Critical Praise

“[Daniel] has written that rare thing, a novel that conveys the drama in the everyday lives of good, normal people. . . . I can’t quite identify the magic by which Daniel maintains narrative tension and drive. . . . It has something to do with her clear, detailed view of Frances’ life, but mostly, I think, it lies in the plain, faintly lyrical prose, which rises quietly to a surprising crescendo of well-earned feeling at the end.”

—Chauncey Mabe, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“A deeply engrossing tale of love, family, friendship, and motherhood, Stiltsville is both an elegantly crafted work of art and a great read. The love story effortlessly spans decades, and the characters are as real and vivid as the novel’s South Florida backdrop. Susanna Daniel is an extraordinary writer and Stiltsville is a beautiful book.”

—Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Prep and American Wife

“Miami, for all its charms, can sometimes play hard to get. The same might be said for Susanna Daniel’s debut novel, which takes its time rising and revealing its considerable magic. . . . Frances gets caught up in the currents of life, and so do we. . . . Daniel renders Frances and her family so authentically, their dynamics and quirks come to feel utterly familiar and endearing. Deceptively placid Stiltsville reminds us, like Frances, to appreciate the small but potent magic of everyday life.”

—Ellen Kanner, Miami Herald

“Both structurally and in tone, the book recalls linked short-story collections such as Alice Munro’s The Beggar Maid, following one character chronologically through a long period. Each piece can stand alone, but the whole is enriched when they are read together. . . . Lovely.”

—Laura C.J. Owen, Minneapolis Star Tribune