Midheaven, Ken Kuhlken's first novel, was originally published by Viking Press and honored as a finalist for PEN's Ernest Hemingway Award for Best First Fiction Book. The haunting story, set in and around the exquisite Lake Tahoe basin, is told through the mind of a precocious seventeen-year-old torn between her quest for God and her love for a man.
In the early 1970's, high school senior Jodi McGee turns from drugs and boys to Christ, but soon thereafter falls for her English teacher. As a result, tragedies test her will, her faith, and her sanity.

Anne Tyler, as Chair of the Hemingway Award selection committee, wrote, "The pace, clarity and assurance of Midheaven made it a pleasure to read."

From Kirkus Reviews: "Kuhlken has, with Jodi, created a character new to us—the born again adolescent who's in-the-know—and he provides her with grit and honesty."

Novelist Andy Straka commented, "Midheaven is one of those rare gems of a novel that sneaks up on you and nestles in your soul. I especially enjoyed the setting and character development. The sun-dappled mountains and cold water beauty of Lake Tahoe hold too many secrets for a teenage girl to bear. Jodi is a character you won't soon forget."