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Kerri Schlottman
writer of novels & other things
TELL ME ONE THING
a novel
In the gritty backdrop of rural Pennsylvania, nine-year-old Lulu's encounter with a trucker outside a rundown motel is captured on film by aspiring photographer Quinn who is passing through town. While the image launches Quinn's career, Lulu fights to survive in a volatile home. Decades later, Quinn's "Lulu & the Trucker" has fetched a staggering price at auction as she's preparing for a retrospective of her work. Lulu, grown and struggling to make ends meet, stumbles upon her own image in the newspaper. Determined and emboldened, she attends Quinn's exhibition talk with a single burning question: Why didn't you help me all those years ago?
TELL ME ONE THING explores the unbreakable bonds that connect us across the fault lines of time and memory. From the free-for-all streets of 1980s New York City to the forgotten corners of the rural rust belt, the novel is a poignant reminder of the enduring consequences of choice and the resilience required to navigate a world shaped by privilege and adversity.
CHELSEA BIEKER
author of Madwoman and Heartbroke
"A devastating and rich exploration of trauma, art-making, love, and the unmistakable hauntedness of what we cannot control, yet long to. I want everyone to read this book."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Schlottman acutely nails the misty, gold-hued atmosphere of the 1980s, and deeply explores themes of class and privilege...This thought-provoking work will put readers on the lookout for what the author does next."
CINELLE BARNES
author of Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir
“Schlottman renders on the page a simple and beautiful expression of our shared humanity...My heart broke and rooted for both characters, and long after I’ve turned the last page, I am still thinking of them.”
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