Welcome to Freedom Point

by Marina Mularz

It's all happening in the small town of Freedom Point, Wisconsin! Karlee Starr explores the rhythms of young love and snot-soaked heartache on a middle school dance floor. Thirteen-year-old Jacob Kentor suffers an identity crisis at Hooters. Desperate yeti hunting conceals the death of a marriage. A motivational speech ends in arrest. Equal parts humor and heartbreak, Welcome to Freedom Point dissects the thrills and spoils of small-town adolescence in a series of linked stories that captures the essence of what it means to come of age...at any age. In the spaces between each uproarious episode, the good people of Freedom Point collectively celebrate--or simply survive--the deeply human art of aiming for more one uncomfortable leap at a time.

196 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2019

Reviews

[Michelle]

Funny, weird, and honest. Loved reading this!

[Jacob Toups]

Marina writes fanciful, fun, and witty short stories. Even in a few pages, you grow to deeply connect and love the characters. I highly recommend this amazing book of lovely stories.

[Amy Oechsner]

At first, the first story was so bad I thought I would hate it, but I really ended up liking this book. It reminded me a lot of when I went to junior high and just the crazy stories that happen. I enjoyed it.

[Siera]

Mularz is truly one of the most delicious writers. Her sentences are little pieces of art and the way she tells each individual story truly paints an entire picture of a world. Freedom Point, Wisconsin is full of quirky, unique, and heart filled characters. This book is a treat. I especially loved “Go Home, Karlee Star”, “The Other Side”, and “The Sensational Homer Greeley.” I cannot wait to see what comes out of the mind of Marina Mularz next. Bravo 👏🏻

[Becca Pfeiler]

I loved this anthology... I know the author personally so it was fun to see the thongs she used from her life as fodder for her stories... I especially enjoyed her raw honesty and the connection she has to her characters. This has become one of my top favorite bools. Wonderful job Marina!

[Laurabear]

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Marina’s work in my graduate program and reading this was a true delight. Each story woos you in its own way, even if its purpose is to break your heart by the end. I loved everything about this and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her next.

[Katie Shaw]

A quirky collection of stories that take place in Freedom Point, WI. I liked the threads that tied them together as we learned primarily about the junior high students and were reminded of our own plights at that age.

It was very neat to read something by a CLC grad!

[Amelia Mularz]

I could taste the Gatorade, Hooters Buffalo wings, and adolescent loneliness all in equal parts while reading this. The most thorough examination of those three quirky/scary/hilarious/awkward/naive/heartbreaking/exuberant/formative years we call junior high.

[Nicole Breanne]

This book is in my top 5 all time favorite reads. The stories are whimsical, charming, heartbreaking, inspirational, and hilarious.

[Tracy]

Quirky and cute, nice easy read.

[Dave Moyer]

Solid stories about finding one's identity. I look forward to future stories from Mularz as her writing evolves. An emerging talent.

[Sarah Fortner]

Delightful, witty, silly, serious, and deeply heart-warming. Hats off to you, Marina, for penning what we've all felt at one point or another.

[Nancy]

Quirky book and I wasn’t fond of her “voice”.

[Loretta]

Reading this was like the pee chee folder in my heart opened up and exploded with Lisa Frank stickers and bubble gum lip gloss!

For reals tho... Mularz nails the bittersweet awkward struggle that is junior high and reminds us that we survived it.