“This gripping first novel announces the arrival of a strong, distinct and fully evolved new voice.”
– Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of A Visit from the Goon Squad
“An amazing new literary voice, Jessica Keener explores the fine-laced network of tangled familial relations in language both bold and intricate. Night Swim is the deeply moving and devastatingly beautiful work of a fearless writer.”
– Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants
“Jessica Keener has an ear for the nuances of family life and manages, in this book, a small miracle – describing, convincingly, a family suffering the rigidity and opaqueness of a small-scale tyrant, yet honoring his authority and treating his painful struggles with kindness. Keener's heroine, a 16-year old girl impatient to achieve womanliness, is a marvel of curiosity, impulsiveness, and generosity. What a lovely book!”
– C. Michael Curtis, Fiction Editor, The Atlantic
“I loved this novel. It was just breathtaking and I was really left in awe. There was not a wasted word, or scene or emotion that did not resonate or ring true. The pages ached.”
– Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You
“Reading this was pure pleasure. Just gorgeous. Jessica Keener’s Night Swim is a poignant and sensual examination of a life and a nation on the cusp of change. Sixteen-year-old Sarah brings us a moody and burgeoning wisdom as she pulls us toward secrets we recognize – the desire to hurry past pain and loss toward adulthood, the pull to belong and yet not be absorbed completely into the will of others. In a delicate balance of rebellion and compassion, Sarah teaches us to listen and hold tight to our dreams.”
– Susan Henderson, author of Up From the Blue, A Shelf Awareness top 10 pick for 2010
“I could not put this book down. I related to so much of this, the whole demographic. Jessica Keener is an exquisite writer. Her observations are as good as good literature gets. Masterful. I tore through this at warp speed. Simple and gorgeous. I haven't read something with so much hunger in a long time.”
– Risa Miller, author of Welcome to Heavenly Heights, PEN Discovery Award winner.
“This polished gem is damn near perfect. There is so much to admire – the luminous prose, the details that bring a time and place and family so vigorously to life. The main character, Sarah, is so real and vital – a breathing, complicated, yearning, hungry-for-life young woman who bears her mother’s loss in a unique way.”
– Patry Francis, author of The Liar’s Diary
“Night Swim marks the debut of a brilliant novelist. With grace and compassion, Jessica Keener takes us back to Boston during the early 1970s. When maternal love is silenced at the untimely death of her mother, 16-year-old Sarah Kunitz finds her own voice through choices both sweet and sorrowful. Keener’s lyrical prose sweeps you into the story and onto a stage where Sarah’s here and now meet her yesterday for a flawless finish.”
– Carolyn Burns Bass, founder of #LitChat, a More magazine top 20 “follow-worthy” pick.
“Night Swim presents us with an entire world, drawn from our own recent past by means of the novelist's most important gifts: close observation and compassionate attentiveness. It feels real, and it feels true, and above all else it feels lived.”
--Jon Clinch, author of Finn, an American Library Association Notable Book
“Overall, this one was near perfection…and I very rarely say that. This is an author I will be following.”
“Keener is a wonderful new author with a powerful coming-of-age story on offer. Sarah's rebelliousness lends a fresh take on this classic theme, and I certainly look forward to more from Keener.”
– Elle Lit
“Keener’s observations perfectly capture a certain kind of 1970s adolescence: the adults who tried too hard, the sudden appearance of a joint when in the presence of older cousins, the way a grownup party could spin from fun to disturbing in a blink. Most exhilaratingly, she taps into the thrilling moments when a girl of 16 can see her future, whether in music or books or a boy’s smile.”
“Keener is a big talent with a particular knack for detail and a finely tuned ear. Through the skilled rendering she offers of this family and the characters who surround them, she gives us a story that makes us cringe and lurch, laugh and, literally, weep.”
“This memorable debut will strike a universal chord with readers.”
– Booklist
“Fearlessly haunting.... This is a novel not to be missed out on. One, that I highly suggest you read at least once,
if not more.”
“This earnest debut centers on Sarah as she tunnels through new depths of loneliness.”
“A deeply touching and acutely felt story.”
“When I started reading Night Swim, by Jessica Keener, I realized I would never want to put it down. And I didn't. I read it really quickly and I really enjoyed it. I totally didn't want it to end. But, alas, as all great reads, it had to.”
“The real star of this book is Keener's writing. She writes in such a way that you really feel for the characters.”
“I'm excited that this is Ms. Keener's first novel since I hope it means we can expect a lot more from her in the future. I will be keeping my eyes and ears open and will look forward to reading her next book.”
“With Night Swim, Keener has emerged as a force to be reckoned with.”
“I really loved how the author used certain words and phrases to create this world filled with confusion, bullying, and a search for love and belonging. It is all at once profound and thoughtful and very accessible –
a pleasure to read.”
