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Annie Weatherwax

All We Had: A Novel Paperback – August 4, 2015

by Annie Weatherwax (Author)

4.1 682 ratings

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Now a major motion picture starring Katie Holmes.

A stirring debut novel about a mother and daughter who find an unlikely home amid the quirky residents of a small town—“The smart style, crisp narrative, sharp dialogue, and vivid descriptions send a powerful message: there is hope hidden in despair” (Publishers Weekly).

For thirteen-year-old Ruthie Carmichael and her mother, Rita, life has never been stable. Though Rita works more than one job, the pair teeters on the edge of poverty.

In their battered Ford Escort, they head east in search of a better life. When money runs out and their car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in a small town called Fat River where Rita finally lands a steady job waitressing at Tiny’s, the local diner. With enough money to pay their bills, they rent a house and make their own family: tender-hearted Mel, the owner of the diner; the aging owners of the local hardware store whose livelihoods are dwindling; and Peter Pam, the transgender waitress who becomes Ruthie’s closest friend.

Into this unlikely utopia comes a smooth-talking mortgage broker who entices Rita with a subprime loan. Almost as soon as Rita buys a house their fortunes change. Faced once again with the prospect of homelessness, Rita reverts to survival mode, and the price she pays to keep them out of poverty changes their lives forever.

Annie Weatherwax has written a stunning, heartrending first novel. “A vivid journey into the dark side of the American Dream...that alternates between black comedy and heart-breaking realism...All We Had is an enjoyable read that takes an important look at economic insecurity” (Providence Journal).

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publication date

August 4, 2015
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

1476755221
ISBN-13

978-1476755229
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fresh voice that sculpts with words in a way that's as beautiful as it is brutal. I love this story and the hands that crafted it.” -- Patricia Cornwell

"Gritty and convincing.... A remarkably authentic story of folks on the skids... Weatherwax's smart style, crisp narrative, sharp dialogue, and vivid descriptions send a powerful message: there is hope hidden in despair." ― Publishers Weekly

"A vivid journey into the dark side of the American Dream... alternates between black comedy and heart-breaking realism... an enjoyable read that takes an important look at economic insecurity." -- Betty J. Cotter ― Providence Journal

About the Author

Annie Weatherwax was the 2009 winner of the Robert Olen Butler Prize for Fiction and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, for years she earned a living sculpting superheroes and cartoon characters for Nickelodeon, DC Comics, Pixar, and others. She is currently a full time painter and writer. All We Had is her first novel. Learn more at AnnieWeatherwax.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Reprint edition (August 4, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1476755221
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1476755229
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #745,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,128 in Mothers & Children Fiction
- #6,262 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #9,113 in Family Life Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.1 682 ratings

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Annie Weatherwax

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Annie Weatherwax's stories have appeared in The Sun Magazine, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. She was the 2009 winner of the Robert Olen Butler Prize for Fiction and has written for The New York Times. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, for years she earned a living sculpting superheroes and cartoon characters for Nickelodeon, DC Comics, Pixar and others. She is currently a full time painter and writer. www.annieweatherwax.com

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4.1 out of 5

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Larry Hoffer

Enjoyable mother-daughter story with vivid, unforgettable characters...

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2014

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I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

"When I thought about hell, I thought about life without my mother. She was all I ever really had. I tried to picture who I'd be without her and the only image that came to mind was of a ghost."

Thirteen-year-old Ruthie and her mother, Rita, often lived life on the fringes. Rita isn't above using her body or her sexuality to get what she wants, especially if it means ensuring a better life for the two of them. Rita smokes like crazy and likes to drink, but the one thing she knows for sure is that Ruthie is tremendously intelligent and is destined for great things.

The trouble is, most of the men Rita latches onto look good for a little while, and they save her and Ruthie from certain disaster, but their true selves are ultimately revealed, which leads to the need for a rapid and furtive escape. (Although they're not above taking a few parting gifts from these men on their way out the door.)

"This was how our story always went. With the wind at our backs we soared like bandits narrowly escaping through the night. And no matter where life took us or how hard and fast the ride, we landed and we always stayed together."

When Rita and Ruthie land in the small town of Fat River they don't plan to stay, but their battered vehicle decides otherwise. Through the mercy of Mel, who owns Tiny's, the local diner, Rita is able to get a steady waitressing job, and Ruthie is also able to make some money as a dishwasher. The two are able to let their guards down enough to make friends with Arlene, the tough-but-compassionate head waitress, and Peter Pam, Mel's nephew and the diner's transgender waitress. Rita and Ruthie are able to save enough money to rent a small, dilapidated house, which is actually the first place they can call their own, and their coworkers and neighbors become their extended family.

While Ruthie is content to live her life in Fat River, especially since they were able to buy their house thanks to the help of a crooked mortgage lender, it's not long before Rita starts feeling restless and their security starts rapidly going downhill. With seemingly no other solution, Rita relies once again on her feminine wiles to keep them out of poverty. But the decision that Rita makes has a tremendous impact on her relationship with her daughter.

Many books have been written about the often-tempestuous relationship between mothers and daughters, particularly those struggling to make something of their lives. Annie Weatherwax's All We Had is a sweet, enjoyable addition to this genre. The characters are well-drawn and tremendously engaging, and they seem larger than life without being caricatures of themselves. While you probably can predict how the plot will unfold, you're still captivated enough to want to keep reading.

My only criticism of the book is that at times it seemed like each chapter was an anecdote or interrelated short story rather than a continuous narrative. It almost was as if Weatherwax was trying to say, and here's yet another example of Rita's behavior. It didn't ultimately detract from my enjoyment of the book, but it felt a little less whole, if that makes sense. In the end, however, the vividness of the characters and the heart that Weatherwax imbued her story with really win you over.

4 people found this helpful

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Elsie Doyle

I enjoyed this book very much

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2015

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I enjoyed this book very much. It is a book steeped in reality, with an "all too human" single mother trying to do her best for her daughter, at the
same time, appearing to be utterly selfish in her behaviour which could be seen as compromising the safety of the daughter she loves so much. We know she will never win a "mother of the year" award. She has drinking bouts when her child is young and lacks a formal education.
When she is not working hard at menial jobs, she will assume the answer to obtaining financial security lies in securing a man with money. Of course, she is not always very discerning on the subject of men. As the reader obtains glimpses of the mother's own childhood, we realise we are
in no position to judge this woman who is trying in her own tenacious and strong way to give her daughter a safe and happy childhood which she never enjoyed.
With all her heart the mother craves for her clever daughter, an education. The realisation comes that to achieve great dreams, her child must be be set free, so she is not tied to a life of protecting her mother. Her final act of bravery, is to tie herself to a man who, though lacking in moral integrity or strength of character, being slightly lecherous and without any sense of style, will enable her to give up working hard. Through this final selfless
act on the part of the mother, the daughter is then able to go on to achieve her full potential and has the means to go on to university.
Anyone who has had a background of grinding poverty, will "get" this book. Any reader who has a dose of human compassion will also understand.
It is a book steeped in realism, sadness, grief and hard-scrabble existences. It is also written in such a beautiful way that a bit of magical fairy dust is sprinkled throughout.

One person found this helpful

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Ruth Loftin

excellent work

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2023

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The author draws you into the story and you feel yourself right there. I read it in one sitting…great imagery!

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Bee True

has not had an easy life, yet she gives amazing strength and voice ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2014

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I couldn’t put this book down. The writing is clean, crisp, and stunningly vivid.
The narrative begins as Ruthie and Rita need to vacate another unstable home. The protagonist, thirteen-year-old Ruthie, has not had an easy life, yet she gives amazing strength and voice to this novel. She is edgy, smart and funny, and despite the difficult situations she is placed in, she always manages to have empathy for others. When she finally finds a “family” in Fat River, we watch her relationships develop and see the depth of her character. Ruthie is brave and kind, and intensely loyal. Rita, Ruthie’s mother, might not always make the greatest choices for her daughter, but we grow to understand her limitations and see that she is doing the best that she can. This complicated mother-daughter relationship feels poignant and authentic. Ruthie must often take on the role of caretaker, and although there are moments when it’s difficult not to feel angry at Rita, we understand that she is a product of her history and circumstance. All of the characters, so complete and well-drawn, with their beauty and flaws, pull us into this narrative and move the story forward at a perfect pace. And how can you not fall in love with Peter-Pam, the warm, witty, and utterly charming waitress.
But what makes this book so outstanding is the hope it gives us—hope that there is a better life, that Ruthie can rise above the chaos and dysfunction, and that compassion and kindness really do make a difference.
Every character is unforgettable. One of the best novels I’ve read in a long time.

18 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Elisabeth

Don't read the back of the book! It spoilers almost the whole story!

Reviewed in Germany on June 4, 2018

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read my whole review: Blogspot: isabellsbooks
Instagram: isleepnaked

It felt like quite an unconventional book to me because I don't normally read books like this one, but it was definitely I nice change.
With its 257 pages it's quite short but contains a lot of content and a lot happens in it.
At the beginning, the narrator, a 13-year-old girl who grows up during the book, came across very angry and vengeful to me and I don't think I've ever read a story with characters as broke and messed up as the mother and daughter in this one. But the fact that they were so poor and therefore so ruthless and reckless in their behaviour made the book actually quite thrilling to read because they always went to such extremes that were sometimes hard to read. I often didn't even want to imagine what I was reading. For example when they pulled out an infected teeth with their bare hands or when they described the dirt and mess they were living in.
The book felt quite controversial, unusual and thought-provoking which I really liked because its main characters were just so different to characters I normally read about.
This book did portray men in the absolute worst light and did not really leave any room for exceptions to the assumption that all men are predators. That attitude towards men made the book feel even angrier to me but there is the slight acknowledgement of Ruthie, that her mother brings out the worst in men which gives Rita some responsibility for the behaviour of the men - but in general, it is no wonder that Ruthie says in the end that she can't trust women and is afraid of men.
What surprised me a lot in this book was the shining character that was Peter Pam. It's hard to describe Peter Pam in my opinion, even though the back of the book calls her transgender, I'm not sure if she really is because I didn't read the back of the book before I finished reading the book and for me she was a drag queen. Peter created this character called Peter Pam and dressed up to become her. Either way, Peter Pam was definitely a highlight of this story. She reminded me a bit of Lafayette from True Blood now that I think about it.
The writing style of it made it even more thrilling to read because the chapters were relatively short and always titled with a noun that gave away the general mood of the chapter which I found very fascinating. There were chapters titled "Anger", "Hunger", "Humiliation", "Loyalty" or "Perversion". It always made one wonder what this would mean and how the following chapter would portray this word. I think that was a well-chosen strategy to keep the interest in the reader high.
I felt like this book was brutally real when it came to depicting the lives of poor people in the US and I wasn't prepared for how raw it was in its honesty. It's definitely not a comforting book but a book that makes you think and that confronts you with a reality that is easier to forget about but is so important to read and talk about because poverty exists and needs to be talked about.
My copy of the book promotes the movie adaption directed by and starring Katie Holmes on its front cover and I am quite curious as to how she put this story on the screen, so hopefully I'll watch it soon.

Annon

The rush and race for survival of two fearless womsn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2020

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Highly emotive. The writer allows you to get to know the characters and in her way allows the reader to be a fly on the wall, as it and the characters move side by side on the road to find their tribe.

TeeKay

Great read.

Reviewed in Canada on November 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great read...
Annie Weatherwax does a fabulous and smooth job of telling a tale of adversity and mayhem through the eyes of an adaptable and adventurous teenager. The characters jump off the page. It is both funny and poignant.

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