The Turtle Catcher - by Nicole Lea Helget (Paperback)

About the Book

The first novel from the acclaimed author of the autobiographical "The Summer of Ordinary Ways" turns her extraordinary sensibility to a haunting love story with a heinous crime at its core.

Book Synopsis

In the tumultuous days after World War I, Herman Richter returns from the front to find his only sister, Liesel, allied with Lester Sutter, the "slow" son of a rival clan who spends his days expertly trapping lake turtles. Liesel has sought Lester's friendship in the wake of her parents' deaths and in the shadow of her own dark secret. But what begins as yearning for something of a human touch quickly unwinds into a shocking, suspenseful tragedy that haunts the rural town of New Germany, Minnesota, for generations.
Woven into this remarkable story are the intense, illuminating experiences of German immigrants in America during the war and the terrible choices they were forced to make in service of their new country or in honor of the old. The Turtle Catcher is a lyrical, vibrant, beautifully wrought look at a fascinating piece of American history--and the echoing dangers of family secrets.

From the Back Cover

"Haunting. . . . [and] difficult to put down. Exudes the confidence of a seasoned storyteller." Mankato Free Press

In the tumultuous days after World War I, Herman Richter returns from the front to find his only sister, Liesel, allied with Lester Sutter, the "slow" son of a rival clan who spends his days expertly trapping lake turtles. Liesel has sought Lester s friendship in the wake of her parents deaths and in the shadow of adark secret of her own. But what begins as yearning for something of a human touch quickly unwinds into a shocking, suspenseful tragedy that haunts New Germany, Minnesota, for generations. The Turtle Catcher is a lyrical, vibrant, beautifully wrought look at a fascinating piece of American history and the echoing dangers of family secrets."A moving portrait of difficult times and vividly realized characters." Booklist

"A great, rattling, breathless mystery composed in rolling musical cadences. The temptation is great to call this story Faulkner in the Upper Midwest. " Scott Simon, host of NPR s Weekend Edition Saturday Nicole Helgetgrew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, a childhood and place she draws on in her writing. She received her BA and an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is the author of the memoir, The Summer of Ordinary Ways."

About the Author

Born in 1976, NICOLE HELGET grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, a childhood and place she drew on in the writing of her memoir, The Summer of Ordinary Ways. She received her BA and an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She now lives with her family in Mankato, Minnesota. NPR's Scott Simon awarded The Turtle Catcher the Tamarack Prize from Minnesota Monthly based on the novel's first chapter.