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Published by SparkPress
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Sometimes you have to go back before you can move forward. Meg Monahan was born to be a secret keeper. From the moment she became a peer counselor in high school, Meg has been keeping her friends secrets – from sordid family drama to their sex lives – that she never wanted to know. Flash forward to adulthood when Meg is a recruiter for the world’s hippest (and most paranoid) high-tech company – and now Meg is a professional secret keeper. When sudden tragedy strikes before Meg hosts the wedding of her childhood BFF, Anne Calzaretta, the women are forced to face their past – and their secrets – in order to move on to their future. In 1978, Meg, Anne, Jennifer, and Tonya were such close friends, they were known as “The Group” in their hometown of Gridley, California. But in ninth grade, their lives were changed forever. Loss, lies, and secrets separated them, but could not break their bonds of friendship. Thirty years later, Meg and Anne reminisce about those days—dealing with parents, school, boys, sex, love, and betrayal. Anne remembers their freshman year as an easier time, but Meg, still feeling guilty about a betrayal of Anne’s trust, is haunted. Even now, Meg is keeping a secret she’s not prepared to face, let alone share. In her debut novel, based on true events, Meredith First tells a timeless story about the bonds of friendship, loss, and betrayal—and the forgiveness that is within everyone. Can anyone really keep a secret forever?
Product Details
- Publisher: SparkPress (June 21, 2016)
- Length: 400 pages
- ISBN13: 9781940716961
Raves and Reviews
2016 USA Best Book Awards: Fiction: LGBTQ, Finalist
2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: General Fiction Finalist
“Old friends reminisce about their emotional high school years in this debut novel about acceptance . . . What could plateau as a predictable coming-of-age story takes an interesting turn when the truth about Jennifer is revealed, elevating First’s novel from a bunch of sentimental recollections to an absorbing read. Readers who stick around for the reveal will be rewarded with a tale about two women’s secrets that’s both entertaining and surprisingly touching.” —Kirkus Reviews
"If you remember watching Gilligan’s Island while drinking TAB and jotting your deepest secrets inside the pages of your gold leaf-edged diary, you’ll discover many fond memories in the Gridley Girls. An enjoyable story of friendship and love, 1970s style." —Kaira Rouda, USA Today best-selling author of The Goodbye Year
"Amazing debut novel alert! Gridley Girls is a parade of emotions and an ode to the ways we rediscover ourselves in old friendships... ancient betrayals and shocking duplicities are illuminated in this page-turner about the power of friendship and the strength of forgiveness." —Working Mother
A timeless fiction tale inspired by four high school girls in Gridley, CA. Meg Monahan is preparing to host the wedding of her childhood B.F.F. when tragedy strikes, forcing a re-examination of the past for everyone involved. Alternating between the present and their 1970’s glory days, Gridley Girls explores the lives of the four friends in “The Group” and the secrets they’ve protected for decades. This coming-of-age story is a touching tribute to the power of friendship." —Sunset Magazine
"Based on true events, this stunning debut novel is about loss and friendship, secrets and forgiveness." —Brit + Co
"Two friends revisit their shared past in a tale that is at times outrageously funny and soberly honest. Think Erma Bombeck meets Judy Blume…readers will revel in the sounds and sensibilities of the ’70s in this witty, poignant and captivating novel." —Chico Enterprise Record
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Gridley Girls eBook 9781940716961
