Awards & Accolades

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Judges: Best New Voice Fiction

“Champs is both maddening and endearing. You can't help but love him. This novel had me both laughing and near tears. The writing is lovely, especially strong are the descriptions of the Sassafras river and the surrounding natural world. The characters were all well developed and the ending was satisfying. This was a joy to read.”

“Sassafras is a well put together funny book. It's insightful, light, and overall the quality of the book is great. The design of the book easily grabbed my attention and I thoroughly enjoyed this title.”

“An honest and humorous reaction to grief. How does one move on past anger and disappointment when your wife has betrayed you by dying first and then the discovery of a past adultery. Well meaning friends and family complicate the situation. This is a compelling and humorous story of human faults and forgiveness. More importantly it is about living again.”

“I could not put it down. The characters are alarmingly charming; each one adds so much emotion to the story and all are well-developed. Champs is a memorable character and the reason why this book scored so high with me. He makes up his mind to live his life as he chooses and his consistent attempts at not allowing anyone to jettison his retirement plans at Sassafras are hysterical in places...The emotional connection I made with all characters was startling as there are often characters I feel a book could do without...a remarkable book and it will be the first one I recommend to my friends when this competition is over!”

Kirkus Reviews

“In a narrative as tender and mordant as Champs himself, Heald has created both an exploration of aging and a tribute to a lost way of life.”

Reedsy Discovery Featured Review

“A MUST READ! A stunning debut which tells a story of grief and family, expertly and beautifully…I laughed and cried as Heald expertly told a story about healing and family.”