Critical Praise
“A nuanced portrayal of a mother and daughter at once linked and divided by a ferociously exploitative man…. Treating June’s perspective as richly as Bobbie’s, the novel brings memorable depth to issues often oversimplified; Leimbach’s scenes are convincing, whether they portray harrowing abuse or subtle moments of healing.”
—Publishers Weekly
“An account of estrangement between mother and daughter and the toll abuse can take on a family. Told partly through flashback and partly through court testimony, this unhappy tale is woven with pain and fractured relationships…. The story will keep readers turning pages until the bitter end…. Fans of Jodi Picoult may enjoy.”
—Library Journal
“Leimbach is known for tackling tough subjects in an unflinching manner, and this novel is no exception. Bobbie’s story is often difficult to read, but the descriptions of abuse don’t come across as gratuitous or overdone. The alternating chapters, told from June’s perspective, show how insidious predators can be --- her denial of the truth continues even when she is directly confronted with the facts. Readers who enjoy issue-driven women’s fiction --- and who can handle the dark subject matter --- will be moved by Bobbie’s story.”
—Booklist, starred review
“[A] horribly believable depiction of a child ensnared by a predator. In giving a voice to Bobbie’s mother as well as Bobbie, she foregoes the urge to simply blame a woman who failed to protect her daughter…. Devastatingly powerful.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“When does a relationship become sexual assault? Marti Leimbach approaches the question clearly and compassionately in her latest novel AGE OF CONSENT…a strong novel about a troubling subject…Marti Leimbach’s novel should add to the cultural conversation about abuse, victimization, and re-victimization by the judicial system. Not light reading, but absorbing and timely.”
—New York Journal of Books
“What makes Marti Leimbach’s new novel so chilling is not only its tale of predator and prey, but the story of the mother and daughter, entangled in its web. It is so terrifying to see a mother in denial, a daughter who can’t and won’t forget. As Leimbach weaves her story, moving between past and present, this thrilling novel forces us to ask to whom do we owe our loyalties --- to those we love, or to ourselves.”
—Mary Morris, author of THE JAZZ PALACE
“Three people: a young girl, her mother and the man who has seduced them both. Leimbach explores the ambiguities of loss, love and desire, and plumbs the dark places where they meet. At the center of the story is an illicit, illegal affair, the consequences of which never really stop reverberating. AGE OF CONSENT is spellbinding.”
—Whitney Otto, author of EIGHT GIRLS TAKING PICTURES and HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT
