JoAnne Tompkins was inspired to become a writer by the human resiliency she observed in her first career as a mediator and judicial officer. She lives in Port Townsend, Washington.
Praise for What Comes After:
Named a Best New Book of the Spring by Parade, Good Housekeeping,
Bustle, and more!
“Gripping . . . What Comes After juxtaposes the often brutal
natural world, with its crepuscular woods, twisty paths, and wild
creatures, and the “civilized” world, with its own dark places and
feral inhabitants. Ms. Tompkins’s understanding of both is
palpable. So is her compassion.” —The Wall Street Journal
“If you enjoyed The Searcher by Tana French, read What Comes After
by JoAnne Tompkins. . . . a mystery—and a gritty meditation on loss
and redemption, drenched in stillness and grief.” —The Washington
Post
“Nail-biting wallop of a debut novel . . . Tompkins delivers a
thoughtful, unexpectedly optimistic tale.” —The New York Times
“Rich in characters, atmosphere, and storytelling, this book has it
all. . . . If you are looking for something deeply emotional, full
of memorable characters, this is it.” —San Francisco Book
Review
“This debut vibrates with mystery. Why would a teen kill his
friend, then himself? Why does the victim’s dad take in a pregnant
stranger? As the dots slowly connect, the characters reveal their
complex humanity and help us touch our own.” —People
“What Comes After is equal parts thrilling mystery and aching
examination of grief and guilt.” —Time
“[A] story about forgiving the unforgivable, gaining new family,
and hope.” —Shondaland.com
“What Comes After is a poignant and suspenseful debut novel about
the tensions of love, anger, courage, forgiveness, and everything
in between. . . . unforgettable . . . an impressive debut by an
author who is clearly here to stay.” —Bookreporter
“This novel of individual reflection and anguish ultimately
resurrects the prospect of hope.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Atmospheric, propulsive . . . a grieving community grapples with
two slain teenaged boys and the young pregnant girl who may hold
the key to the their tragic fates. An American Tana French,
Tompkins is a writer to watch.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
“Like Anne Tyler and Marilynne Robinson, who explore similar
territories of the heart, Tompkins sensitively portrays her
characters’ pain, isolation, and hard path to redemption. A
graceful debut.” —Kirkus Reviews
“In JoAnne Tompkins’s debut novel, faith is simply part of life, a
reality that is rarely so sensitively portrayed in fiction.”
—BookPage (starred review)
“Deftly handled . . . readers coming to know [the characters]
almost better than they know themselves. . . . exceptional literary
thriller.” —Booklist (starred review)
“While there’s mystery at the heart of this book, Tompkins creates
a relatable thrill with reflections on suffering, loss, anger, and
the powerful effects of forgiveness.” —Parade
“At once a mystery and a meditation on how to move forward in the
wake of a tragedy, What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins is a moving
tale of two parents grappling after the sudden deaths of their
teenage sons.” —POPSUGAR
“[A] moving portrait of resilience.” —Oprah Daily
“[A] reflective tale of grief and redemption.” —E! Online
"What I loved most about What Comes After is the way the
characters—in the wake of a great tragedy—quietly, kindly reach out
to one another. The loss of two teenage boys forces the characters
to face truths about the boys, and therefore themselves. JoAnne
Tompkins writes about the people in this small town with wisdom and
grace, and I’m grateful to have read this novel." —Ann Napolitano,
New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward
“What Comes After is a tender, wise debut, both grave and hopeful.
In telling the story of the violent act that rocks a small
community—and what emerges from the ashes—JoAnne Tompkins explores
responsibility and forgiveness, connection and loss, the families
we’re born into and the ones we create. What Comes After asks
whether we are inevitably shaped by the wounds we inherit—and the
ones we give ourselves—or whether transformation, and redemption,
are possible.” —Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author
of The Immortalists
“Though What Comes After begins with the quick jaggedness of
sorrow, it soon becomes an intricate journey across the soft,
tender landscape of solace. It offers faith without dogma, love
without melodrama, and healing that leaves well-earned scars. I
found it a beautifully satisfying portrait of people who are
terribly wrong about themselves, who discover astonishing relief
when they accept their heartbreaking truths.” —Cara Wall, author of
The Dearly Beloved
"A moving, life-affirming page-turner. JoAnne Tompkins has a deep
appreciation for the power of human connection and the magic that
can happen when people reach across biological relationships to
create the makeshift family or community that they need. This novel
is a reminder that family goes beyond blood, held in love, and we
are not alone.” —Whitney Otto, New York Times bestselling author of
How to Make an American Quilt
“This is a book for the ages. A powerful, compassionate
page-turner, What Comes After dives deep into the best and worst of
humanity and comes out singing. This is a story of families failed
and made, of lives lost and found and taken, and of anger and
forgiveness—elusive, precious, and overwhelming. Joanne Tompkins is
a clear-eyed reader of souls, and she gives them to us in all their
complicated and terrible beauty.” —Erica Bauermeister, New York
Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick The Scent
Keeper
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