Going to Solace

by Amanda McTigue

Going to Solace
Debut Novel by Amanda McTigue

We're in Big Piney and Little Piney, two hollows just outside the town of Garnet in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It's 1989. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. A handful of mismatched folks--some country people, some far-flung, fancy people--discover they have one thing in common: someone they know is sick, real sick, dying sick. Their paths cross as they go to Solace, a local hospice.

August Early has never set foot in a hospital before. Maggie Dulé packs a bag despite her vow never to return to the Pineys again. Burnice Kling, R.N., is fixing to "fire" her patient, a "cantankerous old cauliflower of a woman" and mother to an estranged daughter named Maggie. Meanwhile Cadence Greevey passes among them unnoticed. She's a "big-little girl" whose thinking hasn't kept up with her growing. Her mama's ailing and there's no one home to help.

Suddenly they find themselves functioning as caregivers, bedside improvisers, doing all they can to beat back death or "hurry him on about his business."

Through chapters that interweave points of view--funny-sad and sad-funny--multiple stories become one. Steeped in the rich flavor of the Appalachians, this debut novel offers comfort in comfortless times, illuminating the altered states of shock and clarity that visit us as our loved (and hated) ones pass from this world to the next.

292 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2012

About the author

Amanda's debut novel, "Going to Solace," was named a Best Read of 2012 by public radio KRCB's hour-long literary show "Word by Word" hosted by Gil Mansergh. She is currently working on a collection of short stories, working title "This is Not Water; Tales from the Intersection of Love and Catastrophe," and a second novel, "Monkey Bottom."

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of a series of families overlapping through hospice. The characters are well-developed; they grow over the course of the novel. Well imagined world and construct world of Blue Ridge Mountain communities.

Amanda is a friend. But don't let that fool you. Very good novel.

[Dorothy Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique narrative drew me into small town life in Appalachia's Blue Ridge Mountains, a world that, while like none I have known, evoked universal experiences and emotions. Through an eclectic set of characters and shifting points of view, the reader comes to care about these folk as they are confronted with some of life's hardest and most defining moments. A complex set of inter-weaving stories told with skill and heart.

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid writing

It is popular today to have several narratives going on at once, a practice I am too dull to appreciate. Different characters in alternate chapters takes me longer to connect with them.
The author does a magnificent job of putting you in the scene. Sometimes her writing got in the way of the story. Something would be like . . then I'd try to imagine an unusual description and then contemplate the connection to what it was like. The author's lively language use did a much better job than her comparisons.

Each character was interesting and sympathetic. The novel seemed a montage of portraits.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure: I won this book in a drawing during a recent LitQuake event.

I wasn't sure it would be my "thing," to be perfectly honest: the story of three different small-town North Carolina families, each with a member preparing to enter hospice, and the people who work at Solace (said hospice).

Well, I don't think I've ever been happier to be wrong. Amanda McTigue draws on her childhood home in the Appalachians to create a group of characters who were so real that I could hear their North Carolinian drawls in my head. From Theo and Dorothy, who don't want anyone to know they're going into hospice, to the developmentally disabled teen Cadence, who doesn't understand what is happening to her mother, to the eccentric caregiver Burnice ... every character became a friend or acquaintance.

McTigue's prose and dialogue are delightful, enveloping the reader in the world she has created so that we walk the streets of Garnet and Big Piney, and drive the gravel roads of Little Piney along with the characters.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to fans of literary fiction. It was an absolutely delightful gem.

[Crissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning of the book is a list of characters, organized by family or title. I was so grateful for this, and referred to it often in the early stages of the story to be kept up to date with who was related to who. It allowed me to not be distracted by wanting to keep characters straight, allowing me to dive head first into each family's story.

The way the story is told, each chapter is from the point of view of a different character. The chapters are short, and at the end of the chapter I found myself disappointed that I couldn't keep going with that character. But then the next chapter would start, and I was engrossed with that next person's story. There was not one character I found boring. Every one of then were wonderful, flawed, interesting, real. They were all 3-dimensional, jumping off the page and standing before me as they told their story.

I fell in love with Cadence, the little girl in a teen's body. I loved the love story of August and Theo, particularly with how big August's heart really was. I even loved Maggie, and the evolution she went through from beginning to the end of the book. One part of the book even had me crying real, fat tears.

Amanda McTigue is a fabulous writer, and really brought this story to life. I will definitely read anything else she writes.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the characters in Going to Solace have one thing in common: they are dying, they are taking care of the dying, or they have someone close to them who is dying. As sad as this may sound, it is a beautifully written book with unforgettable characters who share a sense of community in the Blue Ridge Mountain town of Garnet. There are moments of humor in the book that really had me laughing. Solace is the name of the local hospice.

The story takes place in 1989, the week preceding Thanksgiving. The chapters are short, and each chapter is named after the character whose story unravels as the three families and their caretakers are revealed. The southern touch, the dialect, the themes of family, death, community and culture, all make this book an excellent read. This is McTigue’s first novel, although she has written short stories, two children’s books, and for the stage. I enjoyed meeting her and discussing the novel at my local bookstore. I wish her well in the competitive business of publishing.

[Arletta Dawdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOING TO SOLACE is Amanda McTigues’ first novel but it is not her first exploration of character. Her prior work as choral and operatic lyricist and stage director has obviously served her well when it came time to write this exquisite opus. Characters abound with reflections and expressions of lives “making the change” and of those left to continue on for yet a while.
McTigue shows a masterful use of the language, customs and pace of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She went into her own past and came up a winner with this book. It is easy to visualize GOING TO SOLACE on stage or screen for the magnetic portrayals of the dying and the surviving. The book deserves to be taken in small doses, slowly pondered and thoughtfully applied to our understanding of our own futures, and those of our loved ones. It is a very special book, one to return to time and again.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a town with a hospice and you get to follow a few of the residence that go there to die, also the hospice does out-patient care. The book follows several residence and their lives. I enjoyed the fact that the chapters were titled with which characters were talked about in that chapter.

The writing is good, yet the book moves slowly. I found myself putting it down way more then I like. I found the slow moving to be a pain and yet the story was interesting so I’m not sure what the disconnect was. I read this book for about two months. I would pick it up and read for ten minutes or so and then put it down to do something else. It moved too slowly to keep my attention for long.

I finished the book in the car waiting for my son. I had nothing else to take my attention and I cried at the end. It is a nice story that many people will enjoy.

[Pattie Tierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone is brought home in Amanda McTigue's novel Going to Solace. It is the story of a community coming to terms with the dying and death of loved ones, and the dignity they grant not just their dying but one another, even themselves, along the way. The story is told in the simple dialogue of mountain folk, and Ms. McTigue's lovely language, sometimes stark, often gentle, always colorfully drawn. Her images create characters we have known or would like to know.  Those left behind discover the mysterious miracle of "making the change" applies as much to themselves as to those who are actually taking the journey. And with that realization, comfort comes from their faith, their home and one another, which is really what life is all about when you think about it. What's next, Amanda? I'm waiting, and not patiently.

[Judy Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to Solace is populated by friends and families who are connected by time, a special place, life and death. I devoured each tasty page, sometimes through my tears. I was transported to the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the homes of the characters. Their individual voices range true and clear. Amanda intertwined the stories of each family and their caregivers with a graceful hand. The transformations and transitions were seamless. The conversations reminded me of ones I had with my family when my parents were in their final days. There is compassion in these pages. I highly recommend this book.

[Heather Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book for its characters, who were believable and recognizable, well developed and three-dimensional. I found myself "understanding" and empathizing with their various quirks, thoughts and expressions. I especially connected with a few characters who seemed like they could have actually been real people.

I also immensely enjoyed the sing-songy Appalachian dialect that appeared throughout, too, as it made a more complete, almost musical reading experience. Though written about a serious subject, at many times I found myself laughing out loud at the wit and spunk of the characters. What a wonderful jaunt into Appalachia, and what a well-written novel!

[Helen Sedwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

With richly drawn characters, vivid descriptions, compassion and humor, McTugue follows a handful of people as their lives circle around hospice, or rather the pending passing of a loved one. At such times, people find ways of connecting, resolving old conflicts, and finding meaning in life. While there are sad moments, the book is about love, resilience and that human spirit that finds joy and purpose, even when times are difficult. There are many passages which had me laughing out loud. I want to read this book again.

[Shelley Blanton-Stroud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda McTigue’s Going to Solace is a meaningful novel, shining a light on a very uncomfortable topic, what happens at the end of life, between us and the people we love. But more than that—it takes into its scope both the non-family people who are paid to care for us, and the non-family people who aren’t paid but do it anyway. This is smart, touching, relevant and even funny. The writer has a strong and particular voice, coming right out of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a great book club choice, if I do say so myself.

[Laree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book about life, love, and death in Appalachia. Solace is a home where people go to die, like a hospice, but this book is not a downer. The characters are all well defined and easy to like, even though none of them are perfect. I highly recommend this book.

[Kathie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story with all the great characters. I could 'hear' the Blue Ridge Mountain people in the dialog. I was drawn in to the lives portrayed and the struggle each experienced. It resonates with my own experiences with end of life and death. A wonderful read.

[Mary Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this is a first novel! Set in the Appalachians, its got the right voice and the deepest heart.

[Nathaniel Winters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going to solace was well written with interesting characters. The book was quite enjoyable. The subject matter was not a easy topic and Amanda did a good job unfolding the story.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoughtfully written book that touches on the subject of hospice and the families who are touched by that life experience.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet.
Boring.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuanced. Affecting. Big-hearted.

[Tessa Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Amanda McTigue does an amazing job of weaving together the stories of all the families who are involved. I couldn't put it down!