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Abigail B. Calkin was born in Boston and raised in New England and New York's Greenwich Village. After moving to a few other states and living in Scotland, she settled in a very small town in Alaska's bush. Her first novel, and fourth book, Nikolin, was shortlisted for a Benjamin Franklin Award when it came out in 1994. She ventured into writing about commercial fishing when the woman wallpapering her house told her the story of her husband's fishing disaster and Coast Guard rescue. The events tumbled into her thoughts and became The Night Orion Fell. She also has had poetry, behavior analysis articles, and other nonfiction published. She currently works on books on self-esteem, PTSD, and a memoir about moving to Alaska.
Abigail Calkin has a unique way of dealing with the dilemma. Not only does this evolve into an intriguing story, but it is also a sensitive look at the options that many unmarried pregnant women must face. Not everyone is likely to feel the intensity of emotions that are portrayed by the novel's main character, but the agony of decision is very real to anyone who has been down this road. --Capital City Weekly Alaska One sign of a field's coming of age is its appearance in literature. The Carolyne Letters by Abigail B. Calkin, who is a behavior analyst, provides several such signals while following the decision making process of a young woman who in 1964 must decide whether to have her baby and keep it, put it up for adoption, or ungergo an abortion. After reading this well-paced book I felt a greater sense of empathy for women in that process. --Behavior Analysis Digest I'm a mother myself, and remember how I felt while pregnant with my first child. It could be daunting, and at times confusing. For Amelia, add to that the pressures that come from her family, as well as the views society had at that time regarding unwed mothers. It's a lot for a young woman to shoulder alone, and Calkin describes Amelia's internal struggles beautifully. Will Amelia decide to keep her baby? Will the love between Geoff and Amelia survive? It's a realistic take on subject matter that it still very relevant for today. --Sara Steven, Chick Lit Central Blog
