A Good Kind of Knowing

Imagine if Maeve Binchy grew up in Texas and wrote an old-school Larry McMurtry novel. Think Hope Floats meets High Fidelity. That’s how critics are describing A Good Kind of Knowing—winner of the National Federation of Press Women's 2013 Novel for Adult Readers Award—from the author of the highly acclaimed and number-one Amazon bestseller, Blue Straggler.

A Good Kind of Knowing is a novel about the power of music and friendship, the relationship two-steps that go on in old Texas dancehalls, and the secret to finding just a little bit of common ground in a world full of distrust.

What readers are saying:
“Engaging, emotionally accurate, visual and funny."

“I feel like I’m right there—I can feel the Texas heat."

“I know these people. What’s more, I like them, despite their faults.”

“My head is full of your story. It took me only two and a half days to read the book cover to cover, which means I was doing it every spare minute.”

Sera Taylor's store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.

"A Good Kind of Knowing is compelling, poignant, gorgeously written literary fiction. As with Blue Straggler, I was struck by Ms. HarrisÂ’s keen insight, stunning place detail, and luminous prose. Her characters pulse with energy and life, taking hold of your imagination even as your heart breaks. A Good Kind of Knowing is one of those rare books that beg to be read for story, and reread for its beauty and nuance." ---Terri Giuliano Long, author of In Leah's Wake

**WINNER: 1st-place winner of the Colorado PW 2013 competition - Novel for Adult Readers**