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Three copies of the book 'Not Much of a Hugger' by Craig Holt are stacked at an angle on a light beige background. The book cover features a detailed black and white illustration of a coiled snake wrapped around a tree trunk, with the title in red and the author's name in olive green.
  • Three copies of the book 'Not Much of a Hugger' by Craig Holt are stacked at an angle on a light beige background. The book cover features a detailed black and white illustration of a coiled snake wrapped around a tree trunk, with the title in red and the author's name in olive green.
Not Much of a Hugger

Not Much of a Hugger

Preorder from: Phinney Books | Bookshop.org | Amazon

Randy Gunderson’s life is crumbling as fast as the land beneath his feet. The heartbroken apple grower is already in a world of hurt trying to win back his estranged wife and son, stave off bankruptcy, and fight off the tech millionaires who are trying to pave over his orchard community and turn it into a wasteland of McMansions. Now, he also has to deal with a massive geologic rift that threatens to send his livelihood and his legacy crashing into the Columbia River.

With some help from surprising sources, Randy scrambles to save his failing business. But with wildfires closing in and his last chance at redemption slipping away, he must finally confront the truth: the biggest threat to everything he loves has always been himself.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Washington’s apple country, Not Much of a Hugger is a book full of heart and humor that considers the damage we inflict on ourselves and others, the weight of legacy, and whether it’s ever too late to say you’re sorry.

  • Poignant, Hilarious Romp

    Not Much of A Hugger is a poignant, hilarious romp with real depth, set against the beautifully rendered backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. With prose that glitters, jokes that land, and perspective-altering insights about love, loss, and yearning, Holt offers a timely critique of toxic masculinity, and a heartbreaking examination of the rifts it can cause. I treasured every moment I spent with this book.

    — Miranda Shulman, author of Harmless

  • An Indelible Character

    It's been a bad week for apple farmer Randy Gunderson. He's lost his dog, his son won't take his calls, his prized crop of pippins is in danger of falling into a sinkhole, and his ex-wife is set to marry his former best friend. If anyone could use a hug it's him, though that would only piss him off even more. In this hilarious and heartbreaking debut, Not Much of a Hugger, author Craig Holt has created an indelible character who joins the pantheon of lovable American curmudgeons. Randy Gunderson may be a pain in the ass, but I could not stop rooting for him.

    — Giano Cromley, author of American Mythology

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