The Reckless Kind
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A genre-defying debut, this queer historical YA centers a wild and reckless trio who fly in the face of small-town tradition—full of compassion, love, and determination to live the lives of their choosing.
It’s 1904 on an island just west of Norway, and Asta Hedstrom doesn’t want to marry her odious betrothed, Nils. But her mother believes she should be grateful for the possibility of any domestic future, given her single-sided deafness, unconventional appearance, and even stranger notions. Asta would rather spend her life performing in the village theater with her fellow outcasts: her best friend Gunnar Fuglestad and his secret boyfriend, wealthy Erlend Fournier.
But the situation takes a dire turn when Nils lashes out in jealousy—gravely injuring Gunnar. Shunning marriage for good, Asta moves with Gunnar and Erlend to their secluded cabin above town. With few ties left to their families, they have one shot at gaining enough kroner to secure their way of life: win the village’s annual horse race.
Despite Gunnar’s increasing misgivings, Asta and Erlend intend to prove this unheard-of arrangement will succeed. Asta trains as a blacksmith; Erlend cares for recovering Gunnar. But as race day approaches, the villagers’ hateful ignorance only grows stronger. With this year’s competition proving dangerous for the trio, Asta and Erlend soon find they face another equally deadly peril: the possibility of losing Gunnar, and their found family, forever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Heath's debut unfolds against the vividly drawn backdrop of 1904 Norway, tracing the lives of three teens intent on finding their own way. Born with Waardenburg syndrome, asexual Asta Hedstrom, 18, has been taught that she should be grateful for her betrothal to Nils, a local man willing to overlook her "flaws." Though she wants only to continue acting in the village theater, she resigns herself to her fate, until Nils attacks her best friend, Gunnar, in a fit of jealousy. The moment of violence forces Asta to acknowledge the truth: she cannot marry Nils. Instead, she moves with Gunnar, who has depression as well as a spinal injury and a partial arm amputation, and his half-French boyfriend, Erlend, whose anxiety is causing ulcers, to an isolated cabin. But to maintain their freedom, the trio must first win the village's annual horse race—and its 2,000-kroner prize. In a book that frequently focuses on relationships over narrative tension, smooth writing brings the historical background to life while, through Asta and Gunnar's dual narration, delicately exploring themes of disability, independence, found family, and various forms of love. Elegant, folk-style illustrations by Perrin top each chapter; "Historical and Medical Notes" contextualize "the limitations of the language of the time" vis-à-vis representation. Ages 14–up.
