The Head’s Tale
by Susan Kinsolving
You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Apr 29 2025 | Archive Date Apr 28 2025
Talking about this book? Use #TheHeadsTale #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
This secret could swamp her.
Miranda Crandell, the Head of Strutthorn Academy, has a brilliant idea to one-up the other elite New England prep schools with their piddling plots of organic veggies for experiential learning: She’ll buy a swamp. Yes, a bog, a quagmire, an oozy acre, where she intends to build a special science center. What she doesn’t account for is Paul Dickersen—her newly hired freshwater biologist who is strikingly handsome (even in cargo pants) and turns out to be an irresistible lover.
Miranda’s days are fraught with student and personnel issues, but soon she becomes her own big problem. The Head of School is supposed to be a steadfast and principled role model for impetuous teenage students. Instead, Miranda becomes crazed with lust, spiraling into a wild and messy journey of self-discovery. Funny, sexy, and irreverent, The Head’s Tale is a delightful tromp through the muck of prep school drama—and a reminder that the process of growing up never truly ends.
A Note From the Publisher
If you'd like to leave a review on Amazon, please use this link: https://a.co/d/ijHyeJd
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Kinsolving has published four collections of poetry, including Dailies & Rushes, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She has received critical acclaim from The New York Times, The New Yorker, Kirkus Reviews, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, and Publishers Weekly. Kinsolving has taught in the Bennington Writing Seminars, University of Connecticut, Willard-Cybulski Men’s Prison, and California Institute of the Arts. Her libretti have been performed in California, New York, Italy, and the Netherlands. The Head’s Tale is her first novel.
Marketing Plan
- Targeted outreach to author's community and educators
- Digital galley distribution on NetGalley
- Post publication eBook discount promotion
- Ingram Reviews Program
- Targeted outreach to author's community and educators
- Digital galley distribution on NetGalley
- Post publication eBook discount promotion
- Ingram Reviews Program
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781964721255 |
PRICE | $18.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 274 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

“Maybe it was just some freedom you wanted to try. Freedom you never had as an adolescent?” - Justine, THE HEAD'S TALE
Head of School Miranda Crandell is determined to maintain control of herself and the elite private school she oversees. She is someone who prides herself on epitomizing the cool, calm and collected persona as is befitting her role as leader of this exclusive school. That is until she hires a biologist to help develop her passion project - one she hopes will cement her reputation as one of the finest educational leaders in this academic environment. What she did not plan for was his ability to make her lose control of herself in ways that mirror the trials and tribulations she must deal with when working with privileged students and off-beat educators.
THE HEAD’S TALE is a humorous and biting commentary on life in an upper echelon New England prep school. At first, I was a little bit off by the story as I found it very cliche and shallow but as the plot developed I started to see the parallels and hypocrisy that Miranda found herself living in and my thinking shifted as I started to appreciate the messaging. The pacing is fast and engaging and the unique personalities of the characters add flavor.
The one area for improvement is the repetitive information about characters and/or their thinking. For example, Miranda’s thoughts on Evelyn and her own internal dialogue about herself and her predicament.
Thank you to NetGalley and Girl Friday Productions for the advanced copy to read. All opinions here are my own.