Eppes, Cindy

PERSONAL: Married. Education: Warren Wilson College, M.F.A., 1999.

ADDRESSES: Home—Fairfield, TX. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

CAREER: Eighth-grade Spanish teacher; operator of architectural cast-iron business in Fairfield, TX.

WRITINGS:

South of Reason, Washington Square Press (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Cindy Eppes grew up near the Rio Grande, in a mesquite-country ranching family. Her first novel, South of Reason, reflects her Texas roots in the story of Kayla, who moves with her family to rural Rosalita, Texas, her parents' hometown. Once they have settled, Kayla discovers that the boy who lives next door looks like her own father, and Kayla begins to realize that the adults she depends on are just as human and capable of poor decisions as children are. The book expands beyond the revelation that the boy and Kayla are half-siblings to deal with a range of emotional issues. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews found that "the atmosphere of mystery is not sustained very well," but in a review for People Jennifer Wulff called the book as "poetic as it is piercing." Writing for Booklist, Peggy Barber described Eppes's novel as "a fast, enjoyable read with a young narrator who will draw teens." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly remarked that the book is "full of rich, authentic details, colorful and often surprising metaphors and expertly imagined characters," and dubbed Eppes as "a writer worth watching."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 2002, Peggy Barber, review of South of Reason, p. 921.

Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2002, review of South of Reason, p. 9.

Kliatt, May, 2003, Claire Rosser, review of South of Reason, p. 16.

Library Journal, February 1, 2002, Michele Leber, review of South of Reason, p. 130.

People, March 25, 2002, Jennifer Wulff, review of South of Reason, p. 49.

Publishers Weekly, January 14, 2002, review of South of Reason, p. 36.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), February 23, 2003, review of South of Reason, p. 6.

Washington Post Book World, April 28, 2002, review of South of Reason, p. 15.

ONLINE

Austin Chronicle Online, http://www.austinchronicle.com/ (May 3, 2002), Virginia B. Wood, review of South of Reason.

New Mexico State University Web site, http://www.nsmu.edu/ (January 15, 2006), "Cindy Eppes."

Palm eBook Store, http://ebooks.palm.com/ (January 15, 2006), "Cindy Eppes."