Roe is like any other fifteen year old suburban Chicago teenager. Her only worries are schoolwork, keeping up with her wayward best friend, and whether or not she should sleep with her boyfriend. Then her adoptive father, a locksmith, disappears one winter's day without explanation. As Roe tries to find out where he is and why he left, her past unravels, revealing secrets and lies that will change her future forever. This is a beautiful novel about loss, identity and self-discovery in the harshest of circumstances, set in suburban Chicago. An extraordinarily assured debut.
Ramshackle
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'Ramshackle is a hugely appealing and enjoyable novel. Original, moving and insightful, it is a rare combination of pace and narrative drive with lyrical poetry of language. Characterisation is strong and Reeder uses the narrative voice of teenage Roe to great effect. There is real tension in the plotline of the missing father and a true sense of completion in the memorable ending. A beautiful book.' --Anne Donovan, author of Buddha Da and Being Emily
'Ramshackle is [Elizabeth Reeder's] first novel, and one that will undoubtedly put her firmly on the literary map... a gem of a debut, and one which should earn Reeder some well-earned acclaim.' --Scotland on Sunday
'Ramshackle deserves a place in the bestseller charts: a novel that deals with the primal fear of abandonment and portrays it through a vividly realised 15-year-old girl we can't help but identify with.' --The Herald
'There has been a buzz about Elizabeth Reeder s writing for several years now in Scottish writing circles. Ramshackle is knowing, wry and affectionate, using packed and punchy sentences which illuminate and delight. When I read Elizabeth s work I scratch my head in the familiar manner at why she isn t already being published and acclaimed!' --Alan Warner, author of Morven Callar, The Man Who Walks, The Stars in the Bright Sky
Elizabeth Reeder s Ramshackle has the narrative drive of a mystery and the sharpness of a poem. The fear of abandonment is one of the most powerful human emotions, and Reeder sustains and explores it brilliantly. --Elaine Feinstein, author of Dark Inheritance, Dreamers and The Circle
Reeder has a talent for witty dialogue particularly when she is inside Roe s head. The story races along in unexpected and intriguing ways and the characters we meet along the way are original and engaging. It is also a real treat to read a book set in the melancholy beauty of the Windy City... --Daily Mail
'Ramshackle is [Elizabeth Reeder's] first novel, and one that will undoubtedly put her firmly on the literary map... a gem of a debut, and one which should earn Reeder some well-earned acclaim.' --Scotland on Sunday
Ramshackle deserves a place in the bestseller charts: a novel that deals with the primal fear of abandonment and portrays it through a vividly realised 15-year-old girl we can t help but identify with. --The Herald
'Ramshackle is [Elizabeth Reeder's] first novel, and one that will undoubtedly put her firmly on the literary map... a gem of a debut, and one which should earn Reeder some well-earned acclaim.' --Scotland on Sunday
'Ramshackle deserves a place in the bestseller charts: a novel that deals with the primal fear of abandonment and portrays it through a vividly realised 15-year-old girl we can't help but identify with.' --The Herald
'There has been a buzz about Elizabeth Reeder s writing for several years now in Scottish writing circles. Ramshackle is knowing, wry and affectionate, using packed and punchy sentences which illuminate and delight. When I read Elizabeth s work I scratch my head in the familiar manner at why she isn t already being published and acclaimed!' --Alan Warner, author of Morven Callar, The Man Who Walks, The Stars in the Bright Sky
Elizabeth Reeder s Ramshackle has the narrative drive of a mystery and the sharpness of a poem. The fear of abandonment is one of the most powerful human emotions, and Reeder sustains and explores it brilliantly. --Elaine Feinstein, author of Dark Inheritance, Dreamers and The Circle
Reeder has a talent for witty dialogue particularly when she is inside Roe s head. The story races along in unexpected and intriguing ways and the characters we meet along the way are original and engaging. It is also a real treat to read a book set in the melancholy beauty of the Windy City... --Daily Mail
'Ramshackle is [Elizabeth Reeder's] first novel, and one that will undoubtedly put her firmly on the literary map... a gem of a debut, and one which should earn Reeder some well-earned acclaim.' --Scotland on Sunday
Ramshackle deserves a place in the bestseller charts: a novel that deals with the primal fear of abandonment and portrays it through a vividly realised 15-year-old girl we can t help but identify with. --The Herald
About the Author
Elizabeth Reeder, originally from Chicago, lives in Scotland. Her writing has been published in anthologies and journals including The Kenyon Review, Chapman, PN Review, and Gutter Magazine, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She teaches on the Creative Writing Programme at University of Glasgow.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By katso
Format:Paperback
Ramshackle is lean, taut storytelling and a compelling read. Reeder keeps us close to her main character Roe throughout as she searches for her father and, with her, we experience the shifts in emotion as she starts to see her father as a flawed individual with a past of his own. His profession as a locksmith is symbolic but never overplayed and the metaphorical unlocking is handled with a skilful lightness of touch. Aside from the tough and likeable Roe the other characters (her best friend, her aunt) have their own stories, which makes their relationships with Roe complex and genuine and the wintery, lakeside setting is vivid and lasting. Highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By mummalicious
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Gets to a point where you can see the end coming a long time off and there were some unsatisfactory explanations.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ramshackle is interesting contemporary book, certainly not filled with cotton candy and rainbows and it really makes you think too. Mostly about sex. More on that later. The characters in this were all really interesting and when it came to the secondary characters, I wanted to walk home with them and find out their life story too. I particularly liked the coffee guy that I can't research the name of because my iPod has eaten it's battery power.
Roe is kinda weird though. In most ways she's a typical 15 year old teen, has sex for the first time (no detail or anything, don't panic), worries about her best friend, brushes her teeth (I hope). But then she thinks and does some really strange things which makes me wonder just what her dad has been teaching her all her life. She's always thinking about people's bodyparts, and sex - what they might get up to at home, in really odd detail, like her teachers and her aunt, of all people. I'm not sure about your mental stability but I've never thought about my aunt bumping rudies. When she's not doing that she's thinking about the time she wiped snot on the table.
Roe's Dad is the main subject here, mainly that he's GONE and no-one knows where he is. So begins a rather interesting search of self discovery. Or something fancy sounding like that. Roe learns who she is, and who her Father really is, with a lot of uncomfortable home truths. We see her exercising her new found freedom too - stealing a car and going to parties, wandeirng around Chicago at one point. When we do finally find out what happened to her Dad I was relieved - it was quite close to the end and I was quite worried I'd never found out and end up eating my iPod in despair or something.
Roe is kinda weird though. In most ways she's a typical 15 year old teen, has sex for the first time (no detail or anything, don't panic), worries about her best friend, brushes her teeth (I hope). But then she thinks and does some really strange things which makes me wonder just what her dad has been teaching her all her life. She's always thinking about people's bodyparts, and sex - what they might get up to at home, in really odd detail, like her teachers and her aunt, of all people. I'm not sure about your mental stability but I've never thought about my aunt bumping rudies. When she's not doing that she's thinking about the time she wiped snot on the table.
Roe's Dad is the main subject here, mainly that he's GONE and no-one knows where he is. So begins a rather interesting search of self discovery. Or something fancy sounding like that. Roe learns who she is, and who her Father really is, with a lot of uncomfortable home truths. We see her exercising her new found freedom too - stealing a car and going to parties, wandeirng around Chicago at one point. When we do finally find out what happened to her Dad I was relieved - it was quite close to the end and I was quite worried I'd never found out and end up eating my iPod in despair or something.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good read, but
A good read, but not a great read. I enjoyed this book, but it has not left a very discernible mark.
Published 23 days ago by Violet Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisitely Written
This isn't a fast-paced book filled with Defcon 1 excitement, but rather a deft and nuanced narrative concerning a short period of time in the life of a teenager on the cusp of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by OZ Bookworm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Draws you in....
I really enjoyed this. I have to say that at the beginning, I found Roe a little odd in that she was seemingly completely taken aback and shocked that her dad had gone missing but... Read more
Published 2 months ago by alleycat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Haunting
Quite a haunting read with a grim ending. Well written and quite sad through the story but still a good read
Published 3 months ago by lymdylou
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unexpected Treasure
I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the kindle sample but was intrigued to find out what happened. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Busy Mum
2.0 out of 5 stars
disappointed
I was disappointed in this book as I felt it was too bitty and disjointed maybe my expectations were too high on account of the local hype beforehand
Published 5 months ago by Isobel Taaffe
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ramshackle
Really enjoyed the story. Provided great insight into the mind of a teenager struggling with, and dealing with, (her) own emotions and circumstances. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mrs. Y. Szymanski
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful debut novel
Reeder confidently deals with complex themes of loss and abandonment. Protagonist Roe is a typical teenager (though probably quite mature for her age)whose life is thrown into... Read more
Published 7 months ago by j_ellen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love and loss
What a beautiful,moving book. I loved it so much I didn't want it to end.
It's about a teenage girl, Roe, whose father disappears. Read more
It's about a teenage girl, Roe, whose father disappears. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jean Rafferty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reeder - Read her!
Ramshackle tells the story of a week in the life of 15 year old Roe Davis who, like any other typical teenager, has things on her mind: should she sleep with her rugby-playing... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Emily MacArthur
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