Happy book birthday to Mary Casanova, whose YA novel Ice-Out publishes today with University of Minnesota Press! The follow-up to 2012’s Frozen, Ice-Out transports readers to Prohibition-era Minnesota with a captivating (and cold!) coming-of-age story. Congratulations, Mary!
Rave Reviews and Praise
“Nineteen-year-old Owen Jensen dreams of starting a car dealership. But when his father dies suddenly, it falls to him to run the creamery and take care of his family… Unless he can figure out how to navigate the dangerous world of organized crime as well as the brutal winter, he will lose everything. This richly detailed look at the Roaring ’20s is vastly different from the usual cosmopolitan portrayal filled with flappers, jazz, and tommy-gun–toting gangsters…” – From Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Casanova gives us the best of historical fiction: characters you love and love to travel with in a critical time in American history. Following Owen Jensen through his coming-of-age year in northern Minnesota during Prohibition is a rugged joy.” – Chris Crutcher, author of Whale Talk
“A historical novel that makes the past as fresh and compelling as the present, Ice-Out is a story of dreams, determination, loyalty, and the grays that infuse black-and-white issues. Mary Casanova has created a hero we cheer for as he struggles to surmount obstacles placed before him by the times, by the place, and by his choices.” – Lorna Landvik, author Best to Laugh
“With compelling detail, Mary Casanova weaves true historical characters and events with the fictional story of Owen, a young man determined to fight the odds. In this gripping adventure, Rainy Lake becomes a metaphor for life and possibilities: the deadly risks of the capricious ice in winter, the strength that comes from natural beauty.” – Polly Carlson-Voiles, author of Summer of the Wolves
Rights Sold: University of Minnesota Press, English in North America