In the Massachusetts seaside town of Horton, cut off from the world, boats sway on their moorings, while beneath the surface bubbles a primal brew of salt and sea life — much like the family at the center of Catboat Road, the quirky, sometimes racy new novel from Kate Rounds.
The Ragsdales, unmoored from social convention, well-meaning and decidedly modern, have learned to surf a wave of family tumult and weave their way into the rich tapestry of townspeople — often to comic effect.
“Early readers flatteringly pronounced Catboat Road sexy, funny and smart,” Rounds said. “Of these, I love funny best. Our world is brutal, and if readers laugh out loud, as one blurbist did, that would make me happy.”
Catboat Road immerses readers in the journey of teenager Candace “Ace” Ragsdale. Infatuated with her mother’s best friend, Ace sees Mrs. Forest as an irresistible force of nature, luscious, tantalizing — and maybe not completely out of reach.
Rounding out Ace’s family is her “Irish twin” brother Sawyer, who gives the best pedicures in town, and her laidback but loving parents.
Into this eccentric New England household careens a rebel grandmother who shows up to help the Ragsdales save the town windmill, whose mysterious energy has been blamed for everything from night sweats to nymphomania. As this spectacle of public conflict and private anguish unfolds, readers will be fully on Ace’s side as she navigates the turbulent waters of love, sex and small-town values.
Readers will race toward the finish line as this sly, seductive narrative moves at breakneck speed.
“Spoiler alert: Catboat Road doesn’t end as you might expect,” Rounds said. “For every raised eyebrow, there will be raised hopes for a fresh vision of what it means to be family.”
About the Author
A veteran journalist, Kate Rounds has been a freelance writer, staff reporter, staff writer and editor in chief of a trade publication. She hit her stride at Ms. Magazine, where she was senior editor, news editor and Gloria Steinem’s editor — an experience that put her in the orbit of great feminist writers, artists and thinkers.
A stint as executive editor at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America followed, connecting Rounds with stellar activists and brave advocates for women’s health and safety.
For 15 years, as editor in chief of the Hudson Reporter organization, she mentored young reporters cutting their teeth on local news.
Rounds has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. She lives in Jersey City — without a cat.
For more information, please visit https://www.katerounds.com/, or follow the author on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/
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