Hannah Barnaby (Fiction) | Charlottesville, VA

Hannah Barnaby is a former children’s book editor and indie bookseller who served as the first Children’s Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library. Her debut novel, Wonder Show, was a William C. Morris Award finalist; her second novel, Some of the Parts, earned a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. Ms. Barnaby lives in Charlottesville, VA, where she teaches creative writing at a nonprofit community writing center.

Books

Blurbs, Press & Reviews

Barnaby’s elegant, well-paced novel stands out from others examining the death of a loved one both for its understated writing and for its penetrating exploration of the outer limits of grief and guilt….Barnaby beautifully brings Nate to life and movingly portrays the relationship between the siblings through Tallie’s fragmented memories. A deeply affecting depiction of moving on after a great loss.
—Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

Barnaby slowly reveals the cracks in Tallie’s emotional veneer through a well-crafted internal monologue. Tallie’s vulnerability shows in her inability to say her brother’s name aloud and in the way she avoids connecting with her family and friends as she struggles to pick up the pieces and move on. A touching depiction of the pain of grief.
—Kirkus Reviews

Music courses through the story, as song titles head each chapter, and playlists become a sort of therapy for Tallie, while new friendships help keep her afloat. Teens who like realistic fiction with an internal focus won’t be disappointed in this incisive and staid novel about coping with death.
—Booklist

The grief depicted here is so raw, nuanced, and compelling….Barnaby’s novel is a devastating and powerful look at grief, guilt, and how to survive the aftermath of something that changes who you are. A must-read.
—Teen Librarian Toolbox / SLJ

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