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Your next favorite book
is waiting.
From the nationally bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, comes a funny and moving novel in which a former college swimmer falls off a cruise ship and must keep treading water as memories and regrets wash over him—perfect for fans of Where'd You Go, Bernadette; Florence Adler Swims Forever; and The Wedding People.
Patrick "Kick" Kilpatrick hates the ocean. Has always been terrified of it. And now he's in a real pickle.
Drifting alone in the sea after falling (or jumping? He can't remember as the all-inclusive drinks on the cruise he was taking with his extended family were, well, inclusive) Kick must survive. Breath by breath, hour by hour in the lonely sea.
As the waves crash over him, so too do the thoughts and memories of just how he got there. A Thanksgiving cruise with an obnoxious brother-in-law he has to bite his tongue to keep from screaming at. A father who gives the Great Santini a run for his money. And a mother, who already left the family boat, so to speak, a long time ago. His family may be complicated, and the pains of life may seem unbearable—infuriating enough to leap from the deck—but maybe the will to survive is stronger.
Man Overboard! is an inventive, slyly hilarious, and inspiring novel about what it means to be alive, stay alive, and what keeps us going no matter how choppy the waves of our journey become. Hold on for dear life!
"[A] jaunty work of surrealism...[I]t's a hoot." —Publishers Weekly
"Each of Rooney's enthralling novels are shaped by her astute insights, poetic descriptions, and sharp wit. This bravura survival tale is endearingly suspenseful, touching, and hilarious." —Booklist
"Rooney's story progresses hour by hour from its harrowing beginning to a nail-biting conclusion. Kick joins the ranks of memorable Rooney characters like Charles from Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey and Lillian in Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. His story, like theirs, is poignant and life-affirming." —Library Journal
"Funny, heartfelt, and always charming…Man Overboard! is pure existential fun. The perfect summer read!" ―The Chicago Review of Books
"Man Overboard! is destined to be the best book of the summer. The magnificent Kathleen Rooney is back with a novel about "Kick" Kilpatrick, who finds himself at sea in every aspect of his life, except this time, he's literally in the water. For readers everywhere who enjoy a cocktail and have endured vacation with a dysfunctional family. For those who have cruised with high hopes on the high seas, Man Overboard! is for you. Packed with hilarity and wisdom, I could not put it down. What a voice! Jump in! You will be happy you did." ―Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View From Lake Como
"A profound, hilarious and utterly charming novel. Rooney fearlessly explores what remains of a man when everything is stripped away, and offers a startling and deeply felt answer about the nature of forgiveness and grace." ―Kathy Wang, National bestselling author of The Satisfaction Cafe
This information about Man Overboard! was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a nonprofit publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, as well as a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand. She teaches in the English Department at DePaul University, and her most recent books include the national best-seller, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk (St. Martin's Press 2017 / Picador 2018) and The Listening Room: A Novel of Georgette and Loulou Magritte (Spork Press, 2018). Her new novel, Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, based on a true story of the Great War, will be published by Penguin in August of 2020.
A winner of the Ruth Lilly Fellowship from Poetry magazine, she is the author of nine books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, including...
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