Seattle novelist visits Winslow shop

Published 1:30 am Sunday, February 5, 2017

Eagle Harbor Book Company will welcome Seattle novelist Laurie Frankel — author of “Atlas of Love” and “Goodbye for Now” — to discuss her new book, “This Is How It Always Is” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9.

The event is free and open to the public.

Bainbridge Island author Lynn Brunelle will join Frankel up front on for a lively conversation about the book, writing and more.

The novel tells the story of Rosie and Penn and their children. When Rosie and Penn and their four boys welcome the newest member of their family, no one is surprised it’s another baby boy. But at least their large, loving, chaotic family knows what to expect.

Except they don’t have a clue.

Claude is not like his brothers. One day he puts on a dress and refuses to take it off. He wants to bring a purse to kindergarten. He wants hair long enough to sit on. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.

Rosie and Penn aren’t panicked at first. Kids go through phases, after all, and make-believe is fun. But soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes.

“This Is How It Always Is” is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales and family. And it’s about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard and miraculous and hard again; parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts; children grow but not always according to plan.

And families with secrets don’t get to keep them forever.

Visit www.eagleharborbooks.com to learn more.