The Big Door Prize

The New York Times bestselling author of My Sunshine Away returns with another instant Southern classic: a gripping and heartfelt novel about a mysterious machine that upends a small Louisiana town,asking us all to wonder if who we truly are is who we truly could be. What would you do if you knew your life’s potential? That’s the question facing the residents of DeerfieldLouisianawhen the DNAMIX machine appears in their local grocery store. It’s nothing to look atreally–it resembles a plain photo booth. But its promise is amazing: With just a quick swab of your cheek and two dollarsthe device claims to use the science of DNA to tell you your life’s potential. With enough credibility to make the townspeople curioussoon the former teachersnursesand shopkeepers of Deerfield are abruptly changing course to pursue their destinies as magicianscowboysand athletes–including the novel’s main charactersDouglas Hubbard and his wifeCherilynwho both believed they were perfectly happy until they realized they could dream for more… Written with linguistic grace and a sense of wonderThe Big Door Prize sparkles with keen observations about what it might mean to stay true to oneself while honoring the bonds of marriagefriendshipand communityand how the glimmer of possibility can pull these bonds apartbring them back togetherand make second chances possibleeven under the strangest of circumstances.