A Crooked Number

This third novel by author Nathan Jorgenson revisits the distinctive, endearing characters that hooked readers of the award-winning Waiting for White Horses.

From a small town in rural Minnesota, Grant Thorson heads to dental school in the 1970s almost as a dare, not quite ready to settle down with a job but determined to make his way through grad school. Almost immediately, he meets Kate Bellows, a beautiful, intelligent, and mysterious professor who quickly captures his heart, and his soon- to-be best friend Will Campbell, whose rough humor keeps both of them grounded.

As Grant slowly eases into the student lifestyle and begins to fall in love with Kate, A Crooked Number tells the rich and tender story of their journey as a couple, their coming of age, and the dreams that hold their lives together. Through the many changes that accompany their transition for youth to adulthood—marriage, loss, birth, and Grant’s return to his childhood dream of playing baseball—Jorgenson portrays the nuances of growth and love with consistent humor and insight.

With masterful storytelling, A Crooked Number takes readers deeper into the thrills and challenges of these characters’ youths and adult lives.