Valeria Vose: A Novel

(Paperback)

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KEY SELLING POINTS:

A 2011 study published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior found that about 23% of men and 19% of women in heterosexual relationships reported having cheated on their partner.

According to the APA, about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce.

Current trends indicate a movement away from traditional religion towards more inclusive views of spirituality; a. A 2014 Guardian article reported that 20% of British people and 25% of Americans describe themselves as spiritual, not religious.

AUDIENCE:

Book clubs

Spiritual seekers

Women who have faced adultery/betrayal/divorce

Southern literature fans

Artists

Reviews

2019 IPPY Gold Medal Winner in South - Best Regional Fiction

What makes the narrative exceptional is its nuanced approach to Mallies spiritual transformation.
Kirkus

Thought-provoking, well-written, and emotionally riveting.
Valerie MacEwan, Editor and Publisher of The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature

Alice Gormans beautiful first novel tracks the eponymous Valerias journey as she finds her way from dutiful wife and mother to independent and enlightened single woman, aware of herself and sure of her place in the world. Gorman is exquisitely attuned to social nuance and psychological detail, and she renders this communityMemphis in the mid-twentieth centurywith wonderful accuracy. This is a necessary story about a journey all women take in one form or another, and the book is enriched by Gormans wisdom and compassion. Brava.
Roxana Robinson, author of Sparta

Here is that rare jewela spellbinding literary pageturner. It's hard not to love its desperate and fascinating heroineMallie, Memphis mother, ex-belle, and artistcaught at a point of extreme crisis. You literally can't put this book down, from the surprise revelation of Mallies husband's repeated infidelity through her priest's sexual exploitation during counseling sessions. Mallies determined search for her own spiritual self and her authentic identity is a winding trail that leads her into the past and back again, a rejuvenation through honesty and art. Beautifully written by Alice Bingham Gorman, this everywomans journey is a trip well worth taking.
Lee Smith, author of Dimestore: A Writers Life

In this impressive debut novel, Mallie Malcolm of Memphis, Tennessee, boldly transforms herself into the titular Valeria Vose. Mallie/Valerias story is that of so many women of a certain generation, an arc Alice Bingham Gorman traces with the sense and sensibility of a true artist.
Robin Lippincott, author of Blue Territory: A Meditation on the Life and Art of Joan Mitchell

A moving and honest portrayal of a woman who finds herself propelled into uncertainty and turmoil when her relatively sheltered and secure life is blasted apart by a betrayal. Alice Gormans story will carry you through waves of aftershocks into a heartfelt exploration of how a life gets pieced back together, slowly and painfully, and how a seeming disaster can carry the seeds of new hope and deeper meaning.
Eleanor Morse, author of White Dog Fell From the Sky

"Valeria Vose is a brilliant, heartbreaking, and affirming story of a womans life after the disintegration of her marriage. Set in 1976 in Memphis, a city still reeling after the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., the novel tells the story of a young mother struggling to find her way forward, rediscover herself, and expand her world. Valeria is resilient, honest, and funny. Spending time with her and the people in her life is a treat. The duck hunting scene! England! That priest! I'd like to ring his neck. Valeria, I miss you already."
Elizabeth Stuckey-French, author, Writing Fiction: A Guide to the Narrative Craft, The Revenge of the Radio-active Lady

Valeria Vose made it through the dark tunnel like so many of us have done. This book reveals the 'shadow side' of feminine life in the South and the commitment it takes to recover from it.
Linda Douty, author of Rhythms of Growth: 365 Meditations to Nurture the Soul

The great gift of this book is Alice Gormans willingness to take a deep dive into multilayered truth and deliver the wisdom into our hands as model and inspiration. She captures many of the themes/issues/struggles women undergo, both in past decades and even to this day.
Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, former Bishop of Maine

Author Bio

Alice Bingham Gorman is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She earned an MFA in Writing from Spalding University in 2005 and received an Honorary PhD in Fine Arts from the Memphis College of Art in 2001. Her writing has been published in Vogue, O, the Oprah Magazine, Os Little Book of Love and Friendship, The Louisville Review, and countless regional periodicals and art publications. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she now divides her time between Maine and Florida. Valeria Vose is her first novel.