Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Back Creek
    Back Creek
    Back Creek
    Ebook278 pages4 hours

    Back Creek

    By Leslie Goetsch

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    It's the summer of 1975. Eighteen-year-old Grace Barnett knows she should be preparing to leave for college in September. But a strange Memorial Day boating accident on the creek near her Virginia home—she's the only witness to the apparent suicide—kicks off a series of events that will define her family's future as well as her emerging view of life.

    On the very day of the victim's funeral, Grace's older sister, Lillian, absent from the family for the past five years, suddenly reappears. Unfortunately, it is also the day Grace's mother chooses to quietly walk out on her family, leaving Grace to act as the mediator between her prodigal sister and her badly wounded father.

    As the summer wears on, Grace finds herself thinking less about college and more about how to mend the rifts in her family. She turns to her neighbor, Cal, a recently returned Vietnam vet, to help sort through her problems. After weathering her sister's unexpected return and pregnancy, her father's budding alcoholism, and Cal's war-induced neurosis, Grace decides to set off to rural North Carolina with the intention of bringing her mother back home.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBancroft Press
    Release dateFeb 1, 2008
    ISBN9781890862879
    Back Creek

    Related to Back Creek

    Related ebooks

    Children's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      With Whomever Will Have Me

      Dec 23, 2021

      With Whomever Will Have Me
      10 min read

    • Article

      Parting the Waters

      Dec 29, 2022

      Parting the Waters
      12 min read

    • Article

      River Kismet

      Jul 21, 2020

      River Kismet
      9 min read

    • Article

      My So-called Cottage Life

      Jun 26, 2019

      My So-called Cottage Life
      7 min read

    • Article

      Too Wild to Love

      Dec 1, 2022

      Too Wild to Love
      11 min read

    • Article

      Moon Lake Memories

      Mar 14, 2019

      Moon Lake Memories
      4 min read

    • Article

      Lake House Reverie

      May 17, 2021

      Lake House Reverie
      9 min read

    • Article

      I Discover A Place I Already Knew

      Jan 8, 2020

      I felt cold chills down my arms when I realized that I recognized this book's setting: We had a home on the exact river the author was describing.

      3 min read

    • Article

      On Aging

      Mar 1, 2022

      On Aging
      9 min read

    • Article

      Past The Edges Of Town

      Jan 27, 2022

      Past The Edges Of Town
      10 min read

    • Article

      Lake House Reverie

      May 17, 2021

      Lake House Reverie
      9 min read

    • Article

      Too Wild To Love

      Nov 24, 2022

      Too Wild To Love
      11 min read

    • Article

      A Chapel of One’s Own

      Nov 21, 2022

      A Chapel of One’s Own
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Home Stretch

      Sep 24, 2021

      The Home Stretch
      6 min read

    • Article

      Gringo Honeymoon

      May 17, 2021

      Gringo Honeymoon
      5 min read

    • Article

      SMALL Ponds

      Aug 5, 2019

      SMALL Ponds
      17 min read

    • Article

      Gringo Honeymoon

      May 17, 2021

      Gringo Honeymoon
      5 min read

    • Article

      Eating My Words

      Nov 15, 2021

      Eating My Words
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Courage To Be Happy

      Feb 1, 2023

      MARRIAGE and columns have this in common: you tend to repeat yourself. More than once in these pages, I have quoted the New Yorker’s legendary film critic Pauline Kael. After President Nixon’s landslide victory in 1972 she wrote: ‘I live in a rather

      3 min read

    • Article

      Table Talk

      Sep 1, 2022

      Table Talk
      10 min read

    • Article

      As the World Collapses

      Jul 27, 2017

      As the World Collapses
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Lives of Bryan

      Jun 1, 2023

      The Lives of Bryan
      19 min read

    • Article

      A Love Supreme

      Oct 9, 2021

      A Love Supreme
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Back Creek

    4.5/5

    3 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      It’s the summer of 1975 and Grace Barnett has just graduated high school in the Tidewater area of Virginia. She’s looking forward to a carefree summer before college in the fall. But life doesn’t always give you what you want. The first few days of summer bring a series of events that will have a profound impact on her family.A loud noise on the creek behind her house wakes Grace up early one morning. Putting on her glasses and looking out the window, she sees a speeding boat plow into the pier across the creek, shattering into pieces. Standing at the helm was a tall man, whose long hair was blowing out behind him. Tommy White died in that crash.Soon after, Grace’s mother leaves the house in her high heels and smart looking suit on one of her routine visits to her sister who is institutionalized in a mental hospital in Williamsburg. Grace has a feeling she’s not coming back.At Tommy’s funeral, Grace sees a vision in white out of the corner of her eye. As she makes her way in that direction she realizes it is Lillian, her estranged older sister. Lillian abruptly left home six years ago after harsh words from their father. She had not been seen since. Her departure started the downward spiral of the Barnett family. What will her return do to the family?Lastly, this summary would not be complete without mentioning Cal, the twenty year old Vietnam veteran who lives on a boat across the creek. Solitary, Cal and Grace sometimes sit on the dock, late at night, sipping beer, Grace talking, Cal listening, taking comfort in each other’s presence. In Back Creek, Grace says that she and her father love telling stories and through Grace, Leslie Goetsch’s story telling abilities shine. Grace recounts her eventful summer in a voice that mimics the actual events, some fast paced, some slow. Slowly the family dynamics unfold and slowly the idealized vision of her family gives way to the realistic version. Goetsch has a nice writing style, more literary. The characters have depth. They come alive and you’ll feel like neighbors. You’ll immediately get sucked into the story and want to know what happens to Grace and Lillian and Cal. I certainly wouldn’t mind following Grace to college and seeing what her first year is like. I like Leslie Goetsch’s writing style and I like her story. I’d like to read more stories from her. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by Back Creek.
    • 4/5
      Back Creek is the story of Grace, the summer after graduating from high school. For most, this would be a time filled with friends, parties and fun before getting ready to leave for college, but for Grace it is different. She is a homebody, lives in her books and prefers only the company of Cal across the creek. When she sees a boat speeding down the creek one early morning, she has no idea that it will not be the only shock of the summer and the catalyst for her to do something more.Set in 1975, Back Creek takes place in the year that I was born. Despite this I had no problem relating to Grace and understanding what she goes through this summer. I definitely felt for her as she unexpectedly has to deal with a borderline alcoholic father, an absent mother, her returned sister that had left five years before, a death, and the boy she loves but is still dealing with memories from the war.“Amazing Grace” is what Cal calls her and it is very evident that that is what she is as she gracefully deals with her family and friend. This was a great coming of age story. I truly enjoyed every bit of it.
    • 5/5
      18-year-old Grace Barnett has led a quiet, unassuming, mediator life on the Virginian peninsula of Back Creek. That is, until she witnesses the suicide of Tommy White on the Creek, and her five-years-absent older sister Lillian shows up at Tommy’s funeral, pregnant—the same day that their mother leaves them with no promises to return. With a pregnant, self-centered sister and a withdrawn alcoholic father, Grace knows that she must stay strong and keep what’s left of their family together.Her only respite is snatched moments drinking beer with Cal, the young man with Vietnam War ghosts who lives in a boat across the Creek. As Grace grows closer to Cal and their family slowly begins to heal, she realizes that she is stronger than she thinks, and that only she is able to piece together the long shattered bits of her family and possibly emerge victorious, a changed and better person.BACK CREEK is, in short, a pure slice of heaven. If Sarah Dessen were to write a languorous and luxurious coming-of-age novel set in unpredictable estuary waters, the result would be something like this. Goetsch’s language rings with an assuredness that belies the ten years she spent writing BACK CREEK. That, combined with a memorable cast of characters and a subtly right mixture of everything necessary to a good novel—family secrets, a splash of romance, terror, and self-triumph—makes BACK CREEK one of the most moving books I have read this year.The protagonist, Grace, acts and thinks with a maturity far beyond her age; the deliberate, drama-less, yet innocent way in which she responds to her predicament draws us in and makes us empathize with her. I use the term “drama-less” because, while her family situation is certainly not good, Grace deals with the issues presented to her in a purposeful manner devoid of nauseating amounts of self-pity typical in many young adult coming-of-age novels. Grace’s mental and emotional strength, and her determination to remain optimistic and try to keep her family together, make me respect her highly.The setting of Back Creek is one in which I would love to live in another life. Leslie Goetsch skillfully places us in the midst of the deliberate politeness and quirkiness of a backwaters town, and there we want to remain. No aspect is overdone: you’re at peace and yet you’re intrigued there.All in all, BACK CREEK is an understated book that deserves to be more publicized, to be read more. Do consider checking out Leslie Goetsch’s fantastic novel when you want a comfortable yet heartwarming read.

    Book preview

    Back Creek - Leslie Goetsch

    P1^book_preview_excerpt.html\ێFr[. `k@3>fYEI&$TzG_sND  ť|3}s~S7woeN8 1|'tz뿛*/j>,jn|ku[?V;\quc337ԍ!O)qsem MuYJN[<nz,m{դ_|ܮjCy軼,f\4yrZ&n+zPxB8US uĭ‚z;7|b+[Gq-K9J݌kqSsrQ ˃$u 6PcU;wx^;<.VXC^|si͑O xP] 6q}!y˒XXl|m.*{2 :pW"wtg69L\7D[ymJvY2xancDPXj0[[ +:G|*sɩŚ bs.-r1QOvPI k`arnoxհ-,Ź#m`QX}6$%tC|e 5'yaimpӠ8"$_+ r&BrebCvqŲΑN!.Ky\z,xẘv߆n3$<v 毰b~y\m֍!/傻-A! ޺9>ݐ>_6LV M,n@=TpD[43o4!n2.sCIif6.a}~d- >5~ÜSxNț"~>lߙhaT [z3) qe#nHw^y3[G׾ǎLP5}#cov8?")Vij-N 6-LI гҸc Du0L,Gx}\E"2Kl^}Ӗp.Ȉȵ+`C[>(9Rku t )1Rg([ X #A\[ ,=gȼrAe5O,UQ ncHOLQGes2Q^ҍROmuZz P~k;BI1f05 tWؘ3V.HiqGTOHt,(y*B % AgfBh9̈NPPr@sy=cC:g2TuCүoO%`q!ig@ NtsE "vmSNXQVBpd\{/a擟"hFh54EchssS}Sҥ"R`}]RaVf% 6KBwoi;Sʤ~ͻ~eDnC8cZĠ,ܳۙyK0~WɛGpW9 *z>󏂽E%@M -xa]wZ pFy0Ǧtmid_}FECe5CWD`+J(xr3۹1mgV7~ T.}z;ca#Qo;SUsw",7ԦU5\:3V xgDgyc1W6]ϋ񅕹(/tMdDj3̇L'm!ZB52 PȌH`qX- d?^dȶ C=n7ė) YSEh3bfwwuCbji},V52P8!Ĕd,M #g#]uo3N(X ]$oQ$de٢R_tx(dA5SXz "ȕK{K|evǿ#œYƪxir6?f/L@_%ԟ `D#w#z[wf eF+v߼KΫ<2!:>{Ǔ;_X׿ş;59 h4_$i1atWbwJP;z09Ѯ^ .YR ̴{-4O(j{V3te 3^HE٢7P@. @8Ta8P +Ұ@)Ws/S1l Rt$u(bT~ɨemިw;C H"Yhn7tkf[>3vY(xS~bJ3ɈQt f&o(}JjuT[2?OH5CAZdgTEwGop{b$q-2=蕡өs p_Dٯ󳒾 ~EГCٻM/ĪL=KsavW.ˬX2HB5PRm1:' P=*Xnh†!4q#[P pH-P*'wΖq=$)Aq`FZdLa3o3V]M\ zzחǒOPU'f~@դFY+PjtٛC/sJY+_ǺAHvNsCq3w :.^HIevJݝGz/ 7IFB8Cp%Ɏ 1&! ؑGur i3)#^5XRX)vޅhOXynC9;+mBOD6БO8unUiVV553>뭻qP'ݽ5l>xv H93} R t!_o:H9dՑܺ^fA6y,7͒k*Gloo,pR'O6qv>y/!Ej5瓝a2ԏFl;;|==KЙ0 u/-X:ˤB=`(:sRΪ)Sї볋OohWHɆ7֤duoruu[ 5xc{Ww3"LR ;Ti]Ғ5ϼ}([!};"K.2Ipa=xXTf.۬vJab'VƧ xqz%*ERH}_/F-|W ,'.Ҍ|b^ :a묁2oި9Ã?ޙUt3PP#u[{6TQ b80Q^V+<zgrv,<`R'Kn͡[i^47w`q)|`2YnaWb">9"'4 ?maPBZ8LK/'KjWuv2]ә7u@\3N5.WִVmDwKjЭ&uDp2s-ڱR K_9wn+.Α~شsX ̜W/up%(?QQD! Phq|]h]dЧd!a,l㉹_1Tc,dgכT!(ie8ԴqC%qe';Q,Yt1.Z|4Vg@aZN9qYÈn^Υլ))d? +ǣ4*4^V׏ЉFDN|#Yv(Sq0v(q87dz>F(iAu qۄg߿JڛG2H8na/qMs9B H!|{y(KʘB/q@8^䒬BDzv@jL[gUVyi\φT4;&szpC#P>=cSutGK9W6)aA+t˴*, -*1yid4SPàג68җa5yѲ8]v10ltgӥ?Aq/G\3|x'=Kvv g[ZLpX\-)#6mV qi*J7|tS[[헆 i.  +K@IkEb?¾rJufݯv pCYN,U{>|g(kdfΛKԶ^J'xaJstPz^8)3 l޽2YyJ2+BvY$ C) gCCN a+~7b4$Cy- )|Fm0ݖX?ŝ;nB'ܣ&& Fy xi=gs4up9"D=C<'dhYϠ F9ٺ8k`8I xS1_(ptW(sm*6wZu;* o_=>Qg~uOn|;Gc`=c#+nv m (e5u\oɯH!՞5R p-Rq+q7W(o٬éffpЫ3Ǵj ;X8LKjR/S6l܉Ol )#""e7HDU!dH'dWF_5-b+춷X%||F*`r'IL]-o:ŬGS^#尜v<; TQܢsD~Iea'!n퇷 [U-Yэ^o>"̀5wӊHUw5'YcxcWӶ kX\=g݆ ~9#kB=bۊb_0w/R:\G{خnTʍanOvo ^ufPĒ}V~3499av E)m9t q8q^*{M<j5UT%riz=b5Z_WQFvï\#a㚎yRI-Uiܱ(YLU܍{뷷CL44wΑOe@p|II|I+{5Yr|^rOCvr{5;f˙X&z&zիEpY@v\ Qgn W FTpzt4L@3+1 5yGn$_þُX?‹׭L~;i?>e:rmv=:%{򤇝0(C/gҬ@]Ybt"@\#L.`C&6ª?Gb~H^KY8ȟHN'߫-m9^5lslnc *׀:U[Zhp+ _GPf;P+VzIϫ; ۻ)WKpԘ:ag @hWKvX`>l7yOtWf Se%{X: `%dsA0ӐmZ-N)vp|7X[aׇ[H.q,MrEq]E##n9B|bݎRwSNG-0W")n{X,7"ƼEʆ2/4"O glqU9gn{-%%!|S*V_(8͎ 86G6Dv6 wZeJTR=3JRc؍Ӄث cEmx\-IKrP9e4-8+^ݯ;0Գ !Hhȇ- gsdnC!a 1Μ"aJv -* /}9O}!|@f:$2L`E^߂,m3$5ޛc_b*;;F[6`~*wgX2rDQ<={Zَm薣sDǃ2͖7d =gJU\~Hb/d,ǥH-Ti!dbe7 3E[ ?U\eA6^XėׯB+p0N lfMq{f]!'E(j1\ujY"M- 87RbSj\vGeeߓK4~״>JI8i앞xkX Q ( \W
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1