Quiver
by Julia Watts

“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

“A wonderful story of friendship…For anyone who has felt “different,” Watts’s novel will be ultimately relatable.” —VOYA Magazine, Perfect 10 Rating

“Sympathetic and believable.” —Publishers Weekly

“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

“[A] story about families and the difference between love and obedience. . . . Thoughtful.” —School Library Journal

“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

 

Set in rural Tennessee, QUIVER by LAMBDA Award-winning author Julia Watts is a brilliant YA novel that 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.

QUIVER: a novel, by Julia Watts; 5.5″ x 8.25″ Trade Perfect Bound; color cover with b/w interior; 300 pages; ISBN 978-1-941110-66-9   (TRP-068); $15.95


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About the Author

Julia Watts is the author of thirteen novels for adults and young adults, all published by independent presses. Her books, which are set in Appalachia and often depict the lives of LGBT people in the Bible Belt, have won a loyal following and several awards. Her novel Finding H.F. (Alyson Press, 2001) won the Lambda Literary Award in the Children’s/Young Adult category, and her historical YA novel Secret City (Bella Books, 2013) was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, a winner of a Golden Crown Literary Award, and a selection for the 2015 ALA Rainbow List.


High Praise for QUIVER by Julia Watts

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

“A wonderful story of friendship…For anyone who has felt “different,” Watts’s novel will be ultimately relatable.” —VOYA Magazine, Perfect 10 Rating

“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

“Sympathetic and believable.” —Publishers Weekly

“Opens important conversations about faith, family, independence, and identity.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A thought-provoking young adult novel that explores fundamental Christianity and gender-fluidity . . . absolutely outstanding.” —Book Reviews and More by Kathy

“Discussions of values and morality are straightforward and thoughtful, offering some provocative opportunities for readers to articulate their own possibly unquestioned views in discussion. The atmosphere is vivid: Watts’ knowledge of country Tennessee shines through in the details.” —The Bulletin of the the Center for Children’s Books

“A hopeful book. . . . Recommended for readers who seek possible bridges across the divides in our society.” —Me, You, and Books

“Worlds collide when Liberty, the eldest daughter of a fundamental Christian family meets Zo, a progressive, liberal teen. At first it seems the two are vastly different, but soon they discover they have something very important in common: their shared humanity. 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.” —Lesléa Newman, author October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard

“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

“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, and Rufus + Syd

“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

“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

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