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Holly's Hurricane
"HOLLY'S HURRICANE, smartly set in the near future after a category 4 hurricane hits New York, will appeal to futurists and history buffs. An absorbing romantic novel that will make you think in new ways about the past, present and future of our most vulnerable cities as humankind battles climate change."—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, author of THE STOWAWAY
"Here is New York City as we have never seen it, devastated by Hurricane Diana in 2040. Here too is our long overdue romantic heroine, Holly Williams, a sixty-year-old architect and immigrant struggling with ailing parents, unruly robotic aides, and an unexpected love interest twelve years her junior. Guided by a Virgil-like figure, Holly begins to realize at last her professional and personal potential as she embarks on a mission to preserve what's left of her adopted city. Prepare to be swept away by the sheer force of HOLLY'S HURRICANE—a fantastical ode to New York City's glorious and horrifying past, as well as a warning to us all for its future."—Molly Gaudry, author of WE TAKE ME APART
"Be prepared to travel through dimensions in time and space in HOLLY'S HURRICANE. This is the kind of novel that haunts you, and you’ll find yourself thinking about it for days to come. You’ll become Holly, a brilliant architect, walking through the ruins of New York City in 2040 after a hurricane has devastated the city. Gorgeously written and incredibly wise, it’s a page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering if you’ve just looked through the window of our very vulnerable future. But as Marie Carter asks, 'How could something so pretty and intricate emerge from some devastation?' Carter shows us that all is not lost, as she carves the beauty out of the destruction."—Liz Scheid, author of THE SHAPE OF BLUE
"Here is New York City as we have never seen it, devastated by Hurricane Diana in 2040. Here too is our long overdue romantic heroine, Holly Williams, a sixty-year-old architect and immigrant struggling with ailing parents, unruly robotic aides, and an unexpected love interest twelve years her junior. Guided by a Virgil-like figure, Holly begins to realize at last her professional and personal potential as she embarks on a mission to preserve what's left of her adopted city. Prepare to be swept away by the sheer force of HOLLY'S HURRICANE—a fantastical ode to New York City's glorious and horrifying past, as well as a warning to us all for its future."—Molly Gaudry, author of WE TAKE ME APART
"Be prepared to travel through dimensions in time and space in HOLLY'S HURRICANE. This is the kind of novel that haunts you, and you’ll find yourself thinking about it for days to come. You’ll become Holly, a brilliant architect, walking through the ruins of New York City in 2040 after a hurricane has devastated the city. Gorgeously written and incredibly wise, it’s a page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering if you’ve just looked through the window of our very vulnerable future. But as Marie Carter asks, 'How could something so pretty and intricate emerge from some devastation?' Carter shows us that all is not lost, as she carves the beauty out of the destruction."—Liz Scheid, author of THE SHAPE OF BLUE
192 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2018
About the author
Marie Carter
5 books6 followersMARIE CARTER is a Scottish writer, editor, writing teacher, and tour guide, based in Astoria, NY.
Her first book, THE TRAPEZE DIARIES, based on her experiences of learning trapeze, was published by Hanging Loose Press. Her novel HOLLY'S HURRICANE will be published in November 2018.
Marie has been a guest on NPR and has been written about or featured in THE NEW YORK TIMES, QUEENS GAZETTE, HUFFINGTON POST, QNS, and many other media outlets.
Marie currently teaches Memoir and Creative Writing at Gotham Writers' Workshop.
Fascinated by New York City's macabre and little-known histories in her writing and life, she decided to further her interest by becoming a licensed tour guide with Boroughs of the Dead. She created and guides the "Haunting Histories and Legends of Astoria" tour and also leads other tours in Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, and Roosevelt Island. She also lectures on various aspects of New York City's history on a regular basis at Q.E.D. in Astoria, Queens.
Marie graduated from Edinburgh University with an MA in English Literature.
Her first book, THE TRAPEZE DIARIES, based on her experiences of learning trapeze, was published by Hanging Loose Press. Her novel HOLLY'S HURRICANE will be published in November 2018.
Marie has been a guest on NPR and has been written about or featured in THE NEW YORK TIMES, QUEENS GAZETTE, HUFFINGTON POST, QNS, and many other media outlets.
Marie currently teaches Memoir and Creative Writing at Gotham Writers' Workshop.
Fascinated by New York City's macabre and little-known histories in her writing and life, she decided to further her interest by becoming a licensed tour guide with Boroughs of the Dead. She created and guides the "Haunting Histories and Legends of Astoria" tour and also leads other tours in Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, and Roosevelt Island. She also lectures on various aspects of New York City's history on a regular basis at Q.E.D. in Astoria, Queens.
Marie graduated from Edinburgh University with an MA in English Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 3, 2019
New York-based architect Holly Williams flies to Boston, England to visit her mother who has been put in a nursing home, just days before Hurricane Diana destroys a large portion of the city. The year is 2040 and Holly’s Hurricane by Marie Carter tells how sixty-year-old Holly finds a return to New York almost impossible due to the destruction while having to adapt to a very different life in the country of her birth. But while coming to terms with her enforced provincial style of living, she begins to have strange dreams about the history and lost architecture of New York - dreams in which she visits, among others, the original Penn Station, Barnum’s Museum and the Crystal Palace; dreams which are sometimes frightening, sometimes enlightening, but dreams which slowly alter her professional views on the intrinsic significance and preservation of historic buildings, views which are shared by actor and tour guide Orlando, an attractive younger man in whom Holly confides and to whom she is drawn. Worried about the age difference however, she maintains a reserved distance and with her mother deteriorating in her nursing home, could romance possibly blossom? And beyond that, can she ever get back to the city that she loves?
Holly’s Hurricane is a charming and unusual tale which blends family, future, history and romance in a gentle story that will warm your heart. Marie Carter has created a solid cast of characters and a storyline which, although stretched over many time zones and canvasses, keeps one enthralled. The neatly constructed plot allows the narrative threads to flow at a brisk pace, with the historical vignettes providing just enough colour to whet the appetite. I thoroughly enjoyed Holly’s Hurricane and learned a lot about New York in the process. I do not hesitate to recommend it and wish Marie Carter every success with a book which I would not be surprised to see also as a film or TV series.
Holly’s Hurricane is a charming and unusual tale which blends family, future, history and romance in a gentle story that will warm your heart. Marie Carter has created a solid cast of characters and a storyline which, although stretched over many time zones and canvasses, keeps one enthralled. The neatly constructed plot allows the narrative threads to flow at a brisk pace, with the historical vignettes providing just enough colour to whet the appetite. I thoroughly enjoyed Holly’s Hurricane and learned a lot about New York in the process. I do not hesitate to recommend it and wish Marie Carter every success with a book which I would not be surprised to see also as a film or TV series.
December 16, 2018
An excellent read. Holly's Hurricane weaves together a wonderful personal story of the protagonist, Holly, as she struggles through a future disaster, while simultaneously taking us on a tour of NYC's past. Superbly done!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews