I'll Come To You — Rebecca Kauffman, author

Available now, locally and elsewhere!

People Magazine Best Book of January

"The joy in this book is something to admire deeply. . . . Kauffman does provide, with exquisite precision, all the toxic snits, the petty furies, the lure of nostalgia, the gnaw of needs never met. But she insists, too, on granting each character, siloed though they may be, their share of wins. The delights aren’t cheap, either: Kauffman loves them enough to bestow upon them the genuine, radiant, quiet, don’t blink kind of happiness. She shows us there is room in a novel—as in the heart—for everyone." —Claire Luchette, The New York Times Book Review

"A warmhearted new novel about a complicated family." —Greg Cowles, The New York Times Book Review

"Ms. Kauffman brings a gentle, comic touch to such family dynamics in this novel-in-stories...The underlying force, this sweet and satisfying book suggests, is simply a love greater than they know how to manage." -Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

"Intimate, wise and funny...A true gem about life's changing seasons." -People Magazine

"These interconnected stories cycle through the perspectives of seven different characters, forming a series of vignettes that deliver a cohesive tale. Kauffman packs an abundance of heart in her compact book as she explores the hopes, disappointments, inadequacies and triumphs of woefully normal people who aren't always likable...For a quiet story about working class folks trudging through the mundane, Kauffman's narrative quickly builds suspense...These stories are surprisingly untethered to time and place...By the end of the narrative, Kauffman has brilliantly communicated that the heart of human struggle hasn't changed much, despite technological advancements...Kauffman's flawed characters don't just tug on the heartstrings. They are everyday people searching for relevance who linger in the mind long after the tale concludes." -Leah Tyler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Each [character] is portrayed with deep compassion – a word that comes up often when describing Rebecca Kauffman’s work. The description is particularly fitting for this novel, where the simplest yearnings tend to stir complex emotions...The novel, relatively short at just over 200 pages, bloomed with many nuanced, expressive voices... Instead of shame for what these characters’ lives might lack in world impact, there’s a narrow but muscular focus on how they impact each other’s." -A. Delphine Delmore, Southern Review of Books

"Tender and charming, I'll Come to You candidly exposes generational gaps in understanding and will appeal to fans of Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You (2009) and Amy Jo Burns' Mercury." —Booklist

"Kauffman thoughtfully portrays family relationships in all their tension and secrets as well as all their intimacy and wonder, in an unhurried narrative similar to the introspective style of authors like Ethan Joella or Ann Napolitano. . . I’ll Come to You surprises with moments of poetic poignancy. . . As the seasons change, defining moments from each character’s past take on new significance. The many facets of family vacations, Christmases, late nights in a hospital and any time of day with a newborn are all tangibly displayed in Kauffman’s precise and descriptive prose."—Melissa Brown, BookPage

"Full of heart and wit, I'll Come to You investigates themes of intimacy, memory, loss, grief and reconciliation." —Sarah Stiefvater, PureWow

"A finely tuned family drama . . . The author has drawn authentic and believable portraits of these flawed but decent people as they negotiate life’s upheavals . . . Kauffman’s fans will love this." —Publishers Weekly

"Kauffman takes time to explore the inner lives of her characters, some more than others, and each character’s vulnerabilities are made clear through the compassionate narration . . . Throughout, the characters are grasping at what they hold dear, fighting insecurities and jealousies that coexist with desperate love and hope. Kauffman sets a scene that ultimately allows for generosity and togetherness." —Kirkus Reviews

"Kauffman reveals who her characters are at a fast clip with carefully selected details that suggest she has an exceptional ability to read humans. . . . What sticks with me is that, like for the characters in I’ll Come to You, no matter my state of ordinariness or the extent of my flaws, I can change to do a better job of loving the people I’m striving to love and also in receiving love." —Mary Ann Zehr, The Harrisonburg Citizen

"Rebecca Kauffman writes like a sun beam, strong and warm on whatever lands in her path. This book only looks short--in reality, it reveals a family so richly drawn, so deep and complex, that it contains the whole world." -Emma Straub, author of This Time Tomorrow

"I’ll Come to You is a deft, engrossing novel, full of subtle humor and compassion. In scenes as precise and intimate as lighted windows on a dark street, Rebecca Kauffman explores those everyday encounters and accidents that can loom so large they overwhelm a life." -Sofia Samatar, author of The White Mosque: A Memoir

"Ordinary lives are rendered with extraordinary insight in I'll Come To You, a novel as delightful as it is darkly funny, at once caustic and profoundly compassionate. Rebecca Kauffman, where have you been all my life?"-Andrew Ridker, author of Hope

"An exquisite work of fiction that shines a light on one year in the life of a family — their truths and lies, vows and betrayals, seductive dreams and deepest fears. Like Elizabeth Strout and Marilynne Robinson before her, Kauffman is brilliant at drawing out the subtle links between lives — and at capturing the mix of awe and terror that exists within us all." -Jonathan Lee, author of The Great Mistake

BOOKSELLER PRAISE:

“Rebecca Kauffman is a master of the small, quiet moment. I’ll Come to You is the story of a year in the life of a family. Her characters change and grow and fight and feel deep sorrow and love. I’ll read everything Kauffman writes.”
—Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books, Eau Claire, WI

“A month-by-month year unfolds—1995–in the lives of an extended family. Each chapter could capably stand on its own as a short story. My first experience with Rebecca Kauffman, and it certainly won’t be my last!” —Beth Shapiro, Skylark Bookshop (Columbia, MO)

“This is an exquisite book-- handed off to different characters to shine light on parts of their stories quite unexpected, incredibly human and universal yet new and fresh. I thought this book was marvelous.” —Kira Wizner, Merritt Bookstore (Millbrook, NY)

“Families are fraught and complicated. There is always room for improvement; heightened emotions often trump honest communication. There are two adult children: one is married with a newborn, and one is divorced, but is a father to his twin boys on sporadic weekends. There are two sets of parents with their own set of relationship issues that include jealousy, grief, rage, separation, dementia pretending to be hearing loss, and a persistent craving for a simple connection with adult children. This novel explores these issues with compassion, humor, and nuance, asking the reader to jump in and draw parallels between the characters so vividly portrayed and their own lives.” —Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)

“Reading this book will be like coming home to a good, but flawed family (as all families are, to varying degrees). The heart that radiates from the quietest characters as Kauffman crawls inside their heads throughout the course of a single year--1995--will make you love, well, most of them (maybe I know some of these characters a little TOO well by association). Kauffman slices through the miscommunications that cause our relationships to fracture and shows such a clear throughline of desires and hopes that causes even characters who seem to be the worst actors to be completely, sometimes heartbreakingly, resonant. But ultimately, this story contains humor, hope, and a real homecoming that we can all hope for eventually, even if we don't always understand one another in the ways we'd really hope.” —Sara Crow, Crow and Co. Books (Hutchinson, KS)

“Families come in all shapes, sizes and complexions - some wanting children, some trying to raise them and others just kind of wondering what went wrong. When decisions are made and actions taken, people can be hurt - they can be angry and they can take it out on bystanders who are just trying to make their own way in life. Kauffman's complicated characters are at once sympathetic, off-putting, and sometimes disturbing. But in the end, they are also recognizable. No-one wants to face a future that is dark and unknown. But sometimes those futures are the only ones we are left with - and sometimes they can be surprising. When it comes to intimate, destructive and caring relationships, the author knows her stuff.” —Linda Bond, Auntie’s (Spokane, WA)

"It goes without saying, if there is a new Rebecca Kauffman book coming, I'm reading it. . Since Chorus' release in 2022, I've been itching for more of her writing! . I'll Come To You raises the question to readers, aren't all humans, in theory, just trying their best? . Kauffman touches on parenting, divorce, friendships and family dynamics in such a deep, yet nuanced way. Her talent lies in creating characters in which readers see themselves and their own families in. Complicated and complacent, dramatic and humorous- she does so much for her reader!" —Katherine Czyzewski, Thunder Road Books (Spring Lake, NJ)

"A very smart book that’s also incredibly fun to read, I’ll Come to You is a delightful novel that’s sure to have wide appeal." —Keith Mosman, Powell’s (Portland, OR)