“This was a book I read, not once, but twice, as it beckoned to me.”
D.B. Moone, writer, editor, book reviewer ★★★★★
“A compelling mix of poignancy, hopefulness, and of course, poetic justice.”
Lit Amri ★★★★★
Beth Ann Hooper
The Roots That Clutch
Based on my own true story, my award-winning debut novel The Roots That Clutch is a genealogical thriller and contemporary “Portrait of the Artist of as a Young Woman”.
While on her path to becoming a writer and poet in her own right, a young woman accidentally discovers a life-changing family secret that solidifies her artistic identity and inheritance. During her research on the greatest American poets of the 20th century, her PhD supervisor by chance reveals that her paternal grandmother had had an affair with one of these poets around the time her father was conceived.
The novel is also the subject of an internationally-acclaimed short film.
The Book
The Roots That Clutch
Secrets have a way of being found out.
Uncovering the hidden secrets of her literary heroes was the last thing Jane expected when she began her PhD research on T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. But as she delves deeper into the prestigious universities and dusty manuscript libraries, she discovers a shocking truth: her own family may have been involved in a scandalous affair with another titan of American Modernism, William Carlos Williams.
Guided by her unwavering intuition and the support of a few exceptional mentors, Jane's quest for the truth takes her on a journey spanning continents and decades, navigating the treacherous waters of academic politics along the way. But as she unearths the buried secrets of her ancestors, she realizes that sometimes, the truth we seek lies hidden within the very words that have shaped our world.
For fans of historical fiction and literary mysteries, The Roots That Clutch is a hauntingly true story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Distinguished Favorite in World Literature 2024 NYC Big Book Award
Winner 2024 Independent Press Award Best Book Cover Design
Distinguished Favorite in World Literature 2024 Independent Press Award
Order it now
To order a signed copy, email sales@therootsthatclutch.com
To order the paperback or ebook select your favorite online retailer:
For the audiobook simply select your favorite online retailer here:
The Author
Beth Ann Hooper is an award-winning poet, writer and movie producer. Her debut novel The Roots That Clutch was named the 2024 Winner Book Cover Design and Distinguished Favorite World Literature by the Independent Press Award. The novel was also named Distinguished Favorite in World Literature 2024 by the NYC Big Book Award.
She is also the producer of the award-winning short film The Roots That Clutch which is based on the novel and associate producer of the internationally-acclaimed Dutch documentary In the Interest of the Child.
Reviews
“The Roots That Clutch should be on the short list for every book club in the world.”
Fred Bannister, Texas teacher ★★★★★
“Magnificent!”
Joan Levine, New York poet and writer ★★★★★
“A compelling mix of poignancy, hopefulness, and of course, poetic justice.”
Lit Amri ★★★★★
“Overall […] a compelling read.”
Lisa Jones of Readers’ Favorite ★★★★★
“A great read… I wanted more.”
Rosalyn Baxandall ★★★★★
“An utterly engaging, delicious read.”
Phyllis E. Ring, writer ★★★★★
“This was a book I read, not once, but twice, as it beckoned to me.”
D.B. Moone, writer, editor, book reviewer ★★★★★
“Recommended!”
Bert Bukman, Dutch writer and journalist ★★★★★
The Movie
The Roots That Clutch is also an internationally acclaimed short film based on the novel. Watch it here:
Media
Catch the latest press releases right here:
Catch the latest interviews with award-winning author, poet and filmmaker Beth Ann Hooper right here:
May 22, 2025: Article in Bedford Bulletin about speaking at Bedford, New Hampshire Rotary
Events
September 13, 2025: Author Alley, Griffin Free Library, Auburn, New Hampshire
October 3-4, 2025: New Hampshire Book Festival, Concord, New Hampshire
October 11, 2025: Louisville Book Festival, Louisville, Kentucky
October 18, 2025: New Hampshire Literary Awards Ceremony
November 8-9, 2025: Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas
January 24, 2026: Scottsdale Book Festival, Scottsdale, Arizona
In the make:
Heritage Johnstown Historical Lecture Series, Heritage Discovery Center, Johnstown, Pennsylvania will be rescheduled this fall due to the heat wave in June.
Rotary and Daughters of the American Revolution, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Past events
June 25, 2025
Screening and Q&A of The Roots That Clutch short film: Filmmaker Open Screening/Networking Night, Paterson, New Jersey
June 21, 2025
Bookery
Manchester, New Hampshire
May 7, 2025
Rotary Bedford, New Hampshire
May 3, 2025
NYC Big Book Award ceremony, Newark, New Jersey
April 26, 2025
NH Writers' Project Harriet E. Wilson Literary Salon
Exeter, New Hampshire
April 26, 2025
Independent Bookstore Day at Bookery
Manchester, New Hampshire
April 17, 2025
Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary, Rindge, New Hampshire
March 25, 2025
Merrimack Public Library, Merrimack, New Hampshire
March 22, 2025
Vermont Genealogical Society
Essex, Vermont
March 8, 2025
Daughters of the American Revolution
Newport, New Hampshire
February 21, 2025
Rotary, Gilford, New Hampshire
February 8, 2025
Bookery, Manchester, New Hampshire
January 27, 2025
Rotary Keene, New Hampshire
January 14, 2025
Rotary Concord, New Hampshire
November 16, 2024
Bookery, Manchester, New Hampshire
Sept 14, 2024
Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH
Aug 22, 2024
Still North Books & Bar, Hanover, NH
Aug 17, 2024
Balin Books, Nashua, NH
July 20, 2024
Bookery Manchester, NH
July 12-13, 2024
The Eloquent Page Author Fair, St Albans, VT
Contact
To order a signed copy, email sales@therootsthatclutch.com
To book the author for an event, email info@therootsthatclutch.com