categories Judged)

“Rowen’s angsty, passionate debut explores the virtues and pratfalls of rock and roll fandom... Rowen’s frank delivery will hold readers from start to finish.” ~ Publishers Weekly

Erin Reardon gets her first kiss from Jim Morrison and loses her virginity to David Bowie. When she flunks out of college, Bruce Springsteen comforts her, and Elvis Costello breaks her heart in Europe. So what happens when she finally meets a rock star in the flesh?

Erin’s a lonely misfit with an eating disorder and a wild imagination. She believes she was born to save—and love—at least one tortured musician, and is willing to risk almost everything to fulfill that destiny.

“...gracefully grapples with several important issues, including alcohol and drug addiction, loss, grief and sexuality... There are also many entertaining pop-culture references to offset the weighty themes... An intriguing novel that looks at the ways that people cope with the pain in their lives.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a newly revised and edited second edition of a critically-acclaimed, award-winning literary/women’s fiction piece sure to compel you to keep those pages turning. [DRM-Free]

AUTHOR'S CONTENT WARNING: Leaving the Beach is told in first person by an unreliable narrator named Erin Reardon. Erin is bulimic, she suffers from anxiety and depression, and she engages in dangerous behaviors. Other themes in the book include suicide and suicidality. If any of these topics might distress or trigger you, please read with caution or choose another book. And if you or anyone you know is struggling with eating issues or other mental health issues, help is always available. The National Eating Disorders Association is a great place to start.

BOOKS BY MARY ROWEN:

  • Leaving the Beach
  • Living by Ear
  • It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way

~~~

MORE GREAT WOMEN'S FICTION FROM EVOLVED PUBLISHING:

  • Participant by Carmen Kemp
  • All the Tomorrows by Nillu Nasser
  • Yours to Keep or Throw Aside by E.D. Martin
  • White Chalk by P.K. Tyler
  • The “Borderline” Series by Taya DeVere
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  1. Print length
    364 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    17 June 2019
  5. File size
    5765 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

AUTHOR: I'm drawn to stories about women facing and overcoming challenges at various stages of life, so I love reading and writing women's fiction. Music, musicians, and music fans tend to find their way into my work too. Other interests include feminism, body image issues, parenting, and current events. I blog about that stuff and more whenever I can. My essays have been featured on numerous sites and blogs, including Mutha Magazine, Feminine Collective, and Huffington Post. A graduate of Providence College, I was raised in the Massachusetts Merrimack Valley, and live in the Boston area with my family and pets.

EDITOR: In 2014, I eased into editing. A critique group made its way onto my priority list. If a writer buddy needed a beta read, I jumped at the chance to apply a critical eye as well as positive reinforcement to the task. With every project I worked on, whether writing or offering constructive criticism, I aimed to improve my craft as I helped my fellow author. Becoming an editor wasn't my goal, but as I learned more about the mechanics of writing, a natural evolution occurred. My editing skills grew at a much more rapid pace than my writing skills did. Since 2014, I've edited countless anthologies, novels, and independent short works from various authors. I wish I had counted. That number would be pretty handy right about now. My primary focus is on speculative fiction, but I'm also interested in women's fiction and romance.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07SG274FZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Evolved Publishing LLC; 2 edition (17 June 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5765 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 364 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.5 out of 5 stars 61

About the author

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Mary Rowen

Mary Rowen

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Mary Rowen is a Boston area mom to young adults. Her work tends to focus on women finding ways to live, love, and be comfortable with themselves. She grew up in the Massachusetts Merrimack Valley, and has worked as a teacher, writer, salesperson, and political canvasser.

Please visit her blog at: http://www.maryrowen.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Rowen-Author/128709923953918

Twitter: @maryjrowen

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6925267.Mary_Rowen

Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5
61 global ratings

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Connie Mayo
5.0 out of 5 stars Endearing, unique and memorable
Reviewed in the United States on 21 April 2015
Verified Purchase
I met this author at a literary event, and although four out of five novels I read are historical fiction, Leaving the Beach piqued my interest. Set in Massachusetts in various towns I've all been to, with a protagonist coming of age in the 80s, obsessed with music and unable to put the brakes on her bulimia. But this had the feel of a book that was a bit more quirky than my regular fare. I turned to the first page with caution.

My fear was unwarranted. There is something just so engaging about Erin, the narrator and protagonist. Despite the bad choices she keeps making, there is something indomitable about her. She moves her obsession from one rock star to another, with each one convinced that she will make a special connection with them - that sounds sad, depressing even, but it's not. Rowen has crafted a character that is three-dimensional and consistent - you really feel like you know Erin. Agents are always looking for a writer with Voice - well, this author has it.

And a great ending. That might have been the best part. In fact, it was a book where the more I read of it, the more I liked it.

I wish the book had been longer - I was really sorry to see it go.
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Heather
3.0 out of 5 stars this was an easy and quick summer read
Reviewed in the United States on 14 July 2014
Verified Purchase
This author and book should not be compared to Wally Lamb or any of his books. However, this was an easy and quick summer read.
One person found this helpful
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Tracy Della Valle
1.0 out of 5 stars Awful
Reviewed in the United States on 10 November 2014
Verified Purchase
SPOILER ALERT:
I cannot fathom why this book has received accolades. The main character was ripped right out of She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb), without all the nuances that made that character interesting. The author then centers much of the story around a fictional (yet utterly transparent) version of Kurt Cobain. There are endless issues I had with the story - such as: The main character hitchhiking to work day after day (so unimaginable in Massachusetts in the 1990's), then having unprotected sex with someone she knows is a junkie, getting knocked up, screwing her sleazy boss - the list goes on and on. I get that the character is supposed to be self-destructive, but unlike Lamb's character, I had absolutely no sympathy her. The story is so insipidly out there it's mind numbing. But what really irked me is that the author didn't have enough imagination to create her own character or focal point - she just copied someone else's ideas, and wrote a story that sounds like a whiny high school kid. Completely unimaginative.
5 people found this helpful
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Connie Mooney
5.0 out of 5 stars You will not want to leave this book behind at the beach ;-)
Reviewed in the United States on 15 June 2020
Verified Purchase
This was such a great book to read and as a woman of a certain age who also grew up listening to Queen, Bowie and all the other fantastic music of the 70s/80s and beyond I so appreciated all the musical references and had a soundtrack playing along in my mind as I read. The main character Erin is a such a relatable and honest truth teller about what it was like (and still is) to grow up with all the issues that face SO many young women no matter the era they grow up in. You will root for Erin the whole way through the book! This book manages to be uplifting and heart wrenching in equal measures. It would be a great book to read at the beach, by a lake, in your favorite nook, pretty much anywhere!
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EliteIndieReads
5.0 out of 5 stars Rowen Rocks
Reviewed in the United States on 31 January 2016
Verified Purchase
Rowen writes a compelling character who struggles with normal things: fitting in and body image issues. And abnormal issues: mourning over her father who dies tragically when she is young, a drinking problem, and bulimia. Put all this together and you have a character who is awkward, engaging, and extremely unique. Her pain becomes ours and her quest to find a down-spirited rocker to love her becomes the reader's quest. Yes, we see how naive it is. Yes we understand it will probably end it pain, but we cheer and mourn with her. And we get to see how a person becomes herself, despite pain and disappointment. The plot makes you want to keep going. This is a read in one sitting or stay up all night trying type of book. A book I could relate to, as a girl who struggled with weight, drinking issues and self-worth. And a love of improbably romantic attachments to rockers. An Elite Book
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