A Debut Novel · 7.13 Books · August 18, 2026
“Rae Cline’s Precious Ugly may be the year’s most powerful debut, a book that examines domestic violence and generational trauma with a rare empathy that bonds the reader with the protagonist.”
— Largehearted Boy, Book Notes
Code “CLINE” for 15% off at Bookshop.org
About the Novel
Precious Ugly is a searing debut novel for readers of Bastard Out of Carolina and Demon Copperhead. Set in the Reagan era, this work of Appalachian literary fiction asks what a girl hopes, inherits and survives.
Clementine is thirteen years old and living in a van with her father, a preacher and cult leader, on a campsite in Harpers Ferry. She must decide if the miracle he promises will save her or destroy her.
“It was an image that stuck with the girl, the woman standing in the middle of the road and staring at the driver and daring him to do something. And as the girl grew older she held to this image, held it close, wanting desperately to do the same, to stand in the road and stare him down, stare him down, but she was just a girl, his girl. She would always be his girl and what was in a stare anyway?”
It is 1985. The country clings to faith under the threat of nuclear war, economic recession, and an AIDS crisis about which no one wants to speak. Clementine must rely on herself and strangers to survive the addictions and sins of her family and discover for herself what it means to be safe. What it means to be seen.
Harpers Ferry and Jolo, West Virginia, 1985
Set in 1985 in Harpers Ferry and Jolo, West Virginia, Precious Ugly tells the story of a thirteen-year-old girl, Clementine, seeking to escape her abusive, alcoholic, charismatic father and desperate to protect her mother. For readers of Bastard Out of Carolina and Demon Copperhead, it is a universal and ongoing story about poverty, addiction, religious charlatans, predators and how children are made to suffer for the sins of their parents.
Read more in Rae Cline’s essay “Appalachian Literary Fiction” and her series Where Moral Authority Begins, on Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina, Cormac McCarthy’s Child of God, Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing and Appalachia, patriarchy and bell hooks.
Praise for Precious Ugly
“Clementine is a fantastic central character, Cline’s imagery gives the novel a distinct identity…Full Shelf.”
— Justin D. Williams, Imaginative Visions
“A tale rooted in its era and a timeless examination of poverty, addiction, and the everyday marvels of tenacity and resourcefulness.”
— Deborah Goodrich Royce, bestselling author of Best Boy, Providence Monthly, “Top 9 Summer TBR”
Featured in 2026 Books by PEN America Members
— PEN America, 2026 Summer Reading Challenge
“Book Trailer of the day.”
“Cline works with a vivid, meticulous prose style to depict a story that needs to be told. A bold and courageous work of fiction that book clubs and readers of all kinds will adore.”
— Matt Bondurant, bestselling author of North Country, Oleander City, The Night Swimmer, and Lawless
“Readers will fall in love with Clementine as she resourcefully rises from the world of adult hurt thrown at her. This is a vital story, remarkably told.”
— Sara Lippmann, author of Hidden River
“Gorgeous, brutal, and moving, Precious Ugly is a powerful testament to human resilience.”
— Jordan Ritter Conn, author of American Men and The Road From Raqqa
“Relentless, the writing is a beautiful and precise knife. It carves out a nuanced story that tenderly but honestly shows the reader that overcoming the serial patterns of abandonment that we call relationships is only possible by building our escapes in secret every day.”
— Jessica Lanay, author of am•phib•ian
“Rae Cline’s debut novel, Precious Ugly, does the unexpected. It’s a story about humanity: love, hardship, survival. The reader becomes one with Clementine; Cline brings empathy to the page in so many unique and compelling ways. A must-read. Phenomenal. A masterpiece.”
— Kim Chinquee, author of Contact with the Wild
“Cline’s novel is brave and unflinching, and not to be missed.”
— Vallie Lynn Watson, author of A River So Long
“Brilliant, heartbreaking, and utterly original.”
— Julie Innis, author of Three Squares a Day with Occasional Torture
“Stand back and get out of Clem’s way.”
— Richard Peabody, editor/publisher, Gargoyle Magazine
What Readers Are Saying
“This is, without question, the best book I’ve read this year…Clementine is extraordinary…funny, observant, sarcastic, imaginative, angry, incredibly intelligent, occasionally reckless, and constantly trying to understand the adults around her. ★★★★★”
— Keon Tullius, Featured Fiction & Goodreads
“Rae Cline’s debut is a masterclass in voice and atmosphere… Clementine is an unforgettable protagonist… Much like Demon Copperhead, this novel captures the heartbeat of Appalachia with fierce authenticity. ★★★★★”
— Sharon Fullwood, Goodreads & NetGalley
“This is the first time I’ve given five stars to a book I came close to abandoning more than once. Why didn’t I? Because I realised that the very thing pushing me to stop reading was precisely how damn good it was. Absorbing, oppressive… and impossible to ignore. ★★★★★”
— Giggy F., NetGalley
More praise for Precious Ugly by Rae Cline
Interviews and Conversations
Strong Enough with Claudia King, “She Wrote a Novel to Break the Silence on Abuse: Why You Need to Read It”
The Hollis Chapman Show, “The Precious Ugly: Rae Cline”
Like It’s Live with Arroe Collins, “Suffering Through The Pains Of Our Parents Precious Ugly From Author Rae Cline” • Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb • All events and interviews
The Playlist, the First Chapter and the Book Club Kit
Clementine survives on music. Listen to the songs behind the novel in Rae Cline’s Largehearted Boy Book Notes playlist for Precious Ugly, read the annotated first chapter, and download the free Precious Ugly Book Club Kit, with discussion questions, the history of 1985, a playlist, camp recipes, a book club activity and further reading.
The New York City Launch
Precious Ugly launched on August 20, 2026, at The William in New York City, with “Silences, Gender-Based Violence and the Importance of Voice,” a conversation with Rae Cline, Cindy Kanusher of the Pace Women’s Justice Center and journalist Melissa Jeltsen. Read about the launch.
Book Details
| Title | Precious Ugly |
| Author | Rae Cline |
| Publisher | 7.13 Books |
| Published | August 18, 2026 |
| Genre | Appalachian literary fiction, debut novel |
| Setting | Harpers Ferry and Jolo, West Virginia, 1985 |
| Paperback ISBN | 979-8994693841 |
| Ebook ISBN | 979-8994693858 |
| Pages | 218 |
| Cover | Cover art by Lex Covato, cover design by Gigi Little |
| Independent bookstores | The Center for Fiction • McNally Jackson • The Strand • Books Are Magic • Powell’s • Book Culture • [Words] • Tertulia • Porchlight |
About Rae Cline
Rae Cline is the author of Precious Ugly (7.13 Books, 2026), her debut novel and a work of Appalachian literary fiction. Precious Ugly was a finalist for the Curt Johnson Prose Award and CRAFT’s First Chapters Contest. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, McSweeney’s, North American Review and StoryQuarterly.
Born and raised in the Ohio River Valley and West Virginia, she is a first-generation college graduate with an M.A. in Writing from Johns Hopkins University and an M.F.A. from American University. She is the founding editor of Eckleburg, where she writes the Openings column, and lives in New York City. raecline.com
Questions About Precious Ugly
Who wrote Precious Ugly?
Precious Ugly is the debut novel by Rae Cline, founding editor of Eckleburg and author of the story collection The Indefinite State of Imaginary Morals.
What is Precious Ugly about?
Thirteen-year-old Clementine lives in a van with her father, a preacher and cult leader, on a campsite in Harpers Ferry. Seeking to escape her abusive, alcoholic, charismatic father and desperate to protect her mother, she must decide if the miracle he promises will save her or destroy her.
When and where is Precious Ugly set?
In 1985, in Harpers Ferry and Jolo, West Virginia.
Who published Precious Ugly, and when?
7.13 Books published Precious Ugly on August 18, 2026, in paperback and ebook.
What books is Precious Ugly like?
Precious Ugly is for readers of Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead.
Is there a book club guide?
Yes. The free Precious Ugly Book Club Kit includes discussion questions and more.
Precious Ugly explores domestic violence and abuse. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788.
