First published 1984
Jo Spencer has built her world around predictable routines and safe choices. She knows her place in the social order of her small town, where cheerleading and following the expected path seem like enough. Then Red Williams arrives. He carries himself differently than the boys she knows. He has lived more, seen more, done more. When Jo finds herself drawn to him, everything she thought she understood about her future begins to change. Red represents possibilities she never considered, experiences that stretch beyond the boundaries of her careful existence. Their connection forces Jo to examine what she really wants versus what others expect from her. The pull between her established life and this new attraction creates a tension that threatens to reshape everything. McCorkle explores the moment when a young woman must choose between the security of convention and the uncertainty of following her heart.
Genres: fiction, romance, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Small Town
Period: Contemporary
267 pages · Hardcover · Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill