About Jenny Recktenwald
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Jenny Recktenwald draws on her hometown and its inhabitants as inspiration for her works of fiction.
She earned a Master of Arts in English from the University of Louisville and has honed her craft with support from authors including Paul Griner, Sena Jeter Naslund, and Dana Cann.
Jenny served as editor of Voices from Historical African American Communities near Louisville, Kentucky (2015) by Carrider M. Jones, and is a recipient of an Artist Enrichment Grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women.
She lives in Louisville with her family and enjoys being outside, losing herself in a great book, and traveling to new places.
January 11, 2024: InKY Reading Series
Produced by Louisville Literary Arts, the InKY Reading Series is a virtual live author series featuring new and published authors. I will read from my novel manuscript, The Nearest Among Us, and take audience questions. Please join me on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 7:00 pm.
The Nearest Among Us
Maggie Healy is the oldest of 12 children in a Catholic family growing up in Depression-era Louisville, Kentucky. Her father lays dying as the Great Flood of 1937 devastates the entire Ohio Valley, putting the family’s lives at risk and destroying their home. Forced to grow up too quickly — first serving as the family caregiver and later the breadwinner — Maggie navigates poverty, love, and misfortune, learning that survival won’t come without a cost.
The full manuscript of The Nearest Among Us (98,000 words) is available upon request.