"Rosemary's Baby but set in Northern Minnesota" is how author Cheri Johnson describes her latest work. Annika Rose follows the title character as she navigates the early stages of adulthood while understanding a snarl of relationships between friends, her father, and other residents of the remote Lake of the Woods County.
An only-child to a single-parent, Annika's transition through her formative years was a lonely one. "I was always thinking about what that would have done to her; that social isolation," says Johnson of her protagonist. As the story follows Annika, we see uncertainty when she meets new neighbors and avoidance tactics when faced with running into peers.
The sparse cast of characters and lonely landscape are in sync with Johnson's approach to creating dialogue. Especially notable in scenes between father and daughter, conversations are brief and brimming with subtext. "I think people don't say everything, and that's interesting to me."
Cheri Johnson will be visiting Zenith Bookstore on June 8th from 11am-1pm. Johnson will be present to talk about Annika Rose and her other book The Girl from Duluth. Both books are available at Zenith Bookstore.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
