Imaginary Things - Softcover

Lochen, Andrea

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1941286119 ISBN 13: 9781941286111

Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions, 2015

Synopsis

Burned out and broke, twenty-two-year-old single mother, Anna Jennings, moves back to her grandparents’ rural home for the summer with her four-year-old son, David, in tow. Living next door is Jamie Presswood, Anna’s childhood friend, now much more handsome and hardened than she remembers. Jamie reminds her of simpler times—Ferris wheels and sparklers, picnics and Neapolitan ice cream—long before she met her unstable ex, and everything changed. But the sudden appearance of shadowy dinosaurs awakens Anna from her small-town spell, and forces her to realize that she’s either lost her mind or can somehow see her son’s active imagination. Frightened, Anna struggles to protect David, but what she uncovers along the way is completely unexpected: revelations about what her son’s imaginary friends may truly represent, and long buried secrets about her own childhood.

About this title

About the Author

Andrea Lochen is the author of two novels to date. Her first novel, 'The Repeat Year' was highly praised as 'an engaging, satisfying read' and draft of the work won the 2008 'Hopwood Novel Award'. Her second novel, 'Imaginary Things' has been equally well-received and its sheer originality, being about a single mother who can see her child's imaginations coming to life, which combines mystery and suspense with accounts of uninhibited and cataclysmic events, sets Lochen on a course which will inevitably see her as one of the foremost new authors of her age. She studied creative writing, earning a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was a Colby Fellow, a Bachelor's degree in English having been secured at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was the fiction editor of 'The Madison Review'. Since 2008, Lochen has taught undergraduate writing at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, and was recently awarded the 'UW Colleges Chancellor's Award' for excellence in teaching. Andrea Lochen currently lives in Madison with her husband and daughter, determined to pursue her alter-writing career.

Review

An intriguing premise and some surprising twists make this an engaging, satisfying read that explores friendship, love and who we really are when it truly matters. A debut novel that offers a fascinating glimpse into one woman’s opportunity to rewrite her past and change her future. (Kirkus)

Lochen's debut novel takes deja vu to an extreme as 26-year-old Olive Watson wakes up on New Year's Day to find herself a year younger, still in bed with her ex-boyfriend, and faced with the sudden realization that she is being forced to take a second stab at the year 2011...Lochen's twist on the theme, with relationships taking center stage, makes this a perfect light summer read for chick lit lovers and book clubs. (Library Journal)

Lochen offers readers a nuanced message: although we do not fully control the outcome of events, we must figure out our best course of action and pursue it wholeheartedly. In a sense, The Repeat Year is about knowing what matters most to you and living your life with no regrets the first time around... the novel’s premise has a certain appeal for anyone who has wished for moments—if not years—they could do over again. (Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters)

The Repeat Year is a clever meditation on time travel. In Lochen’s hands, it’s far more than a plot gimmick—it’s about the myriad ways we second-guess and sabotage ourselves in the name of finding happiness. Her characters must find ways to let go of regrets and cherish the small moments of love in life, right now. I enjoyed this a lot. (Margaret Dilloway, author of How to Be An American Housewife)

The Repeat Year is a magical, fairy tale-like debut, and I will certainly be on the lookout for Andrea Lochen’s future releases. This book is for anyone who believes in second chances, fate, and the power of true love. (Luxury Reading)

The Repeat Year is warm, touching, and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Andrea Lochen has taken a comfortingly familiar idea and given it a fresh and unique spin. Her heroine, Olive, is complex and endearing, a fun character to spend a 'do-over year' with, even as she struggles to right her wrongs and earn redemption. Anyone who has dreamed of getting a second chance at love will not be able to resist this book. (Janis Thomas, author of Sweet Nothings)

A magical realist rom-com of great charm, The Repeat Year reflects with lively wit (and a surprising undertow of poignancy) on questions of fate and karma, chance and choice. (Peter Ho Davies, author of The Welsh Girl)

This quirky story about tough decisions and second chances will capture the heart and give hope to those who feel lost. The main character is relatable in her struggle to break free of past habits and find happiness through honesty with herself and those she loves. For anyone who has ever needed a ‘do over,’ this novel gives hope for change and redemption. (RT Reviews)

About this edition

• Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1941286119
• ISBN 13: 9781941286111
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 312