The Nut Hut

In late January, 1971, eighteen-year-old Becky Decker reported for her first day of work at Byerley State Hospital and School, a state-run institution spoken of mostly in whispers. She hoped to make friends, and to "make a difference" in her very first job. What she found during that week was a world of heartbreak and hope in a universe that no longer exists. "Kathleen Taylor is one of the best storytellers around. The Nut Hut is a total-immersion into the 1971 world of residential care for the mentally retarded. It is ruthlessly honest, but at the same time extraordinarily moving. A totally captivating novel that will draw you in and not let you out until the last page is read." Denise Swanson--New York Times Bestselling Author of the Scumble River and Devereaux's Dime Store series "The Nut Hut is a chilling tale about the cold heart of state institutions. A smart, insightful novel, it s full of more truths than any ten works of nonfiction and way more entertaining." Reed Farrel Coleman, three-time Shamus Award-winning author of Gun Church "Kathleen Taylor's brilliant novel "The Nut Hut" takes the reader on a harrowing trip inside a state institution for people with mental disabilities, circa 1971. Through young Becky Decker's baptism of fire -- her first week on the job -- we explore Byerley State Hospital with the eyes of an innocent. Our appreciation for the workers and the patients and their day-to-day dance of survival grows along with Becky's own. By the end, we're confident that she -- and we -- have a better understanding of them all. Highly recommended." --Steve Brewer, author of the Bubba Mabry mysteries "A sweeter, less caustic version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest, the Nut Hut by Kathleen Taylor is the story of attendant Becky Decker s first week in a mental institution during the early 1970 s. Still, the story retains a bite. The prose is velvety smooth, and the sharp characterizations make for a fast, unputdownable read. I recommend it highly, if only to remind those of us who are not impaired how blessed we really are." Libby Fischer Hellmann, author of A BITTER VEIL