The Melting Season

The Melting Season explores the journey and self-awakening of a small town woman as she travels into the brightly lit, big dreaming Las Vegas. By phone, author Jami Attenberg told me that she wanted to take a woman with a “small world view and expand that into a bigger world view.” Attenberg created the compelling and layered character of 25-year-old Catherine Madison, on the run from her cheating husband with a suitcase of money and overloaded by secrets. She wanted to write an “accessible character to broaden her audience,” the Brooklyn resident explained. Once in Vegas, Catherine meets the mysterious Valka and despite their different backgrounds and life experiences, the two women instantly connect. The establishment of the women’s bond combined with the unraveling of Catherine’s story makes The Melting Season an engulfing read. ( )