“Jan Stites’s Edgewise is a harrowing story of injury and feeling, despair and hope. Vivid and unflinching in the telling, Stites’s novel is courageous, heartfelt and unforgettable.”
—Wally Lamb, two-time Oprah Book Club author of She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True plus The Hour I First Believed and We Are Water
“The problems life throws at you may just be the solution. “Edgewise” follows Simone, a deeply troubled woman. When she breaks down, she fines herself in a mental institution which has gained the charming nickname of ‘Oakhell’. As she fines herself in conflict with Satch, she is throw into a series of events where she must face her own problems, Satch, and perhaps Satch’s problems as well. “Edgewise” is a story of humanity and how strength can come from many sources, even those we supposedly hate.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Jan Stites has written a truly compelling account of a woman who confronts her inner demons. Simone is in the midst of an emotional meltdown and finds herself in unfamiliar territory with people whom she had always considered “others”. As she grapples with her own issues she discovers her shared humanity with these others. The characters become so alive that reading this book is almost like watching a movie. It’s so real, so moving, so heartfelt that the story pulls you along like a rip tide.”
—J. Cameron, writer and actor
“Jan Stites’s darkly compelling novel, Edgewise, is hard to put down. The novel is the story of Simone, a 40-year-old teacher whose carefully contained life unravels on the pages before us. When she is suspended from her job after breaking down in the classroom, Simone turns to an outpatient program in a psychiatric hospital eerily nicknamed “Oakhell,” a mandated move if Simone wants to regain her teaching position. While there, Simone encounters a group of fellow patients whose stories are so real, so authentic, they will break your heart and leave you smiling through your tears. These are the people, along with a stellar professional staff, who reach out to Simone and help her on her journey.
It’s a journey worth taking. Not only could I not put the book down, but I came away with heightened understanding and greater compassion for those whose lives have been overwhelmed by personal tragedy. I like these characters, a lot. And I like the novel. It’s definitely worth the read.”
—Jo Chandler, author, This Side of Forever