Whidbey by T Kira Madden
T Kira Madden has written a unique and highly compelling story that kept me turning the pages as quickly as possible to find out what happened while also feeling the heartbreak, rage, and helplessness that haunt the story’s characters. The best thing about this book was how nuanced it is while still telling a story that never excuses horrific behavior. She manages to capture the gray in every character, showing us the full range of humanity in both the victim and the perpetrator, as well as the people who love each.
Whidbey by T Kira Madden, (List Price: $30, Mariner Books, 9780063289680, March 2026)
Reviewed by Kandi, WordsWorth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas
Whidbey by T Kira Madden Read More »
“There were many moments when I wondered if I was making Margo too despicable. But I hoped that building out her backstory and giving her a wicked sense of humor would generate some empathy and induce readers to stick around. Because yeah, she does some horrible things and has some appalling views, but funny people are usually at least a solid hang! She’s also self-made, having come from humble, somewhat tragic beginnings, which I personally admire about her and hoped others would, too.
There’s a part in the novel when [the protagonist] Corby says he thinks that women are just stronger than men because it’s women who come and visit the prisoners. Whether they are grandmothers who are taking care of the kids and wearing their convalescent home pinafores, girlfriends, or so forth—it’s women who show up. That was my experience when I would go to visit our son. Often, I’d be one of the few men who went into the visiting room; usually, it was another father. And sometimes I would be the only guy in the visiting room. I don’t think it’s because men are necessarily cold. They don’t necessarily detach from loved ones who are male. I think so many of men’s problems come down to fear. It’s not that women don’t live with fear, but that they can more easily voice that fear.
