And Still Her Voice: A Novel

A wildly original, soul-stirring ride through the Summer of Love…

It’s Easter, 1967, when Anna LeMar, a lonely half-Mexican teen, stabs her father and runs away, but she’s not alone. Grandma Phoebe, her dead white grandmother, has colonized her brain and hitched along in a mental sidecar for the ride of their lifetime. Anna has also inherited Grandma’s musical talent and so reluctant travel companions, they navigate the world with Anna’s guitar strapped to her back and the knife she used on her father strapped to her leg.

On the road, Anna encounters all sorts of characters and begins to discover her own voice as she searches for a way to cut the strings that bind her to Grandma Phoebe. Set during the Summer of Love and the tumultuous 60s, this coming-of-age speculative story chases history through Anna’s adventures and quest for love. A generational family drama, it’s also a story of mothers, daughters, granddaughters, and the ties that bind us for generations.

About the Author

Ruthie Marlenée, a native Californian with Mexican roots, is the author of Isabela’s Island, Curse of the Ninth, and Agave Blues. Nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, she is a member of Macondo Writers Workshop, Inlandia Institute, Palm Springs Writers Guild, and is a WriteGirl Mentor. Her short stories and poems have been widely published.

Praise for And Still Her Voice

“A wildly inventive novel about a half-Mexican young woman, Anna LeMar, whose dead grandmother takes residence inside her head from birth. And Still Her Voice tackles issues of identity, class, and belonging in wholly original, often hilarious, ways. What a pleasure to follow this feisty heroine who never stops fighting for love and freedom despite her meddling grandmother—and the odds stacked against her.” —Cristina García, author of Vanishing Maps and Dreaming in Cuban

“Ruthie Marlenee’s debut novel, And Still Her Voice, follows Anna LeMar on a journey of escape and return—a quest to rediscover herself. Guided (and sometimes goaded) by the voice of her spirited grandmother Phoebe, Anna ventures into her own wilderness: through cities and across rivers, encountering allies and adversaries alike. With echoes of Huckleberry Finn and One Hundred Years of Solitude, Marlenee weaves a lyrical tale where reality blurs into the magical. With a knife strapped to her leg, a guitar on her back, and Phoebe’s voice in her ear, Anna learns when to listen, when to resist, and how to trust the quiet power of her own inner voice.” —Julia Park Tracey, author of Whoa, Nelly! and The Bereaved

“And Still Her Voice by Ruthie Marlenée is a daring and deeply imaginative novel that blends the grit of a runaway’s journey with the surreal weight of inherited memory and unresolved legacies. Sixteen-year-old Anna LeMar’s search for freedom becomes a battle for autonomy as her privileged, deceased grandmother clings to life through Anna’s consciousness. Set against the vibrant, chaotic backdrop of 1960s America—from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock—the novel delivers both a coming-of-age odyssey and a layered meditation on family, identity, and reconciliation. Marlenée’s prose is soulful, sharp, and unafraid to explore the strange places where trauma, love, and selfhood intersect.” —Lillian Ann Slugocki, The Erotica Project w/Erin Cressida Wilson, How to Travel with Your Demons

“A wildly original, soul-stirring ride through the Summer of Love. Also, an unforgettable coming-of-age story with heart, humor, and a ghost in the backseat—And Still Her Voice is a radiant, fearless exploration of identity, legacy, and the voices we carry with us—this book completely swept me away. A hauntingly beautiful, genre-bending novel that lingers like a song you can’t shake—bold, tender, and unforgettable.” —Lori Rosene-Gambino, Screenwriter and Producer, “Anniversary”

“...Marlenee’s writing is beautiful and lyrical, and each word seems to be written with such care. If you enjoy historical fiction and characters that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book, read And Still Her Voice.” —Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author of When People Leave