I’m
delighted today to tell you about a new-to-me author and her upcoming contemporary
fiction debut novel.
Author
Lauren J. Sharkey’s debut novel Inconvenient Daughter (June
2020) explores questions surrounding identity and what it means to belong. As a
transracial adoptee, Rowan attempts to accept and heal from the trauma of
infant separation and overcome the challenges and complications that arise from
not seeing herself reflected in the faces of those she loves most.
Rowan Kelly knows she’s lucky. After
all, if she hadn’t been adopted, she could have spent her days in a rice paddy,
or a windowless warehouse assembling iPhones—they make iPhones in Korea, right?
Either way, slowly dying of boredom on Long Island is surely better than the
alternative.
According
to her parents, being adopted means Rowan is “special”; but when she’s sent to
kindergarten at an all-white Catholic girls’ school, she realizes that
“special” means “different,” and not in a good way. It occurs to her that
she’ll never know if she has her mother’s eyes, or if she’d be in America at
all, had her adoptive parents been able to conceive. Rowan imagines herself the
store-brand version you reluctantly place in your shopping cart when there’s no
more Velveeta Shells & Cheese.
Rowan
sets out to prove that she can be someone’s first choice—that she isn’t just a
consolation prize. After running away from home—and her parents’ rules—and
ending up beaten, barefoot, and topless on a Pennsylvania street courtesy of
Bad Boy Number One, Rowan attaches herself to Never-Going-to-Commit. When that
doesn’t work out, she fully abandons self-respect and begins browsing the
craigslist personals. But as Rowan dives deeper and deeper into the world of
casual encounters with strangers, she discovers what she’s really looking for.
With
a fresh voice, quick wit, and a captivating character, Inconvenient
Daughter explores the questions surrounding transracial adoption, the
ties that bind, and what it means to belong.
“I
realized what all victims of domestic violence know—eventually,
my abuser
was going to kill me. But more than that, I realized I didn’t want to die.”
About the
author:
 |
| Author Lauren J. Sharkey |
Lauren J.
Sharkey is a writer, teacher, and transracial adoptee. After her birth in South
Korea, she was adopted by Irish Catholic parents and raised on Long Island.
Sharkey holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Literature, and her creative
nonfiction has appeared in the Asian American Feminist Collective’s digital
storytelling project, First Times, as well as several anthologies including
I Am Strength! and Women under Scrutiny.
Inconvenient
Daughter is her debut novel and loosely based on her
experience as a Korean adoptee.
You can
learn more about Inconvenient Daughter and Lauren on Goodreads and Lauren’sWebsite.
Thanks
for stopping by today. I always enjoy sharing new book finds with you. What are
your thoughts about self-identity being tied solely to the men (or women) in a
person’s life?
Drat you. This is another I am going to HAVE to read.
ReplyDeleteSadly the question of identity being dependent on belonging is very, very real. A call I took on the crisis line is haunting me. The caller is separated from her partner. The police slapped a Domestic Violence Order on him when he kicked and punched her so badly she lost most of the sight in her right eye. And she wants him back - 'I am NOTHING without him'.
Elephant’s Child, I can see why the call is haunting you. So sad she feels that way. If only she could understand she is so much more without him.
DeleteElephant's Child, I am a domestic violence survivor, and know all too well the dependency that can result from an abuser's grooming. People don't recognize how difficult it is to leave, and the courage and support it takes. I'll keep this woman in my thoughts.
DeleteThank you. She needs a lot of support as so many (mostly women) do. If only it was a simple as just walking out the door.
DeleteSort of a nature vs nurture question, isn't it? I think the people around us (family, more) have *so* much influence on us when we're kids.
ReplyDeleteThat they do!
DeleteThis is a really interesting premise for a story, Mason. And it sounds as though it touches on a lot of important themes. I'm interested, too, in the look it gives at adoption and how it impacts everyone. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Margot. The book is loosely based on my experience as a transracial adoptee. I'm hoping it can help start more conversations around this topic.
DeleteThat's certainly a tough topic.
ReplyDeleteTruth!
DeleteI'm so glad INCONVENIENT DAUGHTER will be going on your TBR list!
ReplyDeleteOh my heart! That generic version comment hits hard! My BFF growing up was adopted and it is indeed a complex issue
ReplyDeleteAdoption is definitely a complex issue. I'm hoping this book will spark some important conversations!
DeleteSounds like a very important and interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Lady Fi! I hope you pick it up :D
Delete