Shadows of Pecan Hollow

This debut novel was recommended to me by a new library customer of mine. She was so passionate about this book that I immediately grabbed a copy.

This was a gritty debut that isn't tender (as the blurb says), but a story that is quite disturbing in parts, but also gives readers a glimmer of hope in the resiliency of humanity. The story is told in two timelines - 1970's when thirteen-year-old Kit, tired of living in foster homes, decides to go off with a 20-something con man named Manny, who soon grooms her for small heists. The second timeline is 20 years later in the small town of Pecan Hollow, Texas where Kit finds a home with her elderly aunt and starts a new life, without Manny and is raising her daughter, Charlie. The past comes back to wallop Kit when Manny arrives in Pecan Hollow after a stint in prison.

The characters are a varied bunch, each with their own copious amounts of baggage. Manny is a character you'll love to hate. Ohhh, the man is wretched but powerful in his ability to manipulate those around him. Kit is a flawed and largely unlikeable character, but readers soon understand why she's so hardened and closed-off emotionally (even to her teenage daughter) when we learn of her experiences as a child and teen at the hands of the foster care system and then Manny's manipulations. 

This debut skillfully shows different sides of humanity -- the love, acceptance and safety Kit's aunt provides to the controlling, toxic and abusive life with Manny. This book will create good discussion, particularly about how trauma and abuse can impact lives and generations and the power of love, kindness and belonging can help in the healing process.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Caroline Frost

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: William Morrow

First Published: February 8, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: It was 1970 when thirteen-year-old Kit Walker was abducted by Manny Romero, a smooth-talking, low-level criminal. Longing for the family and security she never had, she allowed herself to be coddled and groomed into Manny's partner-in-crime. Before long, Kit and Manny became infamous for their string of gas station robberies throughout Texas, making a name for themselves as the Texaco Twosome.

But as Manny's fatherly demeanor shifts to something darker and more violent, Kit is forced to reconsider their relationship and her own safety. In a flash decision, she leaves Manny at a holdup gone wrong.

Thirteen years after her escape, she has made a home for herself and her daughter amongst the pecan trees and muddy creeks of the claustrophobic town of Pecan Hollow. When Manny shows up at her doorstep a new man, fresh out of prison, Kit's profound and twisted attachment to him compels her to let him in. Immediately, Kit's world is transformed and her community is sent into a tailspin.

With its rich landscape, indelible characters, and evocative language, Shadows of Pecan Hollow is a hauntingly intimate and distinctly original debut about the strength and vulnerability of womanhood and the complexity of love--both romantic and familial. This penetrating, gritty, and unexpectedly tender novel ensnares the reader in its story of resilience and the bonds that define us.