We’re very pleased to welcome to Skylark for a rare Monday night event the multi-talented author Mindy McGinnis, whose rich and varied writing career has spanned a wide range of styles and genres. Mindy will be reading from and speaking about her novel, Heroine, which recently won the Missouri Gateway Award. This is a prestigious award that promotes literature, literacy and reading in Missouri high schools, and which recognizes authors and illustrators of books that are favorites of Missouri students.
Heroine is a gripping, powerful exploration of the opioid crisis—the deadliest drug epidemic in American history—through the eyes of a college-bound softball star. It’s a visceral and necessary novel about addiction, family, friendship, and hope.
When a car crash sidelines Mickey just before softball season, she has to find a way to hold on to her spot as the catcher for a team expected to make a historic tournament run. Behind the plate is the only place she’s ever felt comfortable, and the painkillers she’s been prescribed can help her get there. The pills do more than take away pain; they make her feel good. With a new circle of friends—fellow injured athletes, others with just time to kill—Mickey finds peaceful acceptance, and people with whom words come easily, even if it is just the pills loosening her tongue. But as time goes on, it becomes less about pain and more about want, something that could send her spiraling out of control.
Compassionate, compelling, and terrifying, Heroine is a masterfully written and important book. Please join us for what is going to be a memorable evening.
Mindy McGinnis is the author of multiple novels that span many genres. From historical to fantasy, contemporary to gothic thriller, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us.
A ninth-generation farmer, Mindy attributes much of her character to growing up on an Ohio farm, learning the value of physical labor, and the harshness of the natural world early in life. Much of her writing reflects small-town living and aspects of rural poverty. A former school librarian, Mindy still lives and works in her hometown, and is dedicated to making herself available to financially disadvantaged school districts and communities.
Mindy has done multiple interviews and guest posts over the years, and has been featured on such outlets as NPR and PBS. She’s also been a guest on a myriad of podcasts, blogs, and websites.
