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Whiskey & Ribbons: A Novel Hardcover – March 6, 2018

by Leesa Cross-Smith (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 510 ratings
Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction
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O, The Oprah Magazine's Best Books of the Summer

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

Set in contemporary Louisville, Leesa Cross-Smith’s mesmerizing first novel surrounding the death of a police officer is a requiem for marriage, friendship and family, from an author Roxane Gay has called “a consummate storyteller.”

One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2018: Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, Harper's BAZAAR, The Millions, Electric Lit, Book Riot, BookBub, Chicago Review of Books, POPSUGAR, Refinery29, NYLON, and SheReads

Evi―a classically-trained ballerina―was nine months pregnant when her husband Eamon was killed in the line of duty on a steamy morning in July. Now, it is winter, and Eamon's adopted brother Dalton has moved in to help her raise six-month-old Noah.

Whiskey & Ribbons is told in three intertwining, melodic voices: Evi in present day, as she’s snowed in with Dalton during a freak blizzard; Eamon before his murder, as he prepares for impending fatherhood and grapples with the danger of his profession; and Dalton, as he struggles to make sense of his life next to Eamon’s, and as he decides to track down the biological father he’s never known.

In the vein of Jojo Moyes’ After You, Whiskey & Ribbons explores the life that continues beyond loss, with a complicated brotherly dynamic reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout’s The Burgess Boys. It’s a meditation on grief, hope, motherhood, brotherhood and surrogate fatherhood. Above all, it’s a novel about what it means―and whether it’s possible―to heal.
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hub City Press
  4. Publication date
    March 6, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    193823538X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1938235382
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beautiful and brutal, a gut-punch and a poem--I love this book. I love its characters, their complicated tangle of desire and grief. I love its craft, the back and forth dance between memory and possibility. I found myself talking aloud to Evangeline: Let go, I whispered. Or maybe she whispered it to me. I don't know. She's inside of me now, my head and my heart. I'll tell you what: Cross-Smith is a master." ―Megan Stielstra, The Wrong Way to Save Your Life

"Cross-Smith's thrilling debut novel, Whiskey and Ribbons, is as immediate and compelling as music. Her three lovers tell their stories, each turning over what we think we know, creating a moving triptych on love, desire, and grief, and the unexpected families life makes for us." ―Alexander Chee, author of The Queen of the Night

"Leesa Cross-Smith's Whiskey & Ribbons is an unforgettable debut. The death of a police officer is at the heart of this powerful, moving polyphonic saga, and the stunning lyricism of the style only matches the heartbreaking poetry of its substance. Cross-Smith examines lovers, brothers, mothers, fathers and sons with such mammoth empathy that this is one of those books I find essential for making sense of our world today." ―Porochista Khakpour, author of the novels Sons & Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion

"In Whiskey & Ribbons, Leesa Cross Smith has given us a story of decent, ardent-hearted friends thrust into an unimaginable situation, and its survivors respond with equally surprising grace to impossibly difficult circumstances. Here is a slim, elegant novel that is brilliantly defiant in what it refuses to mention, and clear-eyed in its focus on something we all need more of: a close look at good people navigating unthinkable tragedy." ―Bonnie Nadzam, author of Lion: a Novel

"Written with the emotional impact of Ayobami Adebayo's Stay with Me, this work will appeal to lovers of literary fiction." ―Library Journal

"Whiskey & Ribbons is the kind of book you cancel everything to curl up with. Don’t even try to put it down; you won’t be able to. Leesa Cross-Smith writes with an open heart and a deft touch, crafting a beautiful meditation on marriage, family, and the hope within loss. I fell in love with these characters. I joined them in their heartbreak, their lust, their yearning, and I missed them after the last page." ―Lindsay Hunter, author of Eat Only When You're Hungry

“Leesa Cross-Smith is a consummate storyteller who uses her formidable talents to tell the oft-overlooked stories of people living in that great swath of place between the left and right coasts." ―Roxane Gay, author Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body and Bad Femininst

About the Author

Leesa Cross-Smith is a homemaker and the author of Every Kiss A War, Whiskey & Ribbons, So We Can Glow, and This Close to Okay. She lives in Kentucky with her husband and their two teenagers. Find more at LeesaCrossSmith.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hub City Press (March 6, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 193823538X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1938235382
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 510 ratings

About the author

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Leesa Cross-Smith

Leesa Cross-Smith

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Leesa Cross-Smith is a homemaker and writer from Kentucky. She is the author of GOODBYE EARL, HALF-BLOWN ROSE, THIS CLOSE TO OKAY, SO WE CAN GLOW, WHISKEY & RIBBONS, and EVERY KISS A WAR. Her next novel is the forthcoming AS YOU WISH. HALF-BLOWN ROSE was the Amazon Editors’ Spotlight for June 2022 and the inaugural pick for Amazon’s Editorial Director Sarah Gelman’s Book Club Sarah Selects. THIS CLOSE TO OKAY was a Goodreads Choice 2021 Nominee for Best Fiction, a Book of the Month Book of the Year 2021 Nominee, a Book of the Month Early Release Pick for December 2020, the Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick for February 2021, and the Marie Claire Book Club Pick for March 2021. THIS CLOSE TO OKAY was also longlisted for the 2022 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. SO WE CAN GLOW was listed as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020 and was longlisted for the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. WHISKEY & RIBBONS won the 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Gold Medal in Literary Fiction, was longlisted for the 2018 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and was one of O Magazine's 2018 Top Books of Summer. EVERY KISS A WAR was nominated for the PEN Open Book Award (2014) and was a finalist for both the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction (2012) and the Iowa Short Fiction Award (2012). Find more @ LeesaCrossSmith.com

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
510 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this novel beautifully detailed with a wonderfully complex portrayal of loss and love, featuring well-developed characters whose points of view are clear. The writing receives praise for its melodic first-person prose, and customers describe the book as exceptionally crafted and rich in content. They appreciate its emotional depth, with one customer noting it made them cry multiple times. The storyline receives mixed reactions from customers.

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41 customers mention "Readability"38 positive3 negative

Customers find the book beautifully detailed and compelling, with one describing it as an interesting read.

"...Thank you Leesa Cross-Smith for this wonderful novel. (Sidenote: One of the characters has the same birthday as me!)..." Read more

"...At its core, it is a novel about families--the ones you're born into and the ones you make...." Read more

"...a well-deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This should definitely be added to everyone's summer reading list!" Read more

"...However the last third of the book hooked me. It took an interesting turn, but I'm not sure what relevance the turn had to the major theme of the..." Read more

34 customers mention "Emotion level"31 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the emotional depth of the book, particularly its powerful portrayal of grief and love, with one customer noting it made them cry multiple times.

"...And they will be genuine. Real smiles, real laughter, real tears. Honestly, the title threw me off and almost deterred my purchase...." Read more

"Leesa Cross-Smith's 'Whiskey & Ribbons' is a wonderfully complex portrayal of loss and love...." Read more

"...Author Leesa Cross-Smith holds the reader captive in language so creative and au currant that we identify with both well-drawn characters and..." Read more

"...The story, told from three points of view, gave a soul to this book. There are highs, lows, and moments that took me complete surprise...." Read more

19 customers mention "Character development"17 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the well-developed characters kept their attention and their points of view were clear. One customer highlights how the story is told through three different but connecting voices, while another mentions the close bond between Dalton and Eamon.

"...Characterization is also superb. Dalton and Eamon are very well-drawn characters; their relationship is deep, and as the novel's events unfold,..." Read more

"...in language so creative and au currant that we identify with both well-drawn characters and readily understand why Eamon’s wife, Evangeline, weighs..." Read more

"...It's like something I've never seen. They truly are big-hearted individuals that have a love between them like no other...." Read more

"...circumstances, and they not only persevere but support one another with love and understanding...." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing quality"15 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as lovely and perfectly melodic in first person prose, making it an easy read.

"Poetic. Melodic. Lyrical. Beautiful. Beautifully written. Brilliantly presented...." Read more

"...Cross-Smith's writing--her lexicon, her syntax--is beautiful. The language is one of the novel's greatest strengths. Characterization is also superb...." Read more

"...Brilliantly written. I'm truly enjoying books that are written from different characters perspectives...." Read more

"...Perfectly melodic in first person prose. Whiskey and Ribbons is an all around love story from beginning to end...." Read more

12 customers mention "Beauty"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautifully written with an exceptionally crafted presentation.

"Poetic. Melodic. Lyrical. Beautiful. Beautifully written. Brilliantly presented...." Read more

"...us and this story was a lovely take on that with an exceptionally crafted presentation of the story being told...." Read more

"...Women, you are sleek and gorgeous...." Read more

"“Women, you are sleek and gorgeous. You hold us together, you’re the ribbons. We’re men. Dangerous only if you take us too seriously...." Read more

8 customers mention "Romance"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, describing it as rich, with one customer noting its tart and sweet elements.

"...how we choose family and how family chooses us and this story was a lovely take on that with an exceptionally crafted presentation of the story..." Read more

"...Cross-Smith holds the reader captive in language so creative and au currant that we identify with both well-drawn characters and readily understand..." Read more

"...The verse flowed slow & smokey and tart & sweet. I don't think I could have loved it more...." Read more

"...Dalton and Evi's love is so delicate but enduring. Their love is delicious and has melody. Take your time to listen and savor it...." Read more

4 customers mention "Rhythmic content"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the rhythmic content of the book, noting its melodic quality, with one customer describing how it moves the human heart.

"Poetic. Melodic. Lyrical. Beautiful. Beautifully written. Brilliantly presented...." Read more

"...of how we go on when our worst fears come true, and how the human heart ever moves on." Read more

"...Their love is delicious and has melody. Take your time to listen and savor it. Let it bloom and grow." Read more

"This book was written like a piece of classical music; smooth, rhythmic & beautiful...." Read more

4 customers mention "Storyline"2 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the storyline of the book.

"...Big ups to the author for writing what feels like a truly fresh and new novel." Read more

"...The book was so repetitive, the characters were flat...." Read more

"...I liked the premise of the book and I enjoyed the story but it was just okay for me. Evi is nine months pregnant when her husband Eamon was killed...." Read more

"...The meaningless storyline goes nowhere." Read more

This book is EVERYTHING!!!
5 out of 5 stars
This book is EVERYTHING!!!
“Women, you are sleek and gorgeous. You hold us together, you’re the ribbons. We’re men. Dangerous only if you take us too seriously. We’re the whiskey. To whiskey and ribbons,” 
This book has just locked in a spot as one of my favorite reads so far in 2018. Brilliantly written. I'm truly enjoying books that are written from different characters perspectives. Especially when it's the same event or conversation done multiple times but from each perspective. I loved hearing how each character felt. 
I will admit that for the first couple of chapters, I was confused as to the race of the characters. I really imagined them as Caucasian until a few chapters in when Frances (Dalton's on and off again girlfriend) makes one of her many sarcastic comments and makes it clear what race they all are. I kind of had to laugh at myself on this one.
Even with that, I loved the bond that Eamon, Evangeline and Dalton shared. It's like something I've never seen. They truly are big-hearted individuals that have a love between them like no other. Although they've all
lost and been hurt at different stages in their lives, they were there for one another to help cope with the pain. It truly was a team effort throughout the book. You've got my back and I've got yours.
Not even sure I can pick a favorite character. Each of them tugged at my heart strings in some way leaving me wanting more from the story (in a good way). I give this novel a well-deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This should definitely be added to everyone's summer reading list!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • @neeneeism
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Poetic. Melodic. Lyrical. Beautiful. Beautifully written. Brilliantly presented.

    This book begins with the death of Evangeline's police officer husband, Eamon, in the line of duty. Evangeline is 9 months pregnant at the time of his death. Their story, their beginning and their ending, is told from the point of view of Evangeline, Eamon, before he died, and Eamon's, adopted brother, Dalton, in alternating chapters.

    This story will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. And they will be genuine. Real smiles, real laughter, real tears. Honestly, the title threw me off and almost deterred my purchase. I saw more posts on social media about this book and decided to see what people were talking about. I am so glad I did not let this book go unread (?)... I actually listened to it on Audible (twice, via the Kindle app) which was such a treat. The narrators brought the characters to life for me.

    I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. I can't say enough without giving too much away. I can say this though: I can feel how much Evangeline and Dalton love and miss Eamon.

    I have questions, which is a good thing. I want to know about other chatacters' stories and their relationships and interactions with one another. I want to see Kentucky, the bike shop, the church, the Royce's home. I believe this is the first book I read that was based in Kentucky.

    This book is so just powerful. So many themes. So many what if situations to consider for yourself. I found myself wondering what if Penelope was my best friend, what would I have done? (Gotta read it to find out who Penelope is😊) Thank you Leesa Cross-Smith for this wonderful novel.
    (Sidenote: One of the characters has the same birthday as me!)
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Michelle
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderfully Complex Portrayal of Loss and Love
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Leesa Cross-Smith's 'Whiskey & Ribbons' is a wonderfully complex portrayal of loss and love. At its core, it is a novel about families--the ones you're born into and the ones you make. The novel is written in the first person from three perspectives: Evangeline, a young widow who gives birth to her first child just weeks after her husband is killed; Eamon, the aforementioned husband; and Dalton, Eamon's brother. The novel's chapters shift from the present, after Eamon's death, to the years that preceded it, when Eamon and Evangeline first met. Cross-Smith's writing--her lexicon, her syntax--is beautiful. The language is one of the novel's greatest strengths. Characterization is also superb. Dalton and Eamon are very well-drawn characters; their relationship is deep, and as the novel's events unfold, readers come to see why.

    What I found difficult about the text was how one-dimensional Evangeline seemed in comparison. While both Dalton and Eamon have fleshed out histories that help readers understand who they are as people, Evangeline doesn't really have a past--at least not one that we know. We only know her in the context of Eamon and Dalton, and we only get a sense of who she is in relation to them. Yet she is one of the novel's main characters. In truth, it seemed like Evangeline was really a secondary character.

    As another reader mentioned, there is a strong Christian underpinning in the text. This in and of itself is not a limitation, but it seems to influence a subtle but very present "Madonna/whore" complex; Evangeline is presented as virginal, morally pure, and worthy of love, and Dalton’s ex is presented as an oft conniving vixen. This sort of dichotomy is, undoubtedly, a problem. The third issue I had with the text--and this is simply personal preference—was the author's treatment of race. Most of the characters are Black, or of partial Black parentage, and the novel is set in the South in Louisville, Kentucky. Eamon is a police officer in Louisville. Race isn't in the foreground of the novel--and there isn't anything inherently wrong with that-- but it isn't in the background either. I found that strange. The author would mention, passingly, that a character was Black or mixed, and then that was that. Nothing else. No careful interweaving of cultural practices. No mention of how race shaped the landscape, socially and politically, and how that in turn molded the characters. No mention of how race affected the already momentous ills and joys of existence. Nothing. I just found it a bit odd.

    I would read a second publication from Cross-Smith because her writing is excellent. Weeks adter finishing this novel, I’m still thinking about Eamon, Dalton, and baby Noah.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • cort
    3.0 out of 5 stars A quick lovely read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I'm interested in family and story structure these days. In how we choose family and how family chooses us and this story was a lovely take on that with an exceptionally crafted presentation of the story being told. While not the kind of dense novel I might normally really sink into, I'm very glad I picked up and read this novel. Can't wait to see what the author does next!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Claire Fullerton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Voice
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The title Whiskey and Ribbons is derived from a toast delivered by Eamon, one of three narrators in this psychological treatment of love spun unexpectedly and repercussively awry. “Women, you are sleek and gorgeous. You hold us together, you’re the ribbons,” Eamon says, yet we hear this speech as his brother, Dalton’s, memory, for the reader learns at the start that the toast maker is dead. Eamon and Dalton have grown up together as brothers, yet the ties that bind are unusual and not honestly revealed for what they are until well into the story. Author Leesa Cross-Smith holds the reader captive in language so creative and au currant that we identify with both well-drawn characters and readily understand why Eamon’s wife, Evangeline, weighs issues of loyalty between the two charismatic young men, though one is alive and the other is dead. That Evangeline is a new mother, having given birth to Eamon’s son after his death as an officer in the line of duty is the dilemma, for who is she to turn to in her prostrate grief but a brother-in-law who equally grieves? Three vantage points are entwined to tell this one story of familial connections, in a seamlessly crafted, roiling momentum that will have you thinking they each have a justifiable point. All praise this spell-binding debut author. Leesa Cross-Smith has penned an uncommon novel in a voice you won’t easily forget.
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • jewel
    3.0 out of 5 stars Whiskey and Ribbons
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This Is the first book I have read by this author. It was a very soul searching story about love, grief and identity. The author wrote from the 3 main characters points of view which I liked as I prefer reading in that style.
    The pace of the book for me was a bit slow it took a long time for me to get into it. I also struggled with the relationship between Dalton and Evi. I was waiting for the elephant in the room to be discussed in more detail but in my opinion it never was. The book skirted around it a bit. I guess i felt uncomfortable with the relationship progressing and wanted someone in the book to actually say why too. I don’t want to say too much for those who haven’t read this yet. There was more emphasis on the internal thoughts of each character rather than the actual dialogue between the characters.
    An easy read for a lazy weekend but not enough wow factor for me.
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