If I Knew You Were Going to Be This Beautiful, I Never Would Have Let You Go - Softcover

"[A] hauntingly written debut...Lovely."--"The Boston Globe"
"Riveting and poignant ...Although this is ostensibly a collection of 'linked' short stories, the book reads like a novel...very nearly miraculous and unexpectedly profound."--"Los Angeles Review of Books"
"Brings to mind the books of Richard Price and the films of Martin Scorsese...Wonderful...heart-wrenching and authentic."--Julie Klam, "New York Times" bestselling author of "You Had Me at Woof"
"Chicurel [has] perfect pitch for the characters' patter, which is blunt, cynical, often profane and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny...The author's masterful writing makes this short stay in Elephant Beach worthwhile."--"Kirkus Reviews"

[A] hauntingly written debut Lovely. "The Boston Globe"
Riveting and poignant ...Although this is ostensibly a collection of 'linked' short stories, the book reads like a novel...very nearly miraculous and unexpectedly profound. "Los Angeles Review of Books"
Brings to mind the books of Richard Price and the films of Martin Scorsese Wonderful heart-wrenching and authentic. Julie Klam, "New York Times" bestselling author of "You Had Me at Woof"
Chicurel [has] perfect pitch for the characters patter, which is blunt, cynical, often profane and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny The author s masterful writing makes this short stay in Elephant Beach worthwhile. "Kirkus Reviews""

[A] hauntingly written debut Lovely. The Boston Globe
Riveting and poignant ...Although this is ostensibly a collection of 'linked' short stories, the book reads like a novel...very nearly miraculous and unexpectedly profound. Los Angeles Review of Books
Brings to mind the books of Richard Price and the films of Martin Scorsese Wonderful heart-wrenching and authentic. Julie Klam, New York Times bestselling author of You Had Me at Woof
Chicurel [has] perfect pitch for the characters patter, which is blunt, cynical, often profane and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny The author s masterful writing makes this short stay in Elephant Beach worthwhile. Kirkus Reviews"

A wise, clear look at what it was to be a young woman at a singular time in our countrya beautiful, accomplished book.”Katie Crouch,New York Times bestselling author of Girls in Trucks

It is 1972, and America is losing its innocence. So are the girls of Elephant Beach, a working-class town on the edge of Long Island. Families come here from the city to escape, to protect their kids, but even with the smell of the sea in the air and the quaint bungalow houses lining the streets, trouble can be found if you’re looking for it: drinking and drugs, racial tensions and bar fights, alluring young men back from Vietnam with damage that is not always visible. Soaked in the atmosphere of a once idyllic place undergoing tumultuous change, observant and wise about the struggles young women face, these are beautiful portraits of mothers and daughters, men and women, haves and have-nots that capture the eternal struggle between holding on to what we have, and daring to hope for something more.

READERS GUIDE INSIDE