Author Spotlight: Amanda Churchill

Texas debut author, Amanda Churchill, recently published The Turtle House. (Photo: Thaddeus Harden)

This week, I am spotlighting a Texas debut author, Amanda Churchill. Her novel, The Turtle House, published this week to great acclaim by trade publications and reviewers alike. Kirkus says: “This lovingly illuminated double portrait asks us to think about what has changed and what has not, and at what cost.” Through my Patreon group with my podcast, a group read the book early and loved it. 

Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine, raved: “A heartbreakingly resonant debut, The Turtle House is a tender, big-hearted story about women, family, and the complicated history of Texas. These characters, and their tentative, flawed stumblings toward grace, will stay with me.”

I recently included The Turtle House as one of my Buzz Reads February Top 5 Picks:

Texan Amanda Churchill’s debut novel, The Turtle House, is a beautifully written gem centering around family and coming to terms with the past. The novel toggles between World War II-era Japan and Texas in the late 1990s. 

Texan Amanda Churchill’s debut novel is a beautifully written gem centering around family and coming to terms with the past. Toggling between World War II-era Japan and Texas in the late 1990s, a grandmother and granddaughter bond as they grow to understand each other better while dealing with the secrets that trouble them. While I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book, Mineko’s tales about her early life are filled with glorious descriptions of Japan and Japanese society before and during the war including life as a Japanese war bride and the importance of turtles in Japanese society.

Through these stories, Lia gains an understanding of her grandmother’s pain and sacrifice and realizes that she too must deal with her troubles versus just avoid them. This is a gorgeously written and heartwarming debut novel about history, family, intergenerational relationships, love, heartbreak, and the strength it takes to persevere through hardship.

Want to see the other four Buzz Reads Picks for February? I interviewed Amanda for my podcast, and you can listen to the interview here. I am already eager to see what Amanda will write next!

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram. Find upcoming Conversations from a Page events here.