Exit Velocity: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

Rowan Pickett is desperate to put her life back together - which is why she goes looking for Titus Longshaw, leader of a group which seeks to unite Black, White, and Latino workers. Titus can help her get a job.

Rowan's search for work keeps getting interrupted by Jake Terranova, an arrogant podcaster from Boston who insists on interviewing her about . . . a parrot. A parrot he suspects is from another planet. And by pro-fascist Zeb Snoddy, whom she has feared since she was a teen.

She gets the job she so desperately needs, and this helps her regain the confidence and courage to demand social justice - at rallies and in her workplace. She once again becomes active in organizations to end violence against women.

The job, though, is not easy, and comes with relentless problems. Fast-paced working conditions and a foreman who has it in for her are just the start. But Rowan can handle tough situations.

Until, one dark night, as she and her best friend Keisha are walking home, Zeb Snoddy is waiting for them.

Reviews

Exit Velocity is a tale for these times - part fantasy, part political-social analysis of why we're in a boat about to go over the falls. It's also a love story. Love between good friends, between parent and child, between lovers, and best of all, love of a great parrot who wants to help us save ourselves. If you love Octavia Butler, you'll enjoy Exit Velocity.
-- Sara Paretksy, author of the V.I. Warshawski novels, recipient of the Golden Dagger, Anthony, and Cartier Diamond Dagger Awards

Exit Velocity is a multifaceted and astounding gem of a political novel, gripping and richly imagined. From the first page, Barbara Gregorich takes the reader on a captivating ride into the world of present-day Chicago left-wing activism and working-class life. With an unsettling brood of characters, the action rarely lets up as the personal and social are seamlessly tied.
-- Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, author of Writing from the Left: New Essays on Radical Culture and Politics

Exit Velocity is a captivating narrative that showcases bravery and resilience amid life's challenges. Ultimately, readers will find themselves deeply moved and inspired by its powerful message of hope, making it a genuinely compelling and impactful story. It is highly recommended. -- Manik Chaturmutha for Readers' Favorite

The author keeps the plot moving at an even pace, using a multi-POV narrative that gives readers a view into the psyche of the three main characters. You can't help but sympathize with Rowan and root for her to win her battles. While I enjoyed the dynamic between Rowan and Jake, I absolutely adored Deeply (DeePlea) the parrot. If you're a science fiction fan who loves stories that mirror real-world issues, this will be right up your alley. -- Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Author Bio

Barbara Gregorich intended to write "Exit Velocity" back in the 1960s but got swept up in the staggering social-justice events of the times: the war in Vietnam, Black Liberation, and the struggle for Equality for Women.

By the time the sixties settled, Gregorich was teaching college English courses. From there, she went on to become a typesetter, then a postal letter carrier, a writer-producer of educational filmstrips, and, finally, a novelist. "She's on First" was published in 1987.

From the time she was eleven years old, she wanted to be either a writer or a professional baseball player. Or, perhaps, both. The major leagues were closed to women - but that didn't mean Gregorich couldn't write about women playing hardball. After her novel came the highly acclaimed nonfiction work, "Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball."

And then, finally, the road of writing and the road of social justice converged. In 2021 she published "The F Words", a YA novel about teen rights and "Exit Velocity" in 2024.