Each day we highlight one of the 36 finalists leading up to the April 8 announcement of the Minnesota Book Awards, presented by Education Minnesota. Today we feature 2017 Novel & Short Story finalist:
Do Not Find Me by Kathleen Novak
Published by: The Permanent Press
Category Sponsor: Fitzgerald in Saint Paul
Do Not Find Me tells the story of Gigi Paulo, a quiet, romantic man, who falls for a secretive and dangerous young woman in New York City during 1961. After his death decades later, his daughter uncovers a note this woman wrote to her father, leaving Gigi’s daughter, Meg, to question the desires and mysteries of his life and her own. The novel moves between the voices of Gigi and Meg with a compelling grace, its haunting undercurrents remaining long after the story has ended.
About the Author:
Kathleen Novak is a poet and writer who grew up on the iron mining range of northern Minnesota, the granddaughter of Italian and Croatian immigrants. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, she has worked as an English teacher, independent marketing consultant and freelance writer. Her poems have been published widely in small literary magazines nationally and have won recognition in contests as diverse as the AAUW and New York Public Radio. Her writing is fueled by her colorful family history, her love of art, old tunes and cooking.
Rave Reviews:
“Set alternately on the tranquil shores of northern Minnesota’s Lost Lake and the buzzing streets of 1960s New York City, her story bores deeply into the complexities of family and the often unfulfilling pursuit of love… It’s a suspenseful and gracefully told tale.” – Star Tribune
“[A] taut and beguiling meditation on love, loss, secrets, and silences…Tender and intricately written, this well-crafted novel is poetic, evocative, and beautiful.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Poetic, lyrical, meditative. The story is about a woman who comes to pack up her father’s house after his death but it then unfolds into her reflection and exploration about his secret past. So much is revealed just in her remembered dialogue with her father and his life—including his near religious reverence for northern MN fishing. Gorgeous writing!” – MN Book Awards judge
Beyond the Book:
Interview: The Permanent Press blog featuring Kathleen Novak