Moving between late 1990s small-town Texas to pre-World War II Japan and occupied Tokyo, an emotionally engaging literary debut about a grandmother and granddaughter who connect over a beloved lost place and the secrets they both carry.

“A heartbreakingly resonant debut, The Turtle House is a tender, big-hearted story about women, family, and the complicated history of Texas. These characters, and their tentative, flawed stumblings toward grace, will stay with me.”—Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine

“Sweeping yet intimate, Amanda Churchill’s Turtle House spans cultures and continents. Minnie and her granddaughter Lia are unforgettable protagonists, whose grit and grace will inspire you. Together, they find a way through in this gripping debut.”—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City

“Spanning generations and continents… a gorgeous, wise and assured debut.”
—Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth

“A touching story of two women who find their way back to themselves, each reclaiming what was once thought to be lost. Tender and full of heart.” —Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky

“Like a bespoke building, there is nothing extraneous or without purpose in this beautifully executed debut. Evoking with tender detail the stories of Mineko and Lia, grandmother and granddaughter, the novel draws a line connecting the contrasting worlds of pre-war Japan to late 1990s Texas. Broad in scope yet intimate in storytelling, The Turtle House asks what it is to build a home and what it is to carry a home within.” —Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring