I read First Year early in my own marriage and decided to stay on—at least I wasn’t living in South Dakota with overbearing in-laws. Barbara Schnell’s gritty heroine navigates the odd, often bewildering parallel of whirlwind courtship, marriage and Hollywood with a pluck and self-deprecation that’ll keep you cheering when you’re not blotting tears of laughter. As crazy as forays into extended family can be, First Year sifts from them passion and dignity, and makes them all worthwhile.

Caroline McKenzie, Former Adjunct Professor, Writing & English, New York University

“First things first: I want to offer you my congratulations. What an amusing story you’ve crafted here! I flew through these pages, cackling throughout. This is a deft, funny, snappy book. And in its own way, it’s a generous book as well: South Dakota, in the end, turns out to be not so bad a place after all. Oh, you enjoy making fun of it, and we certainly relish the sport, but at the end of the day there’s something to be said for the place, right?

The secret truth is, Brookings is where Stevie starts to flourish. This is your book’s chief achievement. Brookings looks awful at first, and Stevie believes she’s having a horrible time there. Things seem grim indeed. But at the same time, Stevie is changing. In LA she was wired, brittle, and hostile; she bristled with urban neuroses. But in Brookings? Our hero starts to change. Here we see another Stevie: she’e smart, funny, creative, independent, alive. Sure, she’s judgmental. Yes, she can’t stop with the derisive wisecracks—her gag reflex. But she’s also open (well, kind of), curious, and surprisingly resourceful. So while things seem to be getting worse and worse for Stevie in Brookings, they’re also improving all the time. Stevie may call herself a hopeless Angeleno, but it’s li’l old Brookings, South Dakota that brings out the best in her. What a wonderful paradox!”

Joyce Engleson, free-lance editor

Barbara Schnell is so witty and charming in her style. She brings her characters to life with brutal honesty and not quite subtle hilarity.

Savitri Labensart, Northridge, CA

Barbara Schnell must be a South Dakotan to get the tenor of the place so right - I'm a native, and this book is probably the first I've read that feels like I know all the characters personally. Not to mention that it's howlingly funny and a very fast read. If you're looking for a book to make a cross-country flight "fly", look no further. Entertaining, wise, and all served up with an original sense of irony.

A South Dakota native, on Amazon.com

“Overall this was a great read. The author did a fantastic job of creating two unique personalities, and then letting them evolve together over time. It’s hard to believe these are fictional characters. The reviewer kept chuckling, as she was brought back to the first difficult year of her marriage. This manuscript is ‘spot on’ ”.

IUniverse reviewer