The Year of Needy Girls, Paperback

"Recalls both Hellman's The Children's Hour and Lehane's Mystic River in a story about murder and false accusations."--Bay Area Reporter "A tense story about a small town swept up in bigotry and paranoia after the brutal murder of a local boy sends the residents into a frenzied witch hunt...Smith's crisp prose and dedication to realistic moral ambiguity make for a provoking read."--Publishers Weekly "Smith's first novel successfully builds tension and a sense of dread among the picture-perfect New England fall."--Library Journal XPress Reviews "Smith shows us the power of fiction to fully describe the internal and external forces that set the scene for unfounded accusations...Smith deftly builds tension...Smith shows us both the damage that will be ongoing and the revelations and growth that can arise out of ugly times. This is something to remember for the times ahead."--Lambda Literary "Smith conveys the impact of this prejudicial hostility on two young women who are struggling to make their way in an intolerant world with a tender and delicate understanding in this nuanced tale of identity and misperception, connection and alienation."--Booklist Online Included in Book Riot's list of 9 Small Press Books to Read in January 2017 "This well crafted novel stands out for a number of reasons--the nuanced descriptions of the characters' complex feelings, the realistic portrayal of how quickly a person's life and a community can fall into crisis, and the focus on two lesbians and the challenges they face."--World Wide Work "A recommended novel that explores small town bigotry."--She Treads Softly "A tale of persecution where it shouldn't have happened...There are many people you can't trust. And it's hard to tell."--Journey of a Bookseller "Smith is an artist of prose, utilizing her palette to create a complex landscape of anger and ignorance...Extremely relevant."--Thoughts on This n' That "The Year of Needy Girls is a study in hypocrisy and small-town secrets. Patricia