Accidentals - Paperback
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About Accidentals
A 2019 National Endowment for the Arts Project Grantee
"A rich portrait of a country and its people, relayed with detail and wonder, thanks to a naturalist's eye."
--FOREWORD REVIEWS
Accidentals follows Gabriel as he accompanies his mother back to Uruguay after three decades in California. What begins as a family obligation transforms into a journey of self-discovery when Gabriel falls in love with local biologist Alejandra. The novel weaves together themes of environmental crisis, Cold War history, and transnational identity as the couple confronts both their countries' pasts and their uncertain future.
A Story of Environmental Awakening
Gabriel starts as an observer—watching his mother's family dynamics with the same detached curiosity he applies to cataloging new bird species in Uruguay's marshlands. This naturalist's perspective grounds the narrative in rich ecological detail, bringing the landscape to vivid life. When romance draws him deeper into Alejandra's world, Gabriel must confront the environmental devastation threatening their generation while untangling the political complexities inherited from their parents' Cold War era.
Transnational Family Saga
The novel explores the complexities of repatriation, cultural identity, and mother-son relationships across borders. Gabriel's journey from California desk worker to active participant in his family's saga examines what it means to belong to multiple countries and cultures simultaneously. The narrative captures the tensions, humor, and heartbreak of families separated by geography and reunited by circumstance.
Susan M. Gaines brings unique credentials to her fiction writing. Author of Carbon Dreams and the science narrative Echoes of Life: What Fossil Molecules Reveal About Earth History, Gaines combines literary craftsmanship with scientific expertise. Her background in chemistry and oceanography, along with years spent birding California's coastline, informs the naturalist elements throughout Accidentals.
Gaines has received numerous accolades including the 2018 Suffrage Science Award and an Art in Science Fellowship at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Study. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals, been selected for the Best of the West anthology, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She divides her time between California, Uruguay, and Germany, where she co-directs the Fiction Meets Science research and fellowship program.
Perfect For Readers Who Appreciate
- Character-driven literary fiction with environmental themes
- Transnational narratives exploring dual cultural identities
- Nature writing integrated with contemporary storytelling
- Family sagas spanning generations and continents
- Latin American settings and perspectives
Contributor(s)
Author
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About Accidentals
A 2019 National Endowment for the Arts Project Grantee
"A rich portrait of a country and its people, relayed with detail and wonder, thanks to a naturalist's eye."
--FOREWORD REVIEWS
Accidentals follows Gabriel as he accompanies his mother back to Uruguay after three decades in California. What begins as a family obligation transforms into a journey of self-discovery when Gabriel falls in love with local biologist Alejandra. The novel weaves together themes of environmental crisis, Cold War history, and transnational identity as the couple confronts both their countries' pasts and their uncertain future.
A Story of Environmental Awakening
Gabriel starts as an observer—watching his mother's family dynamics with the same detached curiosity he applies to cataloging new bird species in Uruguay's marshlands. This naturalist's perspective grounds the narrative in rich ecological detail, bringing the landscape to vivid life. When romance draws him deeper into Alejandra's world, Gabriel must confront the environmental devastation threatening their generation while untangling the political complexities inherited from their parents' Cold War era.
Transnational Family Saga
The novel explores the complexities of repatriation, cultural identity, and mother-son relationships across borders. Gabriel's journey from California desk worker to active participant in his family's saga examines what it means to belong to multiple countries and cultures simultaneously. The narrative captures the tensions, humor, and heartbreak of families separated by geography and reunited by circumstance.
Susan M. Gaines brings unique credentials to her fiction writing. Author of Carbon Dreams and the science narrative Echoes of Life: What Fossil Molecules Reveal About Earth History, Gaines combines literary craftsmanship with scientific expertise. Her background in chemistry and oceanography, along with years spent birding California's coastline, informs the naturalist elements throughout Accidentals.
Gaines has received numerous accolades including the 2018 Suffrage Science Award and an Art in Science Fellowship at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Study. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals, been selected for the Best of the West anthology, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She divides her time between California, Uruguay, and Germany, where she co-directs the Fiction Meets Science research and fellowship program.
Perfect For Readers Who Appreciate
- Character-driven literary fiction with environmental themes
- Transnational narratives exploring dual cultural identities
- Nature writing integrated with contemporary storytelling
- Family sagas spanning generations and continents
- Latin American settings and perspectives
Contributor(s)
Author