Protagonist Carl Paulsen is fifteen, gay, and living in a small town in southern Minnesota. He's the son of a widower dairy farmer and - as the title suggests - things are complicated.
The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen by Gary Eldon Peter is the 2023 Minnesota Book Award winner for YA Literature. Though the cast of characters is robust, the rural setting also reads as a key element of the story. "It was really important to me... to have a character in that setting," says the author who notes that living in an urban or metropolitan area offers greater resources and advantages for LGBTQ+ youth. "Maybe there's not enough stories about a character living in this particular setting and the challenges of that."
The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen by Gary Eldon Peter is available through most booksellers. "Bookshop.org is a really great place to buy books," says Peter. "Part of the sales go back to support independent bookstores." The book can also be published directly from Regal House Publishing.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
