Lots of grief, little humor and a character who is so stable that readers might be surprised to realize she’s a character who defines for a new age the concept of “hero.”' But the presentation is often heavy-handed the subtleties come toward the end-again at the behest of Liz. Blind Faith (2006) - 'An issue-driven story overtly strives for a message and debate on how to define God.A successful use of multiple viewpoints and an interesting exploration of the implied intimacy of various forms of non-verbal communication.' Heart on My Sleeve (2004) - 'This modern epistolary tale (emails and IMs joining handwritten letters and postcards) is voyeuristically enjoyable.ZigZag (2003) - 'Disappointingly conventional fare from the author of Hard Love still, touched with Wittlinger’s trademark class-consciousness, well-written, and emotionally powerful.'.Wittlinger (Razzle, 2001, etc.)-always tops at hard-hitting, realistic fiction-delivers another story of teenagers’ self-discovery in a difficult world.' The Long Night of Leo and Bree (2002) - 'Although the characters sometimes slip into preaching about women’s rights and men’s feelings, this slim volume packs a punch.What's In a Name (2000), Massachusetts Book Award.This book also won the Lambda Literary Award. Wittlinger died on November 17, 2022, at the age of 74. Her first novel for young adults, Lombardo's Law, was published in 1993. One of Wittlinger's plays won the author's prize at the annual Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters competition. Wittlinger had two fellowship years in Provincetown at the Fine Arts Work Center and worked for a local newspaper, The Provincetown Advocate. She published a book of poetry, Breakers, in 1979. She received her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa and lived in western Massachusetts. Biography Įllen Wittlinger went to college at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Ellen Wittlinger (Octo– November 17, 2022) was an American author of young adults novels, including Gracie's Girl and the Printz Honor book Hard Love.

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger