Advocates for books that matter.
JoeAnn Hart
"Float is a story that presents in novel form serious environmental concerns now being discussed pretty much anywhere ocean brushes up against land and man and sea interact. Intersecting with all of these is the role of art in our world. In Float art is far more than decoration. It is the power of achievement and change. Out of it, we're encouraged to believe, may come the transformation of our world." -- Maine Sunday Telegram
"The book is pitch-perfect and stays precisely on point...There are many levels to Float, from its relentlessly comic banter to its examination of relationships mired by misunderstandings to the parallel presentation of an ocean community struggling with its reliance on a way of life that's quickly growing out of reach and its very real identification with that outmoded livelihood. All of this cast in a maritime milieu that never wavers. And all of this presented against a backdrop of a world being strangled and overtaken by its litter and garbage, by 'the ugly consequences of human excess' ... Hart does a remarkable job of keeping this excess front and center but in a way that's never deliberate, fake or intrusive. It's a stellar model of eco-literature and should be viewed as such." -- Cape Ann Beacon
"…witty, profound, and beautifully observed…" — Margot Livesey
"Hart's Maine landscape is rich with eccentric characters…the reader will float on a cloud nine of classy entertainment." — Mameve Medwed
"[Float] is all of these things: joyful and troubling, hilarious and somber, evocative and introspective."— Stefanie Freele, Necessary Fictio
"Hart's debut sardonically exposes the inner lives of the members of New England's prestigious Eden Rock Country Club. Bond trader Charles Lambert's botched tee-off accidentally kills a goose that's part of a huge flock that has invaded the club's grounds, spurring him to eccentrically "examine the balance sheet of his soul." ... While some of the lesser characters tiptoe dangerously close to stereotypes of the rich and privileged, Hart does an admirable job of developing memorable flawed characters and letting them loose in an absurd situation. The misunderstandings, unusual pairings and comic antics call to mind the twists and turns of an old-fashioned drawing room comedy." -- Publishers Weekly
"Out of an overly familiar setting and well-worn themes, first-novelist Hart fashions an inspired social comedy. With a delightfully wacky sense of humor and a subtle use of metaphor, Hart delivers a story of transformation. The lure of romance, rejuvenation at midlife, and the joys of creativity are all given their due in a first novel that is both very funny and very moving."-- Booklist
"JoAnn Hart is an accomplished writer, a writer with a mastery of the subtle, funny detail, a well-developed voice and stories to tell.' — Susan Cheever