11/2020 — Marjorie Celona’s second novel, How a Woman Becomes a Lake (Penguin Random House CA), appeared last March! !n her own words, “the book is about transformation—the way grief transforms us; the way love transforms us; and how certain events disfigure us and damage us.” Critic Jake Kerridge sees the novel as “an exploration of toxic masculinity, [though] unusually compassionate and non-judgmental.” Myles McWeeney praises How a Woman Becomes a Lake as a “highly original, beautifully crafted literary thriller packed with characters that linger long in the mind.”

Congratulations to our beloved mentor, colleague and friend!

“At its heart, the novel is an exploration of toxic masculinity, but it is unusually compassionate and non-judgmental, recognizing the complexity of both heroes and villains. It’s a rarity: a book confected with satisfying artfulness that feels like a slice of real life.”

—Jake Kerridge

“A highly original, beautifully crafted literary thriller packed with characters that linger long in the mind.”

—Myles McWeeney