Celebrating Naked: A Tale of Love, Loss and Family

A deathbed promise isn’t the end. It’s the beginning for one grieving family. When Sissy came to visit Liz and Cliff Gordon, they weren't expecting her to stay. But she was pregnant and newly widowed, and more importantly, the Gordons loved her. Together, they and their children formed a family—non-traditional, but extraordinary. Eighteen years later, cancer takes Sissy, and leaves behind a legacy so vibrant the family’s grief threatens to break them. Told from six perspectives and set in sun-drenched Santa Fe, New Mexico, Celebrating Naked explores motherly love, romantic love and the love of true friendship. This debut novel is the tale of a family’s heartbreak but it reminds us that grief is a byproduct of love. "This is a mature, wonderful, provocative and starkly memorable narrative that unfolds seamlessly. The prose is well-crafted and embellished in a high-literary style and flows smoothly throughout the book. This wise novel is one of love, loss, seduction, and growth. While the complex circumstances of a third individual entering a marriage is a literary convention that has been explored before, the author is up to the task and does so in a manner that reflects an understanding of the many types of human love and the manifestations of grief. The characters are complex, truly human, and relatable." -BookLife Prize "Averill’s novel shines as it examines the nature of different forms of love within the framework of a grieving family. The story brims with vivid descriptions, particularly when Averill sets a scene ... Clara’s arc is a standout, and her romantic feelings for Artie will be relatable to anyone who’s experienced the intensity of young love. Even more intriguing are Liz’s and Cliff’s perspectives as they realize that they’ve failed to grow as a couple " - Kirkus Reviews