"Sharp in both wit and sorrow, readers will keep changing their minds about Hannah's path until the very end." --Theanna Bischoff, author of Left, Swallow and Cleavage
In this haunting debut novel, Carrie Mumford tells an achingly-relatable story of first love, the intricacies of memory, and finding the strength to follow one's own dreams.
Since her mother's tragic death, Hannah has known how her life would turn out: she'd marry her high school sweetheart, take over her father's ranch, and live happily ever after. So when her boyfriend starts dating someone else, and her father decides to put the ranch up for sale, Hannah's perfect plans crumble like the soil in the drought-ravaged fields. But when travelling ranch hand and rodeo star Will Ludlow shows up, Hannah begins to question everything she once believed to be true.
Perfect for fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde and Nicholas Sparks, All But What's Left is at once an emotionally triumphant coming-of-age story, a rumination on the nature of family secrets and memory, and a novel that reminds us first love(s) are never forgettable. Seamlessly weaving between three points in Hannah's life, All But What's Left is a book that asks: What do you do when finding happiness requires breaking someone's heart--maybe even your own?
Mumford’s debut, a story of a young Canadian woman in a small town, is a deft blend of romance and emotional mystery. In 1981, when Hannah Tatum was six years old, her mother was accidentally killed by her father while shooting a bear on their property, and the incident echoes into her adulthood. In 1996, when Hannah is 21, her boyfriend Radek is away at college and he decides they should try dating others while they’re apart “for fun.” Hannah dislikes the idea but passively accepts it. She’s less accepting of her father’s decision to sell the family ranch. Hannah gradually gains inner strength when she meets a handsome young cowboy, Will, who has been hired to help prepare the ranch for sale. Time is fluid as Hannah, in 1996, frequently revisits memories of her childhood friendship with Radek blossoming into love, and she often fights to recall the circumstances of her mother’s death. When Hannah decides to learn more about the accidental killing—her father was briefly suspected of murder—her world begins to expand beyond its narrow, small-town borders. The naiveté of youth and a protected life are expressed well during the earlier narratives, but 21-year-old Hannah is often portrayed as too quaint. Still, the exploration of love and heart-touching mystery keep the pages turning in this solid novel. (BookLife)
