“Carolyn Prusa isn’t wrong – ‘None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive’ “
S
avannah Now (February13, 2023)
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but what’s a mother to do when the entire village starts evacuating?
I think it’s safe to say most mothers would immediately say something to the effect of “keep calm and handle it.” At least that’s how Ramona reacts in Savannah author Carolyn Prusa’s debut novel, “None of this Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive.”
Just hours after discovering her husband’s affair, Prince fan and mother of two, Ramona must put aside her anger to focus on surviving the expectations of motherhood — oh, and the Category Four hurricane barreling toward Savannah. This leads to some pretty innovative parenting and laugh-out-loud rule-breaking that a lot of us might recognize.
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“A LOCAL READ – Savannah Author Carolyn Prusa featured at SBF“
Connect Savannah (February12, 2023)
One of this year’s featured authors at Savannah Book Festival is Savannah’s very own Carolyn Prusa, who will be sharing her novel “None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive” at her author presentation on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Born in Durham, NC, Carolyn studied literature and creative writing at Stanford University and Boston University, and has written for Savannah Magazine and the Charlotte Observer, among other publications.
We spoke with Carolyn about her career, her love of Savannah, and what it means to be invited to a distinguished festival in her own hometown.
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Aardvark Book Club: December Pick! “None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive” by Carolyn Prusa“
Aardvark Book Club (December 1, 2022)
Perfect for fans of Maria Semple and Jennifer Weiner, this smart and witty debut novel follows Ramona through forty-eight hours after her life has been upended by her husband’s affair and an approaching Category Four hurricane.
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“Review: ‘None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive’ by Carolyn Prusa” by Rachel Flora
The Savannahian (November 28, 2022)
I’m a big fan of an easy-breezy read, and ‘None of This’ was exactly that, but with a bit deeper of a plot…
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“Book Gifts for the Holidays” by Emily Liebert
Westport Magazine (November 6, 2022)
None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa: A lot can transpire in forty-eight hours, especially when your world has been upended by your husband’s affair and an impending Category Four hurricane is about to hit Savannah, the city you call home—which is exactly what Ramona is facing. Not to mention her obnoxious boss, her nitpicking mother and her toilet-training toddler. Over the course of two days, as she attempts to evacuate, a neighborhood child and the class guinea pig are added to her motley crew. While Ramona steers her way through severe weather, police check points, bathroom crises, directives from her boss and sheepish texts from her philandering husband, she longs for the days when her life resembled a Prince song.
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“You Should Read: None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive (with Carolyn Prusa!)“
What You Should Read (November 1, 2022)
Thank you to the delightfully kind and bookish women from What You Should Read podcast for having me (despite my umms!) Take a listen for a discussion about the book, criteria for Swiftie status, alligators, celebrities gone too soon, Stacey Abrams and more!
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“9 CAN’T-MISS DEBUT BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ IN NOVEMBER”
Debutiful (October 31, 2022)
Here are the debut books you definitely want to read in November including titles from Erika Wurth, Ani Sussie, Carolyn Prusa, and more!
None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa
(Atria; November 22)
The award for best title of the year goes to Prusa’s debut. It follows two days in a woman’s life after she discovers her husband’s affair. It’s witty, touchy, and unforgettable.
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“None Of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive”
Kirkus (September 28, 2022)
As Hurricane Matthew sweeps toward Savannah, Georgia, a woman’s life begin to fall apart.
Ramona, 38, is wife to Desmond, mother to 7-year-old Alex and 3-year-old Nanette, daughter of Adelaide, and employee of Kenneth of the too-tight trousers. She is also a fan of Prince and a one-time painter and art student. Ramona has a cleareyed view of everyone around her, seeing them as entire people with parts she loves (well, for family and friends) and parts she doesn’t. … This story is told episodically, with Ramona’s memories of past experiences, moments, and Prince songs interspersed with a timeline of her evacuation efforts. Author Prusa does a very good job of presenting all the stress of potty training a toddler while managing their outrageous behavior; convincing a cantankerous senior mother to do something (that is, evacuate) when she doesn’t want to; managing a boss’s unreasonable expectations during a natural disaster; and trying to create an outward sense of calm and safety for others when inner turmoil is almost out of control.
A story that explores how individual identity and happiness can be unintentionally misplaced in marriage and motherhood.
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“None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive”
Publishers Weekly (August 31, 2022)
Prusa’s engaging debut chronicles two days of upheavals for a Savannah, Ga., working mother as Hurricane Matthew closes in, in 2016. … Ramona proves to be an amiable narrator, with her musings about the death of Prince (“Prince has been gone six months, and the world already feels less sparkly”) mixed with reflections on what it takes to be a good mom. There’s a lot to enjoy in this thoughtful outing. Agent: Maggie Cooper, Aevitas Creative. (Nov.)
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“20 Debut Books Coming In the Second Half of the Year That You Should Pre-Order Right Now” by Vitcavage
Debutiful (June 23, 2022)
“If you’re caught up reading the Best Debut Books of 2022 (So Far), it’s time to pre-order the books Debutiful is most excited about coming out between July and December 2022! “ …
None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa
(Atria; November 8)
The award for best title of the year goes to Prusa’s debut. It follows two days in a woman’s life after she discovers her husband’s affair. It’s witty, touchy, and unforgettable.
“‘Savannah is a writers’ town’: The creative spirit of the city influences local authors” by Laura Nwogu
Savannah Morning News (February 18, 2022)
“Carolyn Prusa has lived in Savannah for nine years. When writing her upcoming release, “None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive,” she remembered being on a text thread with a bunch of moms debating if they were going to evacuate before a hurricane hit Savannah and concerns about childcare and preparation.
Prusa shares the sentiment that the environment is unique, but her influences lie with the people and the storytelling that is entrenched in the city.
“People take their time in Savannah. People in Savannah respect the art of the story. And as somebody who eats those up and loves stories, it’s a good place to be. From a romantic standpoint, it is inspiring. The architecture, the environment and nature. From a practical standpoint, your writer salary is going to be able to stretch out a little bit more.”
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June 15, 2021: Bitter & Jaded Podcast
Join us this week as I interview a woman whose life is a real page-turner, my friend Carolyn! We discuss what it takes to be an author, living in a house full of boys, the bestest boy Dale, 23 and me for dogs, slut passes at a Kings of Leon concert, yoga and so much more!
Listen to podcast:
Bitter & Jaded Podcast: Episode 46, Carolyn (link to all players)
