A mesmerizing tour de force that marks the debut of one of the most exciting new talents in years . . .

"The day I returned to Templeton steeped in disgrace, the fifty-foot corpse of a monster surfaced in Lake Glimmerglass."

So begins The Monsters of Templeton, a novel spanning two centuries: part a contemporary story of a girl's search for her father, part historical novel, and part ghost story, this spellbinding novel is at its core a tale of how one town holds the secrets of a family.

In the wake of a wildly disastrous affair with her married archaeology professor, Willie Upton arrives on the doorstep of her ancestral home in Templeton, New York, where her hippie-turned-born-again-Baptist mom, Vi, still lives. Willie expects to be able to hide in the place that has been home to her family for generations, but the monster's death changes the fabric of the quiet, picture-perfect town her ancestors founded. Even further, Willie learns that the story her mother had always told her about her father has all been a lie: he wasn't the random man from a free-love commune that Vi had led her to imagine, but someone else entirely. Someone from this very town.

As Willie puts her archaeological skills to work digging for the truth about her lineage, she discovers that the secrets of her family run deep. Through letters, editorials, and journal entries, the dead rise up to tell their sides of the story as dark mysteries come to light, past and present blur, old stories are finally put to rest, and the shocking truth about more than one monster is revealed.

Critical acclaim ....

"At the heart of Lauren Groff's ambitious debut novel is a simple question…But how that mystery is solved—through three centuries of one family's history overflowing with scandals and secrets—makes it a delightful and challenging novel…The Monsters of Templeton makes readers work, but its rewards are worth it. Groff…is a talent to watch and celebrate."

--USA TODAY

"Groff's multi-layered saga both thrills and delights with its poignant, breath-taking prose."

--ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, A

"Lauren Groff's debut novel, The Monsters of Templeton, is everything a reader might have expected from this gifted writer, and more... There are monsters, murders, bastards, and ne'er-do-wells almost without number. I was sorry to see this rich and wonderful novel come to an end."

--Stephen King

"In The Monsters of Templeton Lauren Groff has crafted a multilayered story that is boldly inventive and surprising, by turns wistful, elegiac, and sweeping."

--Lauren Belfer

" The Monsters of Templeton is a bold and beautiful hybrid of a book... Lauren Groff is an exciting young novelist, gifted with an elegant prose style and a narrative ambition as deep and as serious as the human mysteries she sets out to explore."

--Lorrie Moore

What Booksellers are Saying ....

"Could not, would not, stop reading until I finished it. A masterpiece that weaves it all together-and yes, I cried at the last chapter. While there are echoes of other great writers, I think The Monsters of Templeton stands alone as a new voice. I'd recommend it to everyone (and will)."

--Diane LaCombe, Cibolo, TX

"I loved The Monsters of Templeton! Engaging, realistic, compelling. The story captivated and held my attention. I'd recommend it to most anyone-those how like mystery, historical fiction."

--Donna Safford, Springfield, MA

"Lauren Groff is a writer to pay attention to as she has a grasp of language, dialogue and character that is so rare in a first time novelist. I love the weaving of the ancestors or possible ancestors into the story and there are photographs throughout that add a sense of historical realism to this lovely novel. As each new character enters the story, it grows in depth and nuance. I am attached to The Lump, to her friendship with Clarissa, and to her quirky mother. I love her descriptions of the people and the place and having been to Cooperstown in my youth with relatives who journey there annually to see the Baseball Museum, I can really picture her setting. I had a few laugh out loud times, many teary ones and loved the ending. I will be thrilled to sell The Monsters of Templeton to my customers and can imagine book groups all over the country reading this book when it comes out in paperback."

--Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ

"I loved The Monsters of Templeton! I found the characters surprisingly engaging, people I cared about. The plot was nicely paced and delightfully quirky. The book was reminiscent of nothing I have read. I will recommend it to my book group, my sisters, and my daughters-in-law."

--Nancy H. Porter, Inkwell Bookstore, Falmouth, MA

"Every so often a novel comes along that is so magical in its feel, so wide-ranging in its scope, and so outstanding that it is difficult to describe in a way that does it justice. The Monsters of Templeton is one of those. Sure to be a classic!"

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music, Grand Rapids, MI

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