Reader Review by BALC

“The mind is a mine. So often we revisit its winding, unsound caverns when we ought to stay out.” This is the insightful and beautiful writing of Clair Watkins in her first novel, Battleborn. It can be said of Watkins that she is a young woman with an old soul; such is the depth of her short stories. Watkins uses the soil from where she was raised to reveal her various characters – the deserts of Nevada and Death Valley, a rural and harsh land. The terrain reflects her narrative; suicide, violence, neglect and sorrow permeate. Yet, within the grief and melancholy, there is warmth and beauty. This is due to the author’s unmistakable ability to write exquisitely and profoundly. If this is the seed from which her writing will grow, Claire Watkins will become one of the great writers of our time. I look forward to future novels from this magnificent author.