Carry the One

A Novel

Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen's wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidently hits and kills a girl on a dark country road. For the next 25 years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, connect, disconnect, and reconnect with one another and their victim. As one character says, "When you add us up, you always have to carry the one."

Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest tragedies and joys of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to one another than we'd expect. Deceptively short and simple in its premise, this novel derives its power and appeal from the author's beautifully precise use of language; her sympathy for her very recognizable, flawed characters; and her persuasive belief in the transforming forces of time and love.

©2012 Carol Anshaw (P)2012 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Splendid . . . seductive . . . vivid. . . . In sketches, landscapes, and erotic etchings, [Anshaw] carries not just one but all her characters through a quarter century of adulthood. And she makes the task look graceful.” ( Entertainment Weekly, A)

"Anshaw has a deft touch with the events of ordinary life, giving them heft and meaning. . . . Funny, touching, knowing . . . a quiet, lovely, genuine accomplishment." ( Publishers Weekly, Starred Review)

“Masterful in her authenticity, quicksilver dialogue, wise humor, and receptivity to mystery, Anshaw has created a deft and transfixing novel of fallibility and quiet glory.” (Donna Seaman, Booklist, Starred Review)

poetry in storytelling

I started reading (listening to this book from audiobooks) when I was in Dubai recently for a short visit. I also found her book listed in The Week, upon my return home.
Since I was distracted by a lot in Dubai, as I walked and photographed faces and places I had never seen, I got lost a lot in the first part of the book. This made it all the more enjoyable.
I kept restarting it and listening again to the story in different parts, and the words kept giving me new pictures to envision and new phrases that gave me a singular view of a character, an experience, a spiritual view, and a connectedness of of the lives of many people I know, and might have known. This is a book to read again and enjoy for a long time. I keep wanting to jot down crystal phrases of feelings. Many thanks, Carol, for giving us this story of love and mystery.

Ann Declue, MD
Falling Waters, WV

Carry On...Without Me

"Taste is subjective"... mine rejected this one after about 3 hours.

I could NOT get into this. I disliked it immediately (something I rarely feel). I found the characters almost repulsive with nothing even remotely likeable or interesting about the lot of them as they meandered through their lives...which seemed pointless--at least up to the 3 hour mark. I bailed, and am disqualifying myself from anything other than putting my honest opinion of an abbreviated experience in writing.

To possible readers--I'd suggest reading other reviews, listening to the sample provided, in making your choice.Carry the One must get exponentially better--because it has garnered great reviews everywhere, and I don't want to discourage anyone from a read that may become their very favorite flavor.

Couldn't Get Through It

Everyone's raving about this book but I just couldn't get into it. The story lines of the various characters really confused me and halfway through the book I realized I didn't know any of their names, who was related to who nor did I care about a single one...so I stopped, which I rarely do.

Was npt what I was led to believe.

The subject matter could have been more clearly defined. The descriptions and story matter were repulsive.

Just couldn't get in to it.

I could not get into this book. I found the start of the book cluttered with too many characters that was hard to keep straight throughout the book. I had to keep asking, which one was this again? I think the writer could have had a good story but unfortunately the first 7 chapters barely mentioned the story line with the outcome of taking the life of the child. I read this book in my book club and of the five of us in the club, all of us felt the same way.