ALL WE HAD

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"The most profound insights in All We Had have to do with...an erosion of empathy, an insistence on maintaining the same hierarchical code that bars upward mobility for others, and a willingness to abandon one’s identity. ... There’s much to recommend in this lovely debut novel, but the best of its virtues are these truths." Washington Post

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"Smart and unflinchingly honest and brilliantly voiced, All We Had is a remarkably accomplished and compelling first novel.  Annie Weatherwax’s other artistic persona as a visual artist has made her an instant expert at one of the most challenging but fundamental skills of a fiction writer: the ability to render the moment to moment sensual thereness of a scene. I can’t wait to see what she writes next."  

Pulitzer Prize Winner Robert Olen Butler

 

"...a remarkably authentic story of folks on the skids...Weatherwax’s smart style, crisp narrative, sharp dialogue, and vivid descriptions send a powerful message: there is hope hidden in despair." Publisher's Weekly

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"Weatherwax's first novel is an intimate portrayal of poverty and need and a quiet commentary on American Culture. An eccentric...cast of characters, from the transgender waitress to the old couple with the hardware store, add an endearing quality to this thought-provoking coming-of-age story." Booklist

 

"Weatherwax (an accomplished visual artist) throws bombs in her characters’ paths, bombs that flash and illuminate the lives of today’s working poor. A must read." Top 10 books Washingtonian

"Part commentary on the subprime crisis past, comic novel All We Had keeps you reading for its small observations..."

Oprah's Book Club 

 

"Annie Weatherwax...crafts three-dimensional, multifaceted characters and infuses gritty humor and poignancy into the story of the hardscrabble existence of a mother and daughter.Weatherwax's tight dialogue and short, emotionally charged scenes examine hope, the meaning of home and the unbreakable bond of love between mother and daughter." Shelf Awareness

 

"All We Had alternates between black comedy and heart-breaking realism...Vivid and original...Ruthie's voice, sharp, worldly wise, is what drives this book." Providence Journal

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"All We Had rises above the trend." Library Journal

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“[A] wonderful debut novel, in turn humorous and gut-wrenching. Don't miss it.” Star Tribune

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All We Had A Must Read & finalist for the 2015 Massachusetts Book Award