Miss Jane (Watson) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Brad Watson delivers delightful descriptions that will bring great joy to readers of his new book, Miss Jane. The novel has been nominated for the National Book Award, so you will not be alone in wanting extra time to re-read parts, often entire paragraphs, to savor the author’s stunning rhythm and language.  READ MORE.
Fiona Lawrence - LitLovers


[The] complexity and drama of Watson’s gorgeous work here is life's as well: Sometimes physical realities expand us, sometimes trap; sometimes heroism lies in combating our helplessness, sometimes in accepting it. A writer of profound emotional depths, Watson does not lie to his reader, so neither does his Jane. She never stops longing for a wholeness she may never know, but she is determined that her citizenship in the world, however onerous, be dragged into the light and there be lived without apology or perfection or pity.
Amy Grace Loyd - New York Times Book Review


Watson infuses the story with curiosity, uncertainty, and, not unlike Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex, a certain wildness.... The book plays on the tongue like an oyster―first salty, then cold―before slipping away to be consumed and digested.
Aditi Sriram - Washington Post


[Jane’s] fearless acceptance of what sets her apart is profoundly human, and her lifelong struggle to understand her place in the world reflects the intricate workings of our own mysterious hearts.
Gina Webb - Atlanta Journal-Constitution


One of the most spot-on, most poetic renderings of Southern vernacular this side of Charles Portis. In his hands, Miss Jane becomes an epic of a small survivor. As with fellow Mississippian William Faulkner, Watson's humble characters prevail because they endure.
Ben Steelman - Wilmington (NC) Star News


[T]he affecting, nuanced story of a girl who “did not fear her own strangeness.” ... The story of Jane’s lonely, lovely life is more powerful because of its emotional reserve. With the exception of several stagey confrontations involving Jane’s older, coarser sister, Grace, Watson lets his ethereal heroine retain her quiet, dignified air of mystery.
Publishers Weekl


(Starred review.) [Watson] dedicates his second novel to his great-aunt Mary Ellis "Jane" Clay, who as reimagined here lived a full and admirable life despite a severe limitation.... [With] beautifully precise prose, we are both absorbed and humbled. —Barbara Hoffert
Library Journal


Jane's strange yet beautiful spirit possesses a haunting, anachronistic beauty. Miss Jane is a truly original novel with a character that readers will cherish. Watson has delivered a striking and unforgettable portrait.
BookPage


If the novel has a flaw, it's a lack of traditional drama. Jane approaches life with quiet determination, so her acceptance of her own limitations ultimately becomes a strength and not a weakness. A well-written portrait of a person whose rich inner life outstrips the limits of her body.
Kirkus Reviews