Press, INTERVIEWS & REviews

AMAZON EDITORS BEST OF THE MONTH
“In this lush debut, Smith does a deft job of exploring the tug of war between familial loyalty and self-interest—digging into what it is to be human.”

TOWN & COUNTRY BEST NOVEMBER BOOKS
“Twins Egan and Lucian were raised just off the coast of Maine, and their childhoods were shaped by a traumatic accident. During a semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Lucian meets Lea, who follows him back to Maine. There, she gets tangled up with Egan, and the story follows the brothers and the woman they both love over the decades. A beautiful debut.”

DEBUTIFUL
“A warm novel for those who need it. Reading it truly felt like sitting on the beach, wrapped in a blanket, as the summer fades away and the welcome chill of the changing season overtakes you. Rose Smith is a wonder.”

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
Debut novelist explores a remote Maine island as a ‘crucible for character’
Rose Smith talks about ‘The Shared Life of Egan and Lucian,’ the ‘Odyssey’ and the pull of the natural world, and the artists who shaped her.

LITERARY HUB FICTION EXCERPT
Rose Smith's The Shared Life of Egan and Lucian, Chapter 1

AUSTIN CHRONICLE BOOK REVIEW
"From the opening pages of The Shared Life of Egan and Lucian, there’s tension stirring in the ocean breezes. Rose Smith's debut novel boards readers on a ferry to the craggy coastlines of a Maine island, where a pair of brothers and the people that love them stumble over the stories they've inherited and the futures they're trying to create in a thoughtful and cinematically-crafted family drama.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Starred Review
"A luminous debut. . . The author shines in her complex depictions of the characters’ relationships and their double lives. . . It’s a heartrending exploration of passion and the various forms love can take."

KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Smith’s debut has much to recommend, particularly the beautifully evoked settings, not just the island but also Buenos Aires and, briefly, New York, as well as the detailed descriptions of artistic process. . . Bad blood between brothers drives a dramatic plot grounded by a strong sense of place. A promising debut."

GOODREADS “Must-Read Debuts for Fall”
“For tricky love triangles—and complicated emotional dynamics—check out Rose Smith’s family epic, The Shared Life of Egan and Lucian.”

THE MISSOURI REVIEW
A Conversation with Rose Smith - TMR intern Eva Lugo talks with the former Editors’ Prize winner in nonfiction about her connection to TMR, twins, and family dynamics in her debut novel THE SHARED LIFE OF EGAN AND LUCIAN.

LIBRARY JOURNAL
"The sense of place is strong, and the settings feel cinematic, especially the primary setting on a fictional island off the coast of Maine.  . . This confidently written, atmospheric debut novel from Smith wrestles with the tension between familial duty and personal desire."