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From the internationally bestselling author of ‘The Solace of Leaving Early’, a funny, heartwrenching and unforgettable novel following the fortunes of a feisty young female pool hustler.Cassie Claiborne, at ten, was surely too young to be the head of her disparate family. But who else was going to do it? Growing up in Indiana with her distant, heartbroken mother, Laura, her fragile, eccentric sister Belle, and her beloved grandfather Poppy, Cassie got sick of waiting for her father to come home from his everlasting gambling and drinking binges and took matters into her own hands. Taught by her father to play pool, Cassie was a natural and was soon hustling experienced pool players – and winning.We follow Cassie from a complex little girl to a rebellious and impetuous young woman as she tries to create a world for her mother and sister. Overwhelmed but compelled by her family’s love, Cassie feels herself drawn back to the past by the stories of her mother's youth, and she leaves her town for New Orleans, hoping that there she can find a truth to soothe her wounded soul and to allow herself the happiness she has been denied.Funny, heartbreaking, full of the eccentricity of small-town life and the overwrought drama of the close-knit family, ‘Something Rising (Light and Swift)’ is the story of a very unique young woman who knows that 'the worst thing that can happen to you is that you will find what you seek'. It tells of grief and love and growing up and leaving home in a way that is desperately sad but ultimately uplifting.
Cassie Claiborne must navigate the burdens of early responsibility and the complexities of her fractured family while mastering the high-stakes world of pool hustling. As a young girl in Indiana, Cassie assumes the role of family provider, managing her fragile mother and eccentric sister while grappling with the absence of her father. Her talent for pool becomes both a means of survival and a source of internal conflict as she matures into a rebellious young woman. The narrative follows her trajectory from her small-town roots to New Orleans, where she seeks to reconcile her past and define her own future. The story utilizes a character-driven framework to explore the tension between familial duty and personal liberation.
This novel is characterized by its focus on the intersection of domestic struggle and the unconventional pursuit of independence. The narrative structure emphasizes the psychological weight of family history on a young protagonist attempting to forge a path outside of her inherited circumstances. The setting of the pool hall serves as a central motif for the protagonist's agency and her ability to navigate complex, male-dominated spaces. The prose suggests a focus on the nuances of small-town eccentricity and the emotional toll of early maturity. The work invites readers to consider how the search for truth often complicates the desire for simple happiness.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2005-09-05
Publisher:
Harper Perennial
ISBN-10:
0007174136
ISBN-13:
9780007174133
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