Description

 America was Hard to Find

As their lives diverge, both Fay and Vincent find themselves driven by a deep sense of purpose, albeit on opposite ends of the political spectrum during the tumultuous 1960s and 70s. Vincent, now an astronaut, becomes an iconic figure with an unwavering focus on his mission. Meanwhile, Fay emerges as a leader of a radical leftist group, engaging in violent anti-Vietnam protests that make her a prime target for the FBI.

The novel delves into the complexities of their choices, exploring how their actions impact not only their own lives but also the legacy they leave behind for their son, Wright. Against the backdrop of the Cold War era, “America Was Hard to Find” paints a vivid portrait of a divided nation and the profound impact of individual lives during times of societal upheaval. Kathleen Alcott’s fearless storytelling cements her reputation as a vital voice in contemporary fiction.

About The Author

Beth Gutcheon, a native of western Pennsylvania, had a remarkable journey that led her to become a renowned storyteller. After completing her education at Harvard, where she excelled in English literature, Gutcheon made New York City her home for the majority of her adult life. However, she also ventured to other vibrant locations such as San Francisco and the picturesque coast of Maine. In 1978, Gutcheon showcased her talent by writing the narration for a captivating documentary called “The Children of Theatre Street,” which delved into the world of the prestigious Kirov ballet school. This remarkable achievement earned her an Academy Award nomination, marking the beginning of her successful career as a full-time storyteller, encompassing both novels and screenwriting.

Gutcheon’s literary prowess has garnered international recognition, with her novels being translated into an impressive fourteen languages. This count even includes an unauthorized Chinese edition of her novel “Still Missing,” which was circulated by pirates. Additionally, her works have been adapted into various formats, including a feature film titled “Without a Trace,” based on her novel “Still Missing.” Furthermore, Gutcheon’s novel “Still Missing” was also published in a condensed version by Reader’s Digest, a moment that brought immense joy to her mother. Notably, many of her novels have achieved national bestseller status, with her most recent work, “Leeway Cottage,” being no exception. To make her novels more accessible, all of Gutcheon’s captivating stories are now available in new, uniform paperback editions from HarperPerennial, ensuring that readers can easily immerse themselves in her compelling narratives.

REVIEWS

“This richly ruminative novel refracts 30 years of American culture and history through the lives of [its] characters…. A sharp and moving reminder of the human dimension of even the most outsize historical events.” — Publishers Weekly

“[Alcott’s] empathy for troubled souls, rendered in haunting, impressionistic prose, makes a powerful emotional impact, giving the novel a staying power… Impressively ambitious and extremely well-written.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This novel is charged with the electricity of an intellect sharp and awake, and every instant of this story reverberates in us with the insistency of a deep longing. Amidst the noise of the world we live in, Alcott’s voice is the one I want to always hear.”
— Valeria Luiselli, author of The Lost Children Archive and Tell Me How it Ends

“America Was Hard to Find beats with the culturally savvy heart of a Rachel Kushner novel and extends the moral reach of a Philip Roth novel… Alcott is a master of many tricks, and her novel is a marvel of style, information, intelligence, and humanity.” — Heidi Julavits

“A story of mismatched lovers shocked by their bond, a chronicle of an adored but neglected son, and a passionate meditation on how we as both individuals and a collective subject others to the destructiveness we believe we deplore. Kathleen Alcott writes with a fierce tenderness.”  — Jim Shepard, author of The Book of Aron

“America Was Hard to Find moved me on every single page. Kathleen Alcott’s prose sings and stings as she crafts a wrenching counter-myth of America’s vaunt into the space age. This book tells the truth: the cost of conquest is always disintegration at home.”
— Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek

“Sprawling but absorbing… Ambitious… Shimmering, knife-sharp descriptions of small and often devastating moments of individual experience within those larger histories… The reader experiences era’s social upheavals and contests of values at their most intimate register.” — New York Times Book Review

“Sixties radicalism and the space program are set in fruitful juxtaposition in this ambitious novel… Displays a sure-handed lyricism… Its energy lies in its skepticism about the American century and the parallels the author finds between contradictory currents.” — The New Yorker

“Ms. Alcott is an impressionistic stylist capable of lovely, luminous effects on the brushstroke level of the sentence… Such writing seems well suited to fantasy, and because nothing is more like a fairy tale than space travel, it makes sense that Ms. Alcott is at her best in zero gravity.” — Wall Street Journal

“Ms. Alcott’s tale of the late 20th-century and its discontents mirrors and contextualizes our current times…. Readers who value elegant style will savor Alcott’s musical sentences and dreamlike pacing…. Readers who enjoy literary fiction have a golden opportunity to not just look, but also to see. Highly recommended.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“A marvel of compression and controlled description…. Fay’s ambition, at the start of America Was Hard to Find, is to make life ‘happen more deeply inside her.’ Alcott’s novel is a finely calibrated machine that does the same for us.” — BookForum

“[Alcott’s] prose has a way of finding the cinematic in the personal …. What hooks the reader are Alcott’s darts of wisdom and finely tuned observations…. Alcott’s narration is penetrating and elegant, but she gives her characters some of the wittiest and most screen-ready dialogue in contemporary fiction.”
— Paris Review

“Kathleen Alcott writes with pulsating, intense prose, delivering an account of how lives can be meshed and torn apart… Powerful… America Was Hard to Find leaves readers wanting more of this story and everything else Alcott has written.” — BookPage