Indie Next Pick for June
Named one of the most anticipated books of spring by Southern Living Magazine
Named one of the best debuts of spring by Library Journal
Named one of the best books to read in May by BBC.com
Named one of the best books to read in May by EW.com
Named one of the best summer reads by Buzzfeed
Named a “best new book” by People Magazine
Named a “must-read” by the New York Post
“I loved every minute I spent reading Heather Abel’s The Optimistic Decade, a sharply rendered portrait of the United States in 1990. The novel is rich in the conflicting energies of the time — lingering resentments from the previous decade’s stark class divisions, a renewed hope for the decade to come — and these clashes are played out over the course of one summer at a Colorado camp. … The result is an exuberant and nonjudgmental examination of the unique conflicts of the era.”
— Arianna Rebolini, Buzzfeed News
“The Optimistic Decade” is an exceptional coming-of-age novel, in which Abel proves herself a witty social observer who understands not only the thrum and throes of adolescence, but also the power and beauty of youthful energy and dreams.”
— Seattle Times
“Abel, who previously worked as a reporter, is a perceptive writer whose astute observations keep the book funny and light even under the weight of its Big Ideas…Is this a book about the failure of Zionism, an exploration of the limits of idealism or a literary coming-of-age novel? It’s a bit of all three. Most interestingly, it doesn’t just rehash the story of the Holy Land we already know, but imagines a new, subversive ending.”
— New York Times
“Heather Abel’s debut novel might be set in the post-Cold War, pre-Gulf War summer of 1990, but the story she tells — one of activism and idealism, wealth and inequality, the fissures between “blue collar Americans” and the “educated elite”, couldn’t be more timely… the novel speaks directly to our current political moment in the United States, addressing idealism of youth alongside futility of activism, the audacity of optimism alongside the heartbreak of disillusionment.”
— Bustle
“The Optimistic Decade deserves the elusive accolade of “original” for its believable construction and flawless attention to detail. Within the brilliant, multilayered canopy of the novel’s world, Heather Abel’s writing comes across as a sincere and tender channel for a story that must be told… This could be classified as a coming-of-age tale, but the growth is not limited to the adolescents. The adults experience just as much disruption and turmoil as their younger counterparts, spinning a rippling theme of never-ending expansion of the self. Above all else, this strong, astute debut is a study of love in many forms. To read it is nothing less than a mitzvah.”
— BookPage
“Writing with both warmth and incisiveness, Ms. Abel has crafted an engaging look at idealism and the difficulties in maintaining it…Ms. Abel’s portraits of two teenagers on the cusp of adulthood are beautifully rendered… The Optimistic Decade is an exceptionally timely look at what it means to be politically aware and reminds readers of the intoxicating power of idealism, particularly when we find ourselves on the precipice of independence.”
— Pittsburg Post-Gazette
“Abel’s politically and psychologically acute debut … combines a wry sense of humor with compassion towards all of her misguided characters. A strong sense of time and place anchors the story, and Abel’s well-crafted plot brings all the strands of the story together into a suspenseful yet believable conclusion. Without landing heavily on any political side, and without abandoning hope, Abel’s novel lightly but firmly raises questions about how class and cultural conflicts play out in the rural West.”
— Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review
“Funny and ruefully astute.”
— People Magazine
“This is an excellent coming-of-age tale with a sympathetic cast of characters. For teens who want a realistic, romantic, and thought-provoking story.”
— School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Abel is as adept at glossing the politics of the Reagan era and class anger as she is charting shifts in the landscape and change among campers, counsellors and Caleb himself. A fresh and savvy first novel.”
— BBC.com
“A coming-of-age story set in the age of Reagan and Bush, Heather Abel’s wonderful novel asks a question that’s more relevant now than ever: Amid the maddening news of the world, how do you go about living an authentic life? Perceptive, funny, and utterly original, The Optimistic Decade is a book for anyone who’s navigated the twin crises of idealism and youth.”
—Nathan Hill, author of The Nix
“The Optimistic Decade is a stunning and unusual debut. Heather Abel’s subjects are political idealism. American-style lust for land, and the perils and pleasures of young love. Her voice is warm, beautifully funny, and completely original. Although the novel spans decades and tackles big themes, its intimate moments and vivid creation of an unforgettable landscape are what continue to haunt me. Once you enter the world of this book, you — like the characters — will find it hard to leave.”
— Stephen McCauley, author of My Ex-Life
“This witty and psychologically astute debut novel could not be more timely.”
—Peter Heller, author of Celine and The Dog Stars
“Big-hearted, wise, and beautifully written, this sharply observant exploration of idealism gone awry engages at every level.”
—Andrea Barrett, author of The Voyage of the Narwhal and Archangel
“What does it mean to measure our goodness against wide-open spaces? In Heather Abel’s sharp, beautiful debut, American idealism and the obsession with land meet up on a single plateau in the Rockies, leading to a summer of stunning consequences. Long after The Optimistic Decade has ended, readers will linger with these pages, haunted by Abel’s ability to bring both the spectacular and the intimate to life.”
—Mira Jacob, author of The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing
“Heather Abel writes with beguiling humor about the possibilities of self transformation and the limits of idealism. I love the warmth with which she invokes her characters, young and middle-aged, and the wit with which she invokes their longing to be their best selves. The Optimistic Decade is a gripping and very timely debut.”
—Margot Livesey, author of Mercury
“Abel is excellent at class resentment and its signifiers…and writes in larking, pleasurable sentences, letting each protagonist wrestle with loneliness and horniness and purpose.”
— Kirkus Review
“While politics plays a major role in this story, Abel’s first foray into fiction is not a political novel. Rather, it is a generous, thoughtful view of youthful passion and idealism seen through the lens of age, as its characters struggle with questions of personal authenticity.”
— Library Journal
First loves, summer flings, mad crushes, and unrequited longings—set all these heady things against the backdrop of Llamalo, a rugged summer camp in the Colorado mountains and within the context of Reagan-era policies and a looming Gulf War, and the experience is a roller-coaster of high drama and shattered ideals. … Abel’s first novel is a finely textured exploration of committed individuals caught in the throes of an idealistic atmosphere.
— Booklist
“A timely examination of our obsession with living an authentic life, Heather Abel’s debut, The Optimistic Decade, is also a keenly observant and beautiful story, written with surprising assuredness and uncommon skill for an author new to fiction. In a publishing landscape where hundreds of first novels are released each year – a handful holding real promise, some middling, others missing mark entirely – this is a bold statement. And absolutely true. As five characters converge upon an expanse of desert near the Rocky Mountains to wrestle with their idealism and where they went wrong (or right), Abel unspools her tale with the subtle, simple, and profound ease typically found in the work of more seasoned authors. Heather Abel is one to watch.”
– Stefanie Hargreaves, editor, Shelf Awareness for Readers
“A utopian summer camp born of an oil bust and populated by people both yearning for a waning idealism and coming to terms with their lives and relationships? Sign us up. Heather Abel’s sharp and shining debut brings to life a quirky, specific landscape that brings into focus essential truths about life—growing up and into it, and just plain living it.”
– Southern Living Magazine