A review by lindseyzank
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

4.0

This story gripped me in unexpected ways. I cared about Samuel Hawley, a lawless, selfish, careless man. His lonely, painful journey to navigate life after the death of his beloved wife and birth of his daughter Loo captivated me. He makes all of the mistakes and choices that bad husbands and fathers do and yet I found myself rooting for him because of the fierce love he has for Loo and the memory of Lily. Loo's irreverence yet strong desire to be loved kept the pages turning for me. The novel alternates between telling the past stories of the 12 bullets Hawley has taken in his life and present day Loo's coming of age back in the town where her mother grew up. Even though there were many gun-slinging action scenes, I found the flashback chapters to burn slowly. I felt more invested in the current story and how Loo was making her way in a world and with a birth history she has yet to understand. I've also got to mention how talented of a writer Tinti is, not only for her imaginative blending of shoot em up, lawless action scenes in the likes of No Country for Old Men with a heartful account of a father/daughter relationship that builds to a poignant and redemptive crescendo, but also for her often breathtaking descriptions of people and place. I can see why she has won awards for her writing and I'd definitely read her other novel and short story collection.