Art of Crash Landing (DeCarlo)

The Art of Crash Landing 
Melissa DeCarlo, 2015
HarperCollins
432 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062390547


Summary
A young woman travels for the first time to her mother’s hometown, and gets sucked into the mystery that changed her family forever.

Mattie Wallace has really screwed up this time. Broke and knocked up, she’s got all her worldly possessions crammed into six giant trash bags, and nowhere to go. Try as she might, Mattie can no longer deny that she really is turning into her mother, a broken alcoholic who never met a bad choice she didn’t make.

When Mattie gets news of a possible inheritance left by a grandmother she’s never met, she jumps at this one last chance to turn things around. Leaving the Florida Panhandle, she drives eight hundred miles to her mother’s birthplace—the tiny town of Gandy, Oklahoma.

There, she soon learns that her mother remains a local mystery—a happy, talented teenager who inexplicably skipped town thirty-five years ago with nothing but the clothes on her back. But the girl they describe bears little resemblance to the damaged woman Mattie knew, and before long it becomes clear that something terrible happened to her mother, and it happened here.

The harder Mattie digs for answers, the more obstacles she encounters. Giving up, however, isn’t an option. Uncovering what started her mother’s downward spiral might be the only way to stop her own.

Hilarious, gripping, and unexpectedly wise, The Art of Crash Landing is a poignant novel from an assured new voice. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
• Education—University of Oklahoma; University of Central Oklahoma
• Currently—lives in East Texas


Melissa DeCarlo was born and raised in Oklahoma City, and has worked as an artist, graphic designer, grant writer, and even (back when computers were the size of refrigerators) a computer programmer. The Art of Crash Landing is her first novel. Melissa now lives in East Texas with her husband and a motley crew of rescue animals. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
DeCarlo has created a compulsively likable mess of a protagonist who will keep readers laughing and cringing—even as they begin really rooting for her...surprising, poignant and page-turning...a strong debut and a thoroughly entertaining read.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram


[A] pitch-perfect novel about family secrets, self-forgiveness and redemption…DeCarlo’s debut novel’s originality and fresh voice will endear her to readers…Every character in DeCarlo’s novel is complex and richly drawn…this story is so vibrant and universally human that it’s sad to see it end.
Dallas Morning News


Decarlo’s excellent debut chronicles what happens when 30-year-old Mattie Wallace finds herself uStunning...DeCarlo has loudly claimed her seat at the table of today’s elite contemporary Southern women writers including Joshilyn Jackson, Fannie Flagg and Sue Monk Kidd. They continue the work of literary giants like Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor, crafting haunting stories about the peculiar, the impolite
Oklahoma Gazette


A success...Mattie made me laugh with some of her sarcastic remarks and her self-deprecating humor.
Oklahoman


This first novel by an Oklahoma-born Texan is written with verve, assurance and some salty language.
Toronto Star


[E]xcellent debut.... Mattie Wallace finds herself Unearthing family secrets in her mother’s hometown.... DeCarlo’s writing bristles with Mattie’s vibrant personality. The book’s final pages feel somewhat rushed and condensed...[but] otherwise a triumphant first novel.
Publishers Weekly


[A] fascinating, mysterious novel.... This debut is thick with secrets; it will cause readers to question everyone and everything. The author does an outstanding job combining suspense with heartache, adding a dash of romance and, at the end, hope. —Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN
Library Journal


DeCarlo deftly weaves in flashbacks about Mattie’s childhood and creates a cast of wonderfully full-blooded, fallible characters…Best of all is Mattie herself, who has cultivated a measure of humanity in addition to impressive survival skills and whose briskly told story is instantly involving. An impressive debut.
Booklist


Grief, laughter, sarcasm, heartache, sadness—Melissa DeCarlo’s debut novel has it all. Starting out with light-hearted humor thanks to the narration of its spunky protagonist, The Art of Crash Landing wvolves into a compelling, genuine story about a woman’s search for her identity.
BookPage.com


A journey into her mother's past helps a young woman right her own future.... Mattie's voice is fresh, her penchant for off-color language balanced with a revealing earnestness and vulnerability... DeCarlo's debut is confident and accomplished, filled with heart and humor.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
1. Early on in the book it becomes clear that Mattie has a long history of making bad decisions. Have any other characters in the book made what seem like self-destructive choices in their lives? How have those choices shaped present circumstances?

2. Queeg loves his aphorisms, and as much as Mattie teases him about them, it’s clear that she loves them too. How about you? Do you have some favorite quotes?

3. Even though Queeg was only Mattie’s stepfather for three years, it’s obvious they’re still close. Why do you think Mattie maintained a close relationship with Queeg? Are there relationships from your past that you’re surprised you’ve maintained? Some you’re surprised you’ve let go?

4. Even taking into account her many flaws, Mattie is often harder on herself than she deserves. Why do you think she does that?  Do you think having a negative self image is more common problem for women than men? Why or why not?

5. Part of the reason Mattie finds Tawny annoying is how much the girl reminds Mattie of herself as a teenager. How do you think being around Mattie that summer will influence Tawny in the future? If you could meet your teenaged self, what advice would you give?

6. How is Mattie letting her past steer her present course through life? Are any of the other characters doing the same thing? Are there any times in your life you’ve caught yourself giving too much power to your past?

7. What do you think about Luke? Why do you suppose he goes out of his way to be kind to Mattie?

8. Even thirty-five years later, Karleen still harbors strong feelings about Genie. Why do you think the dynamic between them changes when Genie goes off to college? How does that reflect the evolution of friendships over time? Did you have a close friend when you were growing up? Are you still in touch?

9. As she investigates her mother’s history, Mattie’s own past and her relationship with her mother are revealed one piece at a time. As you progressed through the book, how did your feelings toward Mattie change? What about your feelings toward her mother?

10. How do you think JJ’s experiences shaped him into the man he became?

11. The two settings in the book are the Florida panhandle with its beaches and seagulls, and a small town in Oklahoma with its wind and storms. Do you think the settings were important to the story? Why or why not?

12. What was the emotional significance of the old Malibu to Genie and to Mattie? Do you have anything you’ve held onto longer than you should because of the memories tied to it? What would it take for you to let it go?

13. The ability or inability to let go of guilt and move on with life is a recurring theme in this novel. What are some of the characters whose stories reflect this theme, and how did they deal with (or not deal with) their guilt? How common is it in real life for people to harbor guilt that holds them back from realizing their potential?

14. If could check back in with Mattie a year after the book’s ending, what do you think you’d find? What do you wish you’d find? Are the answers to those two questions the same or different?(Questionns issued by the publisher.)

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