Author Ann Napolitano, MKA Class of 1990, Receives Rave Reviews

Many congratulations to author Ann Napolitano, MKA Class of 1990, whose second novel A Good Hard Look is receiving much pre-publication praise, including reviews in Library Journal and Booklist, a review in the O The Oprah Magazine – as well as inclusion on that magazine's summer reading list – and selection for the prestigious Indie Next List Pick for July 2011.

Published by Penguin Press with a release date of July 7, A Good Hard Look is a fictionalized account of the life of the great American writer, Flannery O'Connor. The story deals with the realities of life and relationships in the small southern town of Milledgeville, GA, where Flannery lived, wrote and died. Napolitano introduces an unforgettable cast of characters who, in the aftermath of one tragic afternoon, are all forced to look at themselves and face up to Flannery's observation that the truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.

"I was transfixed and transported by this beautiful, wholly original novel" writes Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion, "This is a book one wants to savor slowly for its language, but it is also a page-turner in the best sense of the word."

Hannah Tinti, author of The Good Thief writes, "A Good Hard Look is not just a novel about an extraordinary American literary figure. It is an examination of how we can live our lives to the fullest." While fellow-author Paula McClain (The Paris Wife) raves, "With uncanny insight and perception, Napolitano pierces the surface of her characters' lives … What a superb book!"

Napolitano, who visited the MKA Upper School in 2004 following publication of her first novel Within Arm's Reach, notes "As you can imagine, this is an exciting time in my life and one that I want to share with our MKA community." More information can be found on her webpage at annnapolitano.com.