Perris, California: A Novel

'Stark captures female solidarity, a shared maternal understanding and the sacredness of keeping each other's secrets... An extraordinary debut that insists that we can - and must -mend each other.'
Kirkus, starred review

'Some stories grab you, shake you to the core, and never let you go. Other stories capture you by stealth, quiet beauty unfolding in ordinary moments... Harrowing, evocative, and deeply moving, Perris, California does both.'
Sarah Blake, bestselling Author of The Postmistress and The Guest Book

AN EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT FOR FANS OF NOMADLAND AND DEMON COPPERHEAD

Abandoned first by her father and then her mother, Tessa grows up with her abusive stepfather and stepbrother. She survives by finding reserves of strength in herself, and by the surprising, transformative love of another teenage girl, Mel, who sees through Tessa's tough exterior to the vulnerable woman inside.

Years on, 27-year-old Tessa, pregnant with her third child and living in a trailer on her mother-in-law's property, re-encounters the woman she used to love - leading her to question the very foundations of the life she's built.

A tender family story that introduces us to an indelible female character, one who speaks of the unvarnished courage of women living in a mostly unseen America.

Stark captures female solidarity, a shared maternal understanding, and the sacredness of keeping each other's secrets...This agonizingly sad novel nevertheless rejoices in small acts of loving...An extraordinary debut that insists that we can - and must - mend each other. Kirkus, starred review
Rachel Stark's beautiful debut novel is a gripping portrayal of generational trauma suffered by women living in rural poverty. But this heartbreaking story is ultimately one of healing and hope as she reminds us of our capacity for forgiveness and understanding. Tracey Lange, New York Times bestselling author of We Are The Brennans
Some stories grab you, shake you to the core, and never let you go, demanding you to stare into the heart of human depravity and resilience. Other stories capture you by stealth, quiet beauty unfolding in ordinary moments... Harrowing, evocative, and deeply moving, Perris, California does both. Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest Book
Stark debuts with an emotionally charged portrait of two women's painful family histories and their uneasy reunion in California's Inland Empire... Fans of Dorothy Allison or Pam Houston ought to seek this out. Publishers Weekly
Perris, California is a glorious debut from the magnificent Rachel Stark who writes from the soul when she is not writing from the heart...This is not only a story of trauma and survival, it will rouse your deepest well of empathy and have you rooting for a woman you may have never met. You will know her now, in this dazzling debut. Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
Perris, California is a remarkable, audacious, and truly original debut. Stark's characters are incandescent in their fierce desire not just for survival but for love and redemption. This novel will live alongside classics of young womanhood by Kaye Gibbons, Helena Maria Viramontes, Maya Angelou, and yes, Dorothy Allison. Susan Straight, author of bestsellers Mecca and In the Country of Women

Rachel Stark grew up in Perris, California. She received her bachelor's degree in creative writing from University of California, Riverside, and her master's degree in creative writing at University of California, Davis. She currently resides in southern Colorado, where she writes, runs mountain trails and teaches yoga.

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