{"product_id":"this-must-be-the-place","title":"This Must Be the Place","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThis Must Be the Place\u003c\/i\u003e is an ode to community, family, and the persistence of queer joy in unexpected places. Louisa's world feels lived-in and achingly real, and her story shines with wisdom, warmth, and vulnerability. As always, Kelly Quindlen shoots straight for the heart--and she never misses.\" \u003cb\u003e--Becky Albertalli, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Poignant and unapologetically empowering, \n\u003ci\u003eThis Must Be the Place\u003c\/i\u003e is an earnest exploration of legacy, community, queer identity, complex relationships, and the necessary spaces where we find ourselves. A joyful read and Quindlen's best yet!\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Julian Winters, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLast First Kiss\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"One of the most layered, heartfelt books I've ever read. Quindlen is at her absolute best as she captures the multifaceted soul of the queer community, both past and present, through the warm and colorful lens of the Frisky Cricket. Reading \n\u003ci\u003eThis Must Be The Place\u003c\/i\u003e is exactly like stepping behind a secret waterfall and finding all of your people waiting for you.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Kit Rosewater, author of \u003ci\u003eAll's Fair in Love \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eField Hockey \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eThis Must Be the Place\u003c\/i\u003e is a triumphant homecoming to Rustin, Alabama, a place aglow with first loves and old flames--and to the Frisky Cricket, a space electric with charm and glitter. Quintessential Kelly Quindlen, these pages are filled with humor, heart, and deeply human characters. It's a love letter to the havens queer people have built to hide in, and to the people who help us step into the light.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Jen St. Jude, author of \u003ci\u003eWhere You'll Find Us\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eIf Tomorrow Doesn't Come\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKelly Quindlen \u003c\/b\u003eis the bestselling author of the young adult novels \n\u003ci\u003eShe Drives Me Crazy\u003c\/i\u003e (winner of the Volunteer State Book Award), \n\u003ci\u003eLate to the Party, \u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eHer Name in the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e. Her books have been featured in \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eBusiness Insider\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eVulture\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003ePaste\u003c\/i\u003e. Kelly enjoys speaking to high school GSAs, PFLAG groups, and all manner of LGBTQ+ positive organizations. She lives in Atlanta with her fiancée and their saucy cat, Peach Marie. \n\u003cb\u003ekellyquindlen.com\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen eighteen-year-old Louisa returns to her small Alabama hometown for a funeral, she rekindles a fragile romance with Aubrey, only to find their relationship tested by local scandals, family pressures, and the challenge of being openly queer in a place seemingly built on secrets.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInheriting a gay bar from your secretive great-uncle? Awkward. Trying to save it while catching feelings for the wrong girl? Complicated. From the author of \u003ci\u003eShe Drives Me Crazy\u003c\/i\u003e comes an exuberant YA novel about queer joy, found family, and standing your ground.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen eighteen-year-old Louisa Wade inherits a gay bar from her late great-uncle, she figures there's been some kind of mistake. There's no way Uncle George--football legend and hometown hero of Rustin, Alabama--could have secretly owned a queer bar... right? \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut The Frisky Cricket is real, and so is the messy legacy Uncle George left behind--including his grumpy ex-partner, Hatch, who wants nothing more than to sell the bar. Louisa may have zero business experience, but she's determined to keep it open for the vibrant queer community that calls it home. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs the summer heats up, Louisa's crusade puts her on a collision course with Aubrey Calhoun: the pretty, popular, and sharp-tongued daughter of Rustin University's newly crowned football coach. The girls start off on the wrong foot, but a tentative truce leads to late nights, shared secrets, and a growing spark. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut things threaten to sputter out when Coach Calhoun sets his sights on The Frisky Cricket, scheming to replace it with a new athletic facility--celebrating Uncle George's football career while erasing his queerness. Now Louisa must decide if she can fight for Uncle George's legacy without losing sight of herself in the process. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDon't miss the other YA offerings from Kelly Quindlen, \"master at portraying the teen experience.\" (SLJ)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e*HER NAME IN THE SKY: \u003c\/b\u003e Kelly's debut novel that started it all, a sapphic romance about two best friends who fall in love and find the courage to choose--and be--themselves. \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e*SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY: \u003c\/b\u003ea sapphic enemies-to-lovers, fake dating rom-com about a high school basketball player and the pretty cheerleader she gets into a fender bender with. \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e*LATE TO THE PARTY: \u003c\/b\u003ea queer coming-of-age story about what it means to be a \"real\" teenager and an ode to late bloomers everywhere. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9781250911063, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9781250911063, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/01\/2026 pg. 79 (EAN 9781250911063, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/30\/2026 (EAN 9781250911063, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eQuindlen, Kelly\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKelly Quindlen \u003c\/b\u003eis the bestselling author of the young adult novels \n\u003ci\u003eShe Drives Me Crazy\u003c\/i\u003e (winner of the Volunteer State Book Award), \n\u003ci\u003eLate to the Party, \u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eHer Name in the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e. Her books have been featured in \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eBusiness Insider\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eVulture\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003ePaste\u003c\/i\u003e. Kelly enjoys speaking to high school GSAs, PFLAG groups, and all manner of LGBTQ+ positive organizations. She lives in Atlanta with her fiancée and their saucy cat, Peach Marie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Roaring Brook Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496059699478,"sku":"9781250911063","price":25.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781250911063.jpg?v=1783052188","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/this-must-be-the-place","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}