Genre Fiction
![Jamie Harrison - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001K82RWK.jpg)
The Center of Everything: A Novel
Set against the wild beauty of Montana as a woman attempts to heal from a devastating accident, this generational saga from the award-winning author of The Widow Nash is a heartfelt examination of how the deep bonds of family echo throughout our lives.
For Polly, the small town of Livingston, Montana, is a land charmed by raw, natural beauty and a network of family that extends back generations. But the summer of 2002 finds Polly at a crossroads: a recent head injury has scattered her perception of the present, bringing to the surface events from thirty years ago and half a country away. As Polly's many relatives arrive for a family reunion during the Fourth of July holiday, a beloved friend goes missing on the Yellowstone River, dredging up strange memories for a family well acquainted with tragedy. Search parties comb the river as carefully as Polly combs her mind, and over the course of one fateful week, Polly arrives at a deeper understanding of herself and her larger-than-life relatives.
Weaving together the past and the present, from the shores of Long Island Sound to the landscape of Montana, The Center of Everything examines with profound insight the nature of the human condition: the memories and touchstones that make up a life, and the loves and losses we must endure along the way.
For Polly, the small town of Livingston, Montana, is a land charmed by raw, natural beauty and a network of family that extends back generations. But the summer of 2002 finds Polly at a crossroads: a recent head injury has scattered her perception of the present, bringing to the surface events from thirty years ago and half a country away. As Polly's many relatives arrive for a family reunion during the Fourth of July holiday, a beloved friend goes missing on the Yellowstone River, dredging up strange memories for a family well acquainted with tragedy. Search parties comb the river as carefully as Polly combs her mind, and over the course of one fateful week, Polly arrives at a deeper understanding of herself and her larger-than-life relatives.
Weaving together the past and the present, from the shores of Long Island Sound to the landscape of Montana, The Center of Everything examines with profound insight the nature of the human condition: the memories and touchstones that make up a life, and the loves and losses we must endure along the way.
Editorial Reviews
"It's so character driven and you really feel as though it's not a made up story, that these are real people, and that you are getting a glimpse into their lives." -Nancy Pearl
"This gorgeous novel is well worth your time." -People
"A meticulously crafted, graceful novel." -O, the Oprah Magazine
"[A] wonderful cast of interesting characters . . . And it is really the way Polly thinks-about her children and her childhood, her memories and imaginings, her immediate circumstances and her place in the world, even the toothsome dishes she prepares (with occasional lapses lately)-that makes this book so engaging . . . Carrying us along, Polly conjures a richly textured, often lovely life of everyday loss and longing and endless speculation, where 'everything goes missing but everything lives on, at least for a while, in the small kingdom of your head.' Indeed, Harrison's novel takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new place: in short, to the center of everything." -Ellen Akins, The Washington Post
"Searching for a first book club book of 2021? Look no further . . . Weaving together the past and the present, The Center of Everything examines the memories and touchstones that make up a life, and what we we all endure along the way." -Sarah Stiefvater, PureWow
"Gorgeous . . . Harrison's writing is as lush as the landscapes themselves . . . Harrison's writing shimmers like light-sparkled water, and it's full of lush sensory details." -Caroline Leavitt, San Francisco Chronicle
"One of those works that ages well, that offers up new surprises with each subsequent reading. There's an almost unimaginable sweetness as well as a sense of longing suffusing this new novel . . . A rarity." -Steve Whitton, The Anniston Star
"Wise and warmhearted . . . In The Center of Everything, Jamie Harrison has created a world so total, so real, so personal, that the reader, on finishing it, is missing it already." -Sarah Shoemaker, Washington Independent Review of Books
"Despite various mysteries and suspicious deaths in this story about a Montana woman uncovering secrets past and present, Harrison wisely concentrates less on plot twists than on exploring the trickiness of memory where love and family are concerned . . . Through small moments, particularly shared meals and drinks, the reader becomes intimately involved in Polly's inner life and falls in love with a vividly portrayed Montana devoid of Western clichés. A sharply intelligent, warmhearted embrace of human imperfection--the kind of book that invites a second reading." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Brilliant . . . Harrison plumbs complex family relati...
"This gorgeous novel is well worth your time." -People
"A meticulously crafted, graceful novel." -O, the Oprah Magazine
"[A] wonderful cast of interesting characters . . . And it is really the way Polly thinks-about her children and her childhood, her memories and imaginings, her immediate circumstances and her place in the world, even the toothsome dishes she prepares (with occasional lapses lately)-that makes this book so engaging . . . Carrying us along, Polly conjures a richly textured, often lovely life of everyday loss and longing and endless speculation, where 'everything goes missing but everything lives on, at least for a while, in the small kingdom of your head.' Indeed, Harrison's novel takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new place: in short, to the center of everything." -Ellen Akins, The Washington Post
"Searching for a first book club book of 2021? Look no further . . . Weaving together the past and the present, The Center of Everything examines the memories and touchstones that make up a life, and what we we all endure along the way." -Sarah Stiefvater, PureWow
"Gorgeous . . . Harrison's writing is as lush as the landscapes themselves . . . Harrison's writing shimmers like light-sparkled water, and it's full of lush sensory details." -Caroline Leavitt, San Francisco Chronicle
"One of those works that ages well, that offers up new surprises with each subsequent reading. There's an almost unimaginable sweetness as well as a sense of longing suffusing this new novel . . . A rarity." -Steve Whitton, The Anniston Star
"Wise and warmhearted . . . In The Center of Everything, Jamie Harrison has created a world so total, so real, so personal, that the reader, on finishing it, is missing it already." -Sarah Shoemaker, Washington Independent Review of Books
"Despite various mysteries and suspicious deaths in this story about a Montana woman uncovering secrets past and present, Harrison wisely concentrates less on plot twists than on exploring the trickiness of memory where love and family are concerned . . . Through small moments, particularly shared meals and drinks, the reader becomes intimately involved in Polly's inner life and falls in love with a vividly portrayed Montana devoid of Western clichés. A sharply intelligent, warmhearted embrace of human imperfection--the kind of book that invites a second reading." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Brilliant . . . Harrison plumbs complex family relati...
Readers Top Reviews
patty dunca
I am sure the author is a very talented writer. That said this book is not going to appeal to everybody. The book is centered around relationships of the characters and not much of a plot in my opinion.
mssocean pat
While the various characters are often difficult to track, I found that when I stopped trying, the beautiful writing took over. Quirky families, circumstances and outcomes all contribute to an enveloping read. Well worth time and effort.
Mary Dmssocean
This story expertly addresses the intricacies of memory and family. The reader follows the struggles of the main character Polly as she confronts the aftermath of a brain injury, her relationshios with family members, her past, and the recent loss of a friend. A recommendef read.
Bruce FugleiMolly
I find the book a little too over descriptive and somewhat depressing. Everyone’s kind of a half-mess and it certainly could use a little humor every now and again. There are too many characters to keep track of...I am about half through but don’t know if I will continue.
