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GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal

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Product Description

Judith Whitman always believed in the kind of love that “picks you up in Akron and sets you down in Rio.” Long ago, she once experienced that love. Willy Blunt was a carpenter with a dry wit and a steadfast sense of honor. Marrying him seemed like a natural thing to promise. But Willy Blunt was not a person you could pick up in Nebraska and transport to Stanford. When Judith left home, she didn’t look back.

Twenty years later, Judith’s marriage is hazy with secrets. In her hand is what may be the phone number for the man who believed she meant it when she said she loved him. If she called, what would he say?

TO BE SUNG UNDERWATER is the epic love story of a woman trying to remember, and the man who could not even begin to forget.

About the Author

Tom McNeal was born in Santa Ana, California, where his father and grandfather raised oranges. He spent part of every summer at the Nebraska farm where his mother was born and raised, and after earning a BA in English at UC Berkeley and an MFA in Creative Writing at UC Irvine, he taught school in the town that was the inspiration for his first novel, Goodnight, Nebraska. Tom has been a Wallace Stegner Fellow and a Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, and his short stories have been widely anthologized.

Details

  • Hardcover: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (June 2, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316127396
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316127394

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Judith has been married to Malcolm and begins to wonder if she married the right man.  Her thoughts turn to Willy, the boy she left behind years ago.  The story flips back and forth between the present and the years before when she first met Willy.  The story flows easily between the two time periods and you can easily get a feel for how Judith has matured.  She has a dream job editing films, a lovely home and a man she thinks might be cheating on her.  The drama builds effortlessly and the words are so lovingly chosen that you won’t want to skip a one.  I had to go back and read several paragraphs over since the writing is just so exquisite. 

The characters stuck with me long after I finished this book.  This book would make an excellent movie since it feels like everything is in perfect order and you can see each scene unfold into the next.  I am so glad that more authors are turning up from Orange County and especially the University of California, Irvine.  This book would be a winning choice for a book club since there are so many interesting angles that can be discussed. 

WANT TO WIN A COPY THIS BOOKS?

 Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a US or Canadian mailing address and ends 7.9.11
Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 7.10.11.  Only one winner per mailing address.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen
This giveaway is sponsored by Little, Brown and supplied by the publisher for TWO WINNERS!
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    Comments

    2. This looks like a great book. And I noticed the CA connection right away and wondered if you’ve run across this author at a reading or anything?
      Thanks!
      JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    5. Julia — I think he lives near San Diego — so I haven’t heard of him appearing anywhere. I AM seeing a lot of new authors comes out of UCI — they are really known as a science school around here.

    6. I love stories about second chances and know I would love to read “To be Sung Underwater”. Tom is a new author for me and would love to win his book. Thanks for the opportunity to enter.

      misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

    9. Interesting that Irvine is known as a science school, not that far from the fancy Cal Poly and all! And now the humanities hitting their stride!
      Daily entry 6/24. Thanks!
      JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    47. daily entry 07/09 – books(at)bookwormfamily(dot)com

      oops….I just realized my daily entry for yesterday said 07/07 again instead of 07/08. oops!

    48. DOGWOOD — dogwoodlane

      KRYSTAL — edysicecreamlover18

      An email has been sent to the lucky people named above (first part of their email address in case my note ends up in spam). The winner(s) has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

      Thanks to all who entered.