Sneak Peek: When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
We’re excited to give you an early look at Hillary Jordan’s novel When She Woke, landing in bookstores on October 4th. (Read an excerpt at the very bottom of this post.) It’s already garnered a significant amount of pre-publication buzz, thanks to an overwhelming response from booksellers (see some of their blurbs below) and a great deal of fanfare at Book Expo America.
“When she woke, she was red. Not flushed, not sunburned, but the solid, declarative red of a stop sign.
She saw her hands first. She held them in front of her eyes, squinting up at them. For a few seconds, shadowed by her eyelashes and backlit by the hard white light emanating from the ceiling, they appeared black. Then her eyes adjusted, and the illusion faded. She examined the backs, the palms. They floated above her, as starkly alien as starfish.”
—from When She Woke
From the author whose international bestseller, Mudbound, so hauntingly re-created America’s past comes a stunning creation of America in the near future, where faith, love, and sexuality have fallen prey to politics.
Hannah Payne’s life has been devoted to church and family, but after her arrest, she awakens to a nightmare: she is lying on a table in a bare room, covered only by a paper gown, and cameras are broadcasting her every move to millions at home, for home observing new Chromes—criminals whose skin color has been genetically altered to match the class of their crime—is a new and sinister form of entertainment. Hannah is a Red; her crime is murder. The victim, says the state of Texas, was her unborn child, and Hannah is determined to protect the identity of the father—a public figure with whom she’s shared a fierce and forbidden love.
When She Woke is a stunning story about a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are released back into the population after being “chromed.” In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a path of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she has held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes the personal.
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Praise from Booksellers
“I can’t wait to put When She Woke into everybody’s hands. Bravo to Hilary Jordan. “ —Roberta Rubin, The Bookstall at Chestnut Court, Winnetka, IL
“When She Woke is a masterpiece . . . It is powerful, compelling, sensitive, and poignant. I read it in one sitting.” —Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor, MI
“Be prepared to lose sleep over the too-close-to-reality aspects of this beautifully written novel. Hillary Jordan’s When She Woke delves and connects and exposes in profound ways.” —Dana Brigham, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA
“A novel that will inspire a provocative discussion among readers.” —Michele Filgate, McNally Jackson Books, New York, NY
“When She Woke is a page turner. Just as Jordan so beautifully wrote about the injustice and tragedies of racism in America in her last novel, Mudbound, she now artfully exposes the injustices and heartbreak caused by religious extremism that, as she demonstrates in When She Woke, can arise from any rigid doctrine, even in heartland America.” —Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO
“Wow! What a read! When She Woke has everything good and delicious that one wants in a book: great characters, steady plotting, and a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, compelling, and unsettling story.” —Melinda Powers, Capitola Book Café, Capitola, CA
“I’m gobsmacked! When She Woke is riveting from page one.” —Emily Crowe, The Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA
“There’s no doubt that When She Woke is an intense book!” —Jenn Northington, Word, Brooklyn, NY
“Put this one on your book club list, because everyone is going to want to discuss it.” —Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX
“When She Woke reads like a really good movie. It’s a transformational, awakening story disguised as a fast-paced thriller.” —Debra Linn, Books & Books, Bal Harbour, FL
“I found myself telling everyone I met about When She Woke—the story is that compelling.” —Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop, Mendocino, CA
“Hillary Jordan is one of our most important political writers, and When She Woke is a very brave work.” —Lucy Kogler, Talking Leaves Books, Buffalo, NY
We can’t wait to hear what you think. Talk to us on Twitter and Facebook or leave a comment here.
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Overall Score
Reader Rating: 0 Votes
Sounds good – would love a copy to read!
I loved,loved,loved Mudbound! Would be great to win this book!
This sounds like a must-read!!
ooooh – this book sounds amazing. Kind of like The Scarlet Letter of the future. Yep, this one just went on my TBR list. Thanks for the chance to get an early copy!
Excited to check it out!
I am really excited about this book, and my husband had been talking about it too! Can’t wait to read!
I love dystopian literature. Sounds great and would love to win!
Wow! Sounds fascinating and thought-provoking. I would love to win a copy!
Wow, this sounds like The Scarlet Letter meets The Handmaid’s Tale. I’d love to read this as soon as possible!
Ooooh, this one looks really good. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy 🙂
Sounds incredibly interesting…would love to win a copy!
sounds great. Thanks for the chance to read and advise my book club!
Love the concept. Can’t wait until the book is out as well. How do you end a story like this one?
Sounds great! Would love to win a copy. Good luck everyone!
Want!! :0 this sounds great!!
Have been hearing the buzz about this book. I would love a copy to review!
Awesome. Sounds like a great read.
Looking forward to reading it!
Her last book took me by surprise, I didn’t expect such a great storyteller. I’ve been waiting for the next one ever since and would appreciate being able to read this one sooner. Please pick me!
Sounds like just what the doctor ordered for this long hot summer!
I’m new to this website and really love checking it out regularly. Sounds like a great book!
I loved MUDBOUND, so I am excited about this book.
I can hardly wait to read this book, it sounds wonderful!
I am really looking forward to When She Woke, it just sounds absolutely amazing and the premise sounds chilling. I can’t wait to read it!
WOW… I’ve been hearing about this book for a while now, and I have it on my “Must Read” list.
I’m really excited to read this! Jordan’s writing is incredible, and the first piece of the story seems as though she’s created an incredible world for her readers.
I’ve been intrigued by this one since I first saw it. Would love to have a chance to read it.
Sounds like a great book. LOVE the cover!
Sounds intriguing! Can hardly wait to read it.
Sounds intriguing! Can hardly wait to read it.
I have been digging this book ever since I first heard about it! Would love to win one of the review copies!
I have been digging this book ever since I first heard about it! Would love to win one of the review copies!
Sounds intriguing – I loved Mudbound and this one sounds even better, straight onto the wishlist it goes!
Finally — a political writer with something important to say. Or rather, ASK.
Finally — a political writer with something important to say. Or rather, ASK.
What an original and spine-tingling concept. I treasure books that entertain AND make us think. This theme reminds me a bit of The Handmaid’s Tale, which really resonated with me. I’d love to win an ARC of When She Woke!
What an original and spine-tingling concept. I treasure books that entertain AND make us think. This theme reminds me a bit of The Handmaid’s Tale, which really resonated with me. I’d love to win an ARC of When She Woke!
An interesting conception of crime and how we view criminals-not as something that can be overcome, but something that brands the criminal for life. I can’t wait to read it!
Amazing concept – futuristic adaptation of “Scarlet Letter” genre. Definitely will be at the top of my list of reading for now! Thanks for the glimpse of this must read. Appreciate all your newcomers to suspense thrillers!
First lines remind me of Gregor Samsa awakening…
Let the transformation begin.
First lines remind me of Gregor Samsa awakening…
Let the transformation begin.
This sounds so good. It’s on my to-read list, whether or not I win it.
This sounds so good. It’s on my to-read list, whether or not I win it.
I too thought of The Handmaids’s Tale when I read the description. This is going on my to-read list.
Sounds like quite an unusual idea. Combo of Kafka and King maybe? Can’t wait to read it!
Sounds like quite an unusual idea. Combo of Kafka and King maybe? Can’t wait to read it!
Looks good!
A futuristic Scarlet Letter? Sounds interesting – would love to read.
A futuristic Scarlet Letter? Sounds interesting – would love to read.
can’t wait to read this one —
This sounds so interesting! Can’t wait to read it!!
This sounds so interesting! Can’t wait to read it!!
Between our insatiable appetite for voyeuristic reality tv and a slow erosion of our rights this could be the a look into the near future? Would love to find out!
This looks like a definite page turner, I would love to give it a read!
This looks like a definite page turner, I would love to give it a read!
I just read Mudbound, and this sounds really great! Hoping…:)
I just read Mudbound, and this sounds really great! Hoping…:)
I absolutely LOVED “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan, and “The Scarlet Letter” by Hawthorne is amongst my favorites. So, this book is DEFINITELY going towards the top of my to-read list (actually, it already is, on Goodreads!). I cannot WAIT to get my hands on a copy, read and review it! 😀
I absolutely LOVED “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan, and “The Scarlet Letter” by Hawthorne is amongst my favorites. So, this book is DEFINITELY going towards the top of my to-read list (actually, it already is, on Goodreads!). I cannot WAIT to get my hands on a copy, read and review it! 😀
This sounds so good that I can hardly wait. What a talented writer and an unusual topic … leads to a movie, I’ll bet!
Mudbound has been Number 1 on my recommendation list for customers at the Brewster Bookstore and friends, and I’m so excited to read when she wrote.
Mudbound has been Number 1 on my recommendation list for customers at the Brewster Bookstore and friends, and I’m so excited to read when she wrote.
Loved Mudbound!! It was the book I chose four our book club last year and we included a field trip to hear the author speak at a local bookstore. My month to host in Nov. 2011 and I would LOVE to name this the book for our club that month. An advance copy would be an awesome boost to my plans. I can’t wait to read it!
Loved Mudbound!! It was the book I chose four our book club last year and we included a field trip to hear the author speak at a local bookstore. My month to host in Nov. 2011 and I would LOVE to name this the book for our club that month. An advance copy would be an awesome boost to my plans. I can’t wait to read it!
Oops four = for below. (insert red face here!) Apologize for the use of in instead of is as well. Man, gotta take 1 minute to proofread this stuff. Good thing I’m an avid reader and not a writer.