Welcome to another installment of If My Book, the Monkeybicycle feature in which authors compare their recently released books to weird things. This week Caitlin Hamilton Summie writes about her debut novel, Geographies of the Heart, out now from Fomite Press.
If Geographies of the Heart were a song, it would be country, full of twang and heartache and a dash of hope. The song would be more a croon than with a beat, and there would be references to loss, broken down cars, and beer. The song would be all about the lyrics and the singer’s clear voice.
If Geographies of the Heart were a dessert, it would be a chocolate bar with sea salt, that mix of sweet and salty, the taste of hope mixed with tears.
If Geographies of the Heart were a sport, it would be the hurdles. But my book would win the race no matter its placement because my book is all about learning what a win in life really is and sometimes it doesn’t mean coming in first.
If Geographies of the Heart were a season it would be fall. A time of changing colors, collecting leaves, and huddling against the cold and yet also a time of being cozy in front of a fireplace and of everyone coming together.
If Geographies of the Heart were a job, it would be a book publicist because sharing our stories matters.
If Geographies of the Heart were a location, it would be Minnesota, just before Christmas, after a long, steady snow. There would be sledding and hot chocolate and family around, as many as we could gather.
If Geographies of the Heart were a ghost, it would move like a gentle breeze and whisper, be bold, say what you mean, have no regrets, love fully and without any conditions, forgive.
Caitlin Hamilton Summie earned an MFA with Distinction from Colorado State University. Her story collection, TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS (Fomite Press), won the fourth annual Phillip H. McMath Book Award, Silver in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Short Stories, and was a Pulpwood Queen Book Club Bonus Book. Her debut novel, GEOGRAPHIES OF THE HEART (Fomite Press, January 2022), was inspired by three stories in her collection. She spent many years in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Colorado before settling with her family in Knoxville, Tennessee. She co-owns the book marketing firm, Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, founded in 2003. Find her online at caitlinhamiltonsummie.com.
