Bitterroot: A Novel

A forensic artist confronts a crime against her own family, while MAGA politics, racism and violence rage in a small town in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho. 

Set in the fictional town of Steeplejack, nestled in the Bitterroot Mountains, Hazel Mackenzie provides law enforcement with sketch art and victim reconstruction following suspected crimes. Hazel is catapulted from observer to participant when her husband dies in an accident and then soon after, her gay twin brother Kento is shot by a member of Steeplejack’s growing anti-LGBTQ community during a gender reveal party for his child. 

Hazel soon discovers her husband wasn’t who she thought he was. She uncovers hidden family secrets about her grandparents’ forced internment during World War II, mirroring the same racism and prejudice that threaten to strip Kento and his husband of their basic rights to their baby. As physical violence charges up her driveway and engulfs her life, Hazel battles for herself, her brother, and a town torn apart by hate. And somehow during all this, she stumbles on a different kind of love and a more courageous way to live her life.  

About Suzy Vitello

Suzy Vitello writes and lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her dog and occasionally one or more of their five kids. She holds an MFA from Antioch, Los Angeles, and has been a recipient of an Oregon Literary Arts grant. Her previous novels include Faultland, The Moment Before and the YA Empress Chronicles series.

Praise for Suzy Vitello's Bitterroot: A Novel

"In Vitello’s novel, a young widow grapples with an attack on her family. Hazel finds herself at the center of a trial that unleashes a flood of racism and resentment against her family that has been building for generations. Vitello’s crystalline prose elegantly captures the numbing grief that grips Hazel for much of the novel… memorable characters nimbly embody the larger cultural forces at war in contemporary America…A gripping and emotionally intelligent tale of resentment and loss.

—Kirkus Reviews

"Bitterroot is an intricate novel—a tapestry of family dynamics, generational trauma, and the pursuit of social justice in a small town. The prose is captivating and immersive, and the story pulsates thanks to its rich, small-town atmosphere."

—Foreword Reviews

"Deceptively easy to read, this book strikes at the heart of loss, and the alchemy of change. Suzy Vitello is a gifted writer with a deep understanding of people and places. Bitterroot is an exceptional novel by a great talent."

—Rene Denfeld, author of The Child Finder and Sleeping Giants

"A deep and unforgiving look into many difficult and timely issues, ranging from same sex marriage and reproductive rights to grief and bigotry. Vitello depicts nuanced human relationships with grace, dignity, and beautiful turns of phrase. The plot will rope you right in with a cadence that's accessible and engaging throughout. Don't be surprised if the book keeps you up late into the night. This is one you won't want to miss!"

—Jacqueline Friedland, USA Today bestselling author of He Gets That From Me

"As a plot person, I could not put this book down. Talk about one surprise/revelation/unexpected turn after another. Never mind that the sex scenes were deliciously inventive. I loved the unlikely hero, Hazel, a benign name, but she draws dead and maimed bodies for a living, as the only forensic artist in the Silver Valley. 'When our father died...yellowed with cirrhosis...I chose watercolor.' Through a rollercoaster-from-hell life, and against all odds, she rises to the challenges of a family full of faults. One of the last lines: 'May we bloom where we’re planted.' That's Hazel."

—Jan Baross, author, Bye-Bye Bakersfield

"Among the reasons we readers love a novel are two that seem impossibly at odds: a compelling plot that keeps you up way too late flipping pages as fast as possible, and dazzling writing with such beautiful phrasing you are inspired to slow your reading down to savor each sentence. Paradoxically, Bitterroot by Suzy Vitello possesses both hallmarks of excellence. Bitterroot’s believable characters pop off the page and its profound themes will inspire many provocative discussions, long after the last page is turned. I love this book."

—Debby Dodds, author of Amish Guys Don’t Call