Home | Kerri Schlottman

KERRI SCHLOTTMAN novelist, essayist, poetist

When Andrew Chamberlain’s wife dies unexpectedly, he and his four-year-old daughter Lily-Ann find solace in the privacy of their lavish Queen Anne home. But as days become weeks, and evidence mounts that the two have not left the house since the funeral, concerned neighbors begin to wonder what’s going on in that great, big house on the block. Across town, Mabel Clemens is dealing with her own loss, stumbling through the pain of trying to work while grieving the death of her husband. When a twist of fate brings her to the Chamberlain residence, she is shocked to learn the truth about Andrew and Lily-Ann’s seclusion. And it quickly becomes clear that she may be the only hope there is.

The Song Remains the Same spans two generations in Detroit and chronicles the coming of age of its mother and daughter main characters. Shaped by the historical, social and political climates of their times, the women grapple with the realities of friendship, love and loss, and the beauty of finding meaning in the midst of the complexities of being alive. Two very different tales unite to create a forceful multi-generational novel that shows that throughout time and despite many seeming disparities, there is a similarity to every generation and an inherent humanity to all experiences.

In the Sleep, a poem

All the Life

Seventy-six year-old twins Cate and Alice are no strangers to trouble [they drink copious amount of alcohol, outrun cops in their rusty old Bonneville and shoplift from CVS] but when Cate is diagnosed with lung cancer, the sisters face their most challenging battle yet. Cate [the “good” twin] slips fluidly from past to present, weaving a tale of sisterly love, family flaws and middle class memories that chronicles the twins’ upbringing in a city on the brink of destruction. Cate can only be considered the good twin because Alice is most certainly not. Born first, Alice has always been the adventurous one. Her saucy attitude and flirtatious ways make the boys in the neighborhood go all kinds of crazy, until Alice winds up pregnant at just sixteen. Raising a baby, dealing with long lost lovers, and navigating family dynamics are just some of the many complexities in this wacky, heart-breaking novel.

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248-709-7376

©2018 by Kerri Schlottman