Narrative theme: sense of place

Book SynopsisWinner of the California Book AwardFrom the acclaimed author of Godshot and “a pitch-perfect ventriloquist of extraordinary talent and ferocity” (T Kira Madden) comes a defining book of Californian stories where everyone is seeking or sabotaging loveUnited by the stark and sprawling landscapes of California’s Central Valley, the characters of Heartbroke boil with reckless desire. A woman steals a baby from a shelter in an attempt to recoup her own lost motherhood. A phone-sex operator sees divine opportunity when a lavender-eyed cowboy walks into her life. A mother and a son selling dream catchers along a highway that leads to a toxic beach manifest two young documentary filmmakers into their realm. And two teenage girls play a dangerous online game with destiny.Heartbroke brims over with each character’s attempt to salvage grace where they can find it. Told in bright, snapping prose that reveals a world of loss and love underneath, Chelsea Bieker brilliantly illuminates a golden yet gothic world of longing and abandonment under an unrelenting California sun.

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Book SynopsisIn Forever Falls, single men are more scarce than a vegetarian at a Texas barbecue. That is, until Australian Ethan Hammersmith moves in. Only he didn't come to America to find lovehe's searching for his father. But in this town, he might as well have a flashing sign above his head that says available. Thankfully, the distractingly adorable manager of the local diner is willing to give him cover.Monroe Roberts is the town's divorced misanthrope who gave up on forever after the love of her life skipped town with the yoga instructor. Now she's trying to keep her struggling diner afloatuntil a hot, single Australian guy strolls in. Suddenly Monroe's restaurant is packed full of non-paying customers who are hoping that Ethan is today's special.With her business now in serious trouble, Monroe has the perfect plan to save them both. They just have to convince the whole town that they're an item. But what should have been the perfect plan is about to become one big, hilarious boyfriend fiasco

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Book SynopsisThis Christmas season, love comes where you least expect it.For Jessica Connolly, there is no better place than her coastal hometown of Blue Moon Bay. She has a wonderful family, supportive best friends, and a successful bakery on Main Street. Unfortunately, every time she designs one of her ex-boyfriends'' wedding cakes, she''s reminded just how unlucky she is with love...and that she''s a good luck charm for men to find their happily ever after. With someone else. The minute they break up. So she''s done with love.Dr. Mitch Jameson is more comfortable traveling the world with Doctors Without Borders than staying in one place. He just needs to survive the holidays in his small hometown before he can leave again. The beautiful, intriguing bakery owner with an aversion to dating might be just whohe needs to occupy his restless heart.From sipping hot chocolates at the local festival of lights to early morning dessert deliveries, Jessica and Mitch rediscover the spirit of the holidays. But when the 25 days of Christmas are over, will their romance be over, too?Each book in the Blue Moon Bay series is STANDALONE:* A Lot Like Love* A Lot Like Christmas* A Lot Like Forever

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Book SynopsisSocial media strategist Lauren Wallace plans everything. But when she returns to the charmingif not too small for comforttown of Seaside Cove, it's only about a second before her tough-love Grams is already on her case. So when Grams tells her not to go to that bar, Lauren decides it's time for a temporary rebellion. Which is exactly when the trouble starts.Grams was right. The bar was not a good plan. Because suddenly super-cute bar owner Ethan McAllister has gone from being Lauren's (kind of) high school nemesis to a very unexpected one-night stand. And worse, Lauren's attempts to resume her ultra-responsible life keep getting thwarted by more unwelcome spontaneity. And a pregnancy.Now there's a baby on the way, Lauren's the talk of the entire town, and all her planning has gone right out the window. All that's missing is childbirth to make her pain complete. But it'll be nothing compared to Grams's reaction when she finds out that Lauren broke the biggest rule of allfalling for the wrong guy.

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Book SynopsisA shy woman. Her outdoorsy crush. And the bet that could bring them togetheror implode spectacularly.Nell Delaney will do almost anything for her parents and her two sisters. But enter a marriage of convenience to save the family's coffee shop? Too far. So Nell and her sisters strike a deal: whoever hasn't found love in thirty days has to step up to take one for the team. The good news? Nell knows the perfect guy to fall in love with. The bad news? She's going to have to pretend she likes the outdoorsa lot.Adventure guide Grant Williams knows immediately that Nell is not exactly Little Miss Outdoorsy. She's a walking natural disasteran amazingly adorable disaster. And whoa, their chemistry is unbelievable. Everything between them is so perfect, he's not even a little bit shocked when he starts thinking of foreverRight up until he catches the town gossiping about the Delaney sisters' bargain and realizes she's just using him to win a bet. His family's unreliable reputation means he can't just dump one of the town's sweethearts. No, she needs to dump him. If she's going to pretend to be the perfect doting bride, he'll just pretend to be the worst bachelor on the market.Let the games beginEach book in the Majestic Main series is STANDALONE:* First Bride to Fall* Second Bride Down* Last Bride Standing

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Book SynopsisFrom Sweet Bliss author Jennifer Bardsley comes a poignant romance about a small-town crime that throws together ex–high school sweethearts who have never quite gotten over their past. Andrea Wint’s life in the small town of Port Inez, Washington, is a simple one. She works, enjoys the gorgeous view from her bay window, and visits her dad at the memory-care facility. Her father is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, but Andrea brings in one coin from his valuable collection every day—little bits of precious metals that seem to bring him back to himself, even if just for a few moments. So when Andrea’s house is burgled and the coins disappear, she’s bereft. To track down the culprit, she turns to Dustin Karlsson, who just happens to be her former high school sweetheart. Years ago, they broke each other’s hearts, and some wounds are slow to heal. But Dustin feels indebted to the ailing Tom Wint and wants to help. What’s more, Dustin has a personal stake in finding the perpetrator. In fact, he suspects the thief could be his own brother-in-law, a gambler and a drunk who skipped town, leaving Dustin’s sister and two young nieces behind. As Dustin and Andrea travel the Pacific Northwest in an effort to recover the missing coins, old feelings rekindle. Maybe their happily ever after can still be minted.Trade Review“Jennifer’s story peels back layer after layer until Dustin and Andrea get down to what really matters—what they feel down deep in their hearts. A lovely story of finding love, healing old hurts, and working together toward a lovely future together.” —Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Riverbend Reunion “Equal turns thoughtful and sweet, The History of Us is a darling read. Dustin and Andrea shine as a couple, and Port Inez is the type of small-town that will draw you in like you are a member of the Karlsson family.” —Addie Woolridge, author of The Checklist “Jennifer Bardsley delivers a beautifully written story of love, family, and second chances. You will experience all the feels as the hero and heroine navigate their way toward happily ever after. The characters were written with such authenticity that you will feel as if you know them personally. I enjoyed the love and devotion both main characters showed for their families. Bardsley skillfully handled the delicate subject of Alzheimer’s disease with grace and care, weaving it into the storyline flawlessly. These two characters truly went on a journey that led them back to each other. —Joy Avery, author of Something So Sweet “Gripping and emotional, The History of Us is a beautiful story of what it truly means to love someone. Bardsley weaves a captivating tale of the complicated but powerful nature of family bonds, taking readers on a journey through the Pacific Northwest with two broken people looking to recover something lost—and along the way, rediscovering their enduring love for each other.” —Elissa Grossell Dickey, author of The Speed of Light and Iris in the Dark “Jennifer Bardsley’s love stories are exactly what we need right now—books with hope, family, and characters that feel like home!” —Brooke Burroughs, author of The Marriage Code and The Name Curse “With intimate and touching moments set in the breathtakingly beautiful Pacific Northwest, The History of Us is a captivating novel that features the challenges and heartache of loving someone with Alzheimer’s, the complicated nature of familial bonds, and a satisfying, chaste romance that will leave readers wanting more of Bardsley’s compassionate, confident prose.” —Paulette Kennedy, author of Parting the Veil “Jennifer Bardsley’s latest is the perfect jaunt through the Pacific Northwest as Dustin and Andrea discover that no amount of time or distance can extinguish the enduring power of a deep connection. The History of Us is deeply rooted in hope, family bonds, and taking advantage of second chances.” —Mansi Shah, author of The Taste of Ginger

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Book SynopsisShe wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability. Nothing about Cole says forever. So why is he so hard to resist?Cole is swinging through town to visit his parents when he meets the kind of down-to-earth distraction he’s been looking for since retiring from the majors. True, his long-term relationship score is zero. But even though raising his average with Palmer seems impossible, it’s worth a shot.As promising as the summer nights are, fate turns small-town dreams upside down, and some lessons are learned the hard way. But having faith in love and choosing hope over fear might get Palmer and Cole to the sweet spot they’re looking for.

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Book SynopsisIn this lighthearted romance filled with small-town humor and high jinks, an unsuspecting real estate agent becomes the wildest dream come true for all the single moms?except the one he wants.They?re coworkers, friends, and confidants, but Peter Marshal has always pined for a little something more with Noelle Walters. As a widow and a single mom, Noelle prefers to play it safe, and falling for Peter was never part of the plan.Then again, neither of their plans accounted for the well-meaning but meddling actions of Peter?s sister, who offers him up as their town?s most eligible bachelor in the local moms? Facebook group. He?s none the wiser about the source of this sudden surge in attention, but he only has eyes for Noelle. And from where she?s standing on the sidelines of Peter?s popularity, it?s getting harder to pretend that she doesn?t see what everyone else sees in her best friend.With all eyes on them, will Peter and Noelle finally see beyond the hurdles to the happily ever after that?s been there all along?

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Book SynopsisTwo women, generations apart, in the spotlight. A powerful novel about family secrets, devastating choices, and hope for the future by the bestselling author of When I’m Gone. Camera-shy Elise Branson is different from the other women in her maternal line. Her mother is an award-winning actress. Her late grandmother, Vivian Snow, is a beloved Hollywood icon. But when Elise’s upcoming wedding coincides with a documentary being made about Vivian, Elise can’t escape the camera’s gaze. And neither can her grandmother, even in death. It’s 1943 when Vivian, a small-town Indiana girl, lends her home front support to the war effort. As a translator in the nearby Italian POW camp, she’s invaluable. As a celebrated singer for the USO, she lifts men’s spirits and falls in love with a soldier. But behind this all-American love story is a shocking secret—one that is vital to keep buried if Vivian is to achieve the fame and fortune she covets. For Elise and Vivian, what’s hidden—and what’s exposed—threatens to unravel their lives. The heart-wrenching choices they must make will change them both forever.Trade Review“As a novelist, Emily Bleeker has a genuinely impressive, narrative driven, and distinctive storytelling style that fully engages her readers from first page to last. Her latest novel, When We Were Enemies will have a special appeal to readers with in interest in comparative generational historical fiction at its very best. A memorable read throughout, When We Were Enemies is a highly recommended pick…” —The Historical Fiction Shelf, Midwest Book Review “An original, fascinating, deftly crafted, and fun read from beginning to end, When We Were Enemies smoothly showcases author Emily Bleeker's undeniably impressive talents and her mastery of narrative driven storytelling.” —The General Fiction Shelf, Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisFrom USA Today bestselling author Olivia Miles comes the heartfelt story of the bond that brings three sisters together to face past regrets and the future of their family?s legacy.After the death of their beloved aunt, the estranged Burke sisters reunite at their childhood home for an unforgettable summer, each harboring a secret. With their family once again at a turning point, they must overcome their differences to discover what the future holds for the lakefront house and each other.Leah?s marriage is over, which somehow still doesn?t uncomplicate matters when she reconnects with her first love. Emma is tired of being the responsible one, stuck in her hometown by obligation to her family and by feelings for someone she can?t have. Sadie?s life in New York has all but fallen apart, and she?s haunted by the mistakes she made that led her so far away from home in the first place.But when they learn that their ancestral estate is in danger of foreclosure, the sisters must find a way to mend the rifts between them to save the only true home they?ve ever known?and with it, maybe they can stitch themselves back together too.

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Book SynopsisFrom debut author Elaine Roth comes a hopeful and heartfelt story about a young widow who uncovers the magic of everyday life—and the power of second chances. After the sudden death of her husband, Hope finds herself reeling from the loss in more ways than one. First a young wife and now a grieving widow, she feels like fodder for never-ending town gossip. But when Hope meets Will, a screenwriter back in town to run his family’s inn, she sees in him another resident oddball. And like her, Will has been navigating a loss of his own. As Hope falls for Will, she seeks out another enigma in town: Maeve, an eccentric woman who makes healing teas and communes with the dead. Some of the townspeople think she’s a grifter, a fake. Will, too, is skeptical. Hope yearns for closure and forgiveness, seeing in Maeve the chance to trust herself again—and in Will, a chance to rediscover the enchantment in the world around her… And the courage to build a bigger life than she ever thought possible.Trade Review“Readers of Jenny Colgan will enjoy this rising author.” —Booklist

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Book SynopsisFor readers of Rachel Cusk and Jenny Odell, a lyrical work of autofiction that explores the dissolution of boundaries between the self and our earth as we head towards ecological catastrophe.“Emergency is an incisive kaleidoscope of past and present, nature and industry, stillness and pace, collapsing all into a tapestry of consciousness.” —Ayşegül Savaş, author of Walking on the Ceiling Emergency is a novel about the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. Our narrator is at home during lockdown, where she ponders both past and present. She remembers her 1990s childhood in rural Yorkshire. She recalls a kestrel hunt, helping a farmer save a renegade bull, and days playing with her best friend, Clare. In her village, neighbors argue, keep secrets, care for one another, and try to hold down jobs. Fox cubs fight in the woods, plants compete for space, a quarry slowly falls apart, and we see a three-legged deer who likes cake. With painterly vision, Hildyard evokes the bygone, pre-internet world of her schooldays, whose irretrievability signals at something far greater than fleeting youth. With urgent intimacy, Emergency asks us to look at the essential; the people who help define us, animals, local and global ecologies, and to consider what the slow disappearance of Hildyard’s and our own native environment might mean for humanity at large. A requiem for the English countryside, a story of remote violence, and a work of praise for a persistently lively world, Daisy Hildyard’s Emergency reinvents the pastoral novel for the climate change era.Trade Review"In refusing to privilege human drama over natural processes, Hildyard captures the ecosystem’s delicate interconnectedness and suggests a new way of writing about our toll on the environment." —The New Yorker"[Emergency is] a gorgeous novel of a youth spent on the cusp of societal upheaval."—Publishers Weekly"The beauty of Emergency is in its attempt to glimpse an expanded paradigm of meaning, which encompasses but isn’t limited to our own." —Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal "Emergency is a crucial intervention. It drives a stake into the heart of the pastoral genre . . . This is what nature writing should be: absurd, overwhelming, and chaotically alive with the din of the world." —Lauren Collee, The Rumpus"There is something energetic in Emergency, something mystical about the human and non-human really meeting . . . Emergency reminds us, through its young protagonist, that we often miss so much of the world, so much of reality."—Alan Rossi, Literary Hub"In meditative and exquisitely constructed descriptions . . . the natural world comes to us, blazingly alive, and our place in it does too." —Hannah Hutchings-Georgiou, The White Review "A stunning book—a balm for our times—containing the incredible gift of the everyday."—Kirkus, Starred Review"A quiet, complicated hymn to nature . . . [Emergency] is a novel with an elastic strangeness, gliding seamlessly between the familiar and the surreal . . . In the wake of the biggest natural melodrama of recent times, Emergency is a thoughtful, poised reflection on how much change we humans, among the animals, can ever bring to bear." —Natalie Whittle, Financial Times “This quiet, well-written novel, which has a surprise ending, is worth a look.” —Barbara Love, Library Journal"Daisy Hildyard has confronted our new nature and, bravely, compellingly, makes our shared emergency visible." —Clare Pettitt, Times Literary Supplement "A keenly observed book of naturalism, [Emergency] is about a place, an era and the tenuous epoch of childhood which are all as fragile and fleeting as they are eternal in symbol and memory. I loved this book. When I finished it, I started over at the beginning." —Sarah Blackman, Heavy Feather Review "Emergency is a quiet novel that explores with remarkable subtlety the deep and fraying interconnectedness of life on earth. Hildyard writes with the precision and associative leaps of a poet . . . It’s something new that will linger long after you’ve finished reading."—Stephen Sparks, Bookseller at Point Reyes Books “A common fragility unites all species in this quietly magnificent novel.”—Damian Walsh, Literary Review “This book succeeds because of the chilly and beautifully sustained voice of its narrator, the precise embroidery of its sentences and paragraphs, its observations of the natural world and insistence that there is no distinction between humans and environments.” —Sarah Moss, The Guardian“Daisy Hildyard’s Emergency is a pastoral novel for the age of dissolving boundaries.The slowness and gentleness of the text, its pace and its language, make you consider its title.”—Abi Andrews, The Irish Times“Past and present, nature and humanity, life and death intermix, ebbing and flowing in a stream of prose that carries the reader on an exhilarating … and violent ride.”—Philippa Nutall, The New Statesman“Hildyard doesn’t offer the narratives of therapy, social criticism or self-development to be found in other English pastoralists …. Her style is more reminiscent of such contemporary poets as Kathleen Jamie and Alice Oswald, with their quiet and attentive watchfulness to a non-human reality they only half-understand. Her prose calls for, and frequently earns, the same respectful attentiveness from its readers.”—Dr. Nikhil Krishnan, The Telegraph

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Book SynopsisA New Yorker Best Book of 2023A new novel from National Book Award nominee Daniel Gumbiner about a California grape-grower, his family, and the climate disaster that upends their quiet lives.Since his release from prison after serving an eighteen-month sentence for growing cannabis, Ben Hecht’s life has settled into a familiar routine. On his farm in the foothills of California, he stays busy cultivating a dozen acres of grapes and tending to a flock of mistrustful sheep. Meanwhile, from her desk in their old redwood barn, his novelist wife, Ada, continues to work on what may be her most important book yet. When their only son, Yoel, comes home from Los Angeles for a rare visit, Ben is forced to confront their long troubled relationship, which has continued to degrade in recent years. But before the two of them can truly address their past, a wildfire sweeps through the region, forcing the Hecht family to flee to the coast, and setting into motion a chain of events that will transform them all. This is a story about grape growing and wine, financial and familial struggles, and the peculiar characters and unlikely heroes one will always find in small-town California. Through the experiences of the Hechts and the escalating challenges that face their community, Fire in the Canyon is an intimate look at the lives of those already living through the climate crisis.Trade ReviewA New Yorker Best Book of 2023: Set in the foothills of California’s gold country, this dread-laden novel follows a family who make their living cultivating grapes for winemaking as they attempt to resume their lives in the wake of a wildfire. After an evacuation, they return to the same land, but their environment—increasingly marred by drought, fire, and high temperatures—presents a cascade of fears: not just death and injury from fire but power outages, dangerous air quality, and smoke that might taint their grapes and thus take away their livelihood. The father’s detailed awareness of the region’s weather produces a sense of looming crisis; he notes how often once unusual events now occur—a set of circumstances that make it “hard not to wonder where the bottom was.”"The prose shines in its depictions of nature and setting, as when Gumbiner compares burnt trees to 'spires of obsidian.' Near the end of the novel . . . the reader must also locate the sacred in the natural and mourn all that humanity is losing as we hurtle toward a decimated planet."—Edan Lepucki, Alta Journal"Set in the foothills of California’s gold country, this dread-laden novel follows a family who make their living cultivating grapes for winemaking as they attempt to resume their lives in the wake of a wildfire. . . The father’s detailed awareness of the region’s weather produces a sense of looming crisis."—The New Yorker"“Fire in the Canyon” certainly has mythic overtones. It is a kind of Steinbeck saga with more modern catastrophes in mind; instead of the depredations of the Dust Bowl and the Depression, the Hechts face the twin crises of economic precarity and climate change."—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times"Gumbiner writes with tremendous heart for his characters, as well as meticulous detail about their everyday lives tending their crops, making wine and finding community in a disorienting moment of environmental precarity."—Jessica Zack, San Francisco Chronicle"There is action and drama, but it's not a collage of IPCC report scenarios, it's a real and human story about what happens when a family's own unspectacular life becomes part of the global drama of global warming."—Alexis Madrigal, KQED Forum"Gumbiner crafts an important story, the fictional equivalent of outdoor warning sirens screaming above smoldering pine trees. An engaging, Steinbeckian look at climate change and its emotional costs."—Kirkus Reviews"A soulful masterpiece about the climate crisis in California."—Gabe Hudson, Kurt Vonnegut Radio"Suspenseful . . . Gumbiner skillfully builds tension as the Hecht family’s hard work in the vineyards plays out, pulling them together, even as they ignore the red-flag fire warnings and face the uncertainty of whether the wine produced will be potentially ruined by smoke taint. Readers will be riveted."—Publishers Weekly"Daniel Gumbiner is fast becoming a sort of 21st century Steinbeck, authoritatively illuminating life in California, with all its glories and calamity. Filled with vivid characters and deep knowledge of the land, this is a commanding second novel." —Dave Eggers, author of The Circle"There’s some golden hue or quality that tinges these pages. I have felt for a long time like we need more California novels, and since reading his first novel, more writers like Daniel Gumbiner."—Tommy Orange, author of There There "Stunning. Daniel Gumbiner is one of our greatest living writers on and of the American West, and this book is a thing of beauty." —Claire Vaye Watkins, author of I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness

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Book SynopsisAn emotionally wrought debut fiction novel perfect for book clubs about a girl who escapes from a cult after a deadly fire destroys her family's compound, only to be haunted by That Night as she tries to build a new life for herself.A fire. Her escape. And the realization her entire life has been a lie.One night, nineteen-year-old Avery is awoken by a fire consuming her family's compound. She manages to escape and runs away with her younger brother, Cole, hiding in the woods and then a school gym for weeks, dodging stares and stealing food to survive. After police apprehend them for shoplifting, a horrific discovery is made-they were actually kidnapped as children, taken by the cult leaders they knew as Mom and Dad.Cole is quickly reunited with his family and permanently separated from Avery, who is taken to a women's shelter when no family comes forward. Avery isn't certain who survived the Bakelite cult fire or, more importantly, who set it. As she tries to move past the lies and the trauma of her childhood, the events of the night of the fire come bursting back into the news, and a police investigation throws Avery into the spotlight where she's pushed to answer questions she can't explain. The memories of that night and her former life threaten to undo all the progress she's made, but she must uncover the truth about the fire to truly be free.Suspenseful, emotionally charged, and deeply thought-provoking, After We Were Stolen delves into ideas of family-those we're born into and those we make, resilience, and the lengths a cult survivor will go to finally be free of her painful past. Brooke Beyfuss's powerful debut novel sparkles with heart, grit, and extraordinary characters who will stay with you long after the last page.

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Book SynopsisThe thirty-eighth book in the Cliff Hardy seriesThis wasn't Hardy's usual brief--uncover the mysteries of a nineteenth-century shipwreck--but he could do with an easy case and the retainer was generous. But is it ever that simple? Not with a notorious crime family tearing itself apart, and an undercover cop playing both sides against the middle. These and an alluring but fiercely ambitious female journalist give Hardy all the trouble he can handle. 'Ever feel manipulated?' Hardy asks. The body count mounts up as he pushes closer to the truth about the mystery and the loot.Trade ReviewReminds you just how good Peter Corris is, what a legend his private-detective character Cliff Hardy is. * Sydney Morning Herald *Hardy goes from strength to strength. * Adelaide Advertiser *Peter Corris is undoubtedly a major figure in our time. -- Stephen Knight

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Book Synopsis“To read Cove is to take a masterclass in taking out everything but the essentials. This is writing stripped back to the bone, and storytelling that gets under the skin. Powerful, terrifying, brilliantly done.”—Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13Out at sea, in a sudden storm, a man is struck by lightning. When he wakes, injured and adrift on a kayak, his memory of who he is and how he came to be here is all but shattered. He will need to rely on his instincts, resilience, and imagination to get safely back to the woman he dimly senses is waiting for his return. This is an extraordinary, visceral portrait of a man locked in a struggle with the forces of nature.

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Book Synopsis“There’s beauty to be found outdoors, but it’s not without its horrors. The conflicted role of humans in nature is a familiar theme, but few narratives hum with the surreal power of this one.”  — Kirkus ReviewsAn intensely graceful novel recounting scenes of the Norwegian countryside from one of Norway's most beloved 20th-century writersTarjei Vesaas’s final work, The Hills Reply, is a flow of intensely lyrical autobiographical scenes. The vivid beauty of the wilds of Norway grounds the narrator’s interior flashes.The first sketch finds a boy, his father, and their packhorse clearing a logging road buried in snow as their surroundings give way to a crisis. Profound insights into human behavior, solitude, and nonverbal communication stand up to the power and immensity of the natural world. The land speaks to (and at times almost swallows) the central character, as he is pushed to the edge of what a body and mind can endure.The hypnotic pulse of Vesaas’s prose blurs the line between memory and hallucination, as it stares bravely into the unblinking eye of Nature. An unforgettable book, The Hills Reply is a visceral salute to the human spirit, to the ecstasy of wilderness, and to their tender overlapping.

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Book SynopsisKin is a dazzling family epic from one of Croatia's most prized writers. In this sprawling narrative which spans the entire twentieth century, Miljenko Jergovic peers into the dusty corners of his family's past, illuminating them with a tender, poetic precision. Ordinary, forgotten objects - a grandfather's beekeeping journals, a rusty benzene lighter, an army issued raincoat - become the lenses through which Jergovic investigates the joys and sorrows of a family living through a century of war.Trade Review* [Jergovic is] a poet, novelist, and journalist of the highest caliber...His concern is for the living and in this collection of stories about Sarajevo and its inhabitants he writes about them with the seriousness, sensitivity, quirky intelligence, and gentle humor of a master of the short story. - The New Republic * Jergovic has the mien of the rare author whose gift is so innate he need only conquer a few demons and steady his hands enough to write it all down. - San Diego Union Tribune * ...a multilayered and complex text, which demonstrates why Jergovic is one of the most prominent Croatian authors and one of the most translated European writers. - World Literature Today on Mama Leone, a winner of Italy's 2003 Premio Grinzane Cavour for Best Book in Translation.

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Book SynopsisStung with the bitter loss of the life she had built, Gladys's story from The Girl from Old Nichol continues with Gladys as a housekeeper for the wealthy widower, James Hornby. Reunited with Toughie for one night before he leaves for New York with his bride, their romantic interlude leaves Gladys alone and pregnant. Fearing the workhouse, Gladys confesses all to James, who offers to marry her and legitimize Toughie's baby. The new family lives happily, adding a daughter of their own. When Toughie returns years later as a widower, he meets his son and begs Gladys to travel to New York with him. Torn between the man she has loved since childhood and a comfortable life of luxury for herself and her children, Gladys faces a decision that will only lead to devastation; no matter what choice she makes, someone will be hurt and abandoned.

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Book SynopsisChance is a hitman with hippie roots and deep emotional wounds, disillusioned by life and stung by love—and his next target is the woman who rejected him. But taking on such a job is not without complications. As he closes in on his victim, Chance struggles to rediscover the competitive edge that normally makes him so deadly. Faye Lindstrom escaped a life of captivity and addiction in Quintana Roo, but she can't flee the woman she has become. For now, she holes up in a house in Crooked River owned by an old friend, the reclusive novelist William Dieter. But that safe haven will only last until the end of the summer, assuming that the violence in her past doesn't catch up to her first.For lovers of Southern noir, Flamingo Lane is a gritty cat-and-mouse pursuit that launches from an island off the Yucatan Peninsula through the cornfields of Indiana to a small town on the Florida panhandle. A standalone sequel, Flamingo Lane ventures even further into the haunted territories of revenge and redemption first chronicled in Fever Tree.Trade ReviewFeatured in list "Books to Read If You Like Murder Mystery" in Deythere, African men's magazine https://deythere.com/books-to-read-if-you-like-murder-mystery/Live reading with poet Pepper Trail The Jefferson Exchange , Jefferson Public Radio, https://www.ijpr.org/post/applegate-trail-poetry

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Book SynopsisWhen Transom Shultz goes missing shortly after returning to his tightly knit hometown of Fallen Mountains, Pennsylvania, his secrets are not the only ones that threaten to emerge. Something terrible happened seventeen years ago. Red, the sheriff, is haunted by it. Possum, the victim of that crime, wants revenge. Chase, a former friend of Transom's, is devastated by his treacherous land dealings. And Laney worries her one thoughtless mistake with Transom could shatter everything she's built. As the search for Transom heats up and the inhabitants' dark and tangled histories unfold, each must decide whether to live under the brutal weight of the past or try to move beyond it. In Fallen Mountains , even loyalty, love, trust, and family can trap you on a path of tragedy.Trade Review"Reminiscent of the best Appalachian writers . . . [Grant] wields her sense of place like an extra character." Matt Coleman, Book RiotFeatured in March Recommended Reads list Women Writers, Women's Books, http://booksbywomen.org/"Its primary concernwhether it's ever conscionable to put family before civic dutybelongs to any era... Ingeniously plotted to the end." Nell Beram, Shelf AwarenessEssay on writing, family, and motherhood, "Life By The Book" Women Writers, Women's Books, http://booksbywomen.orgFeatured in Novel Suspects's list "The Best New Crime Fiction: March 2019" Novel Suspects, https://www.novelsuspects.com/

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Book SynopsisGrowing up in the '80s and '90s in St. Louis, Octavian Munroe and Mina Rose found a future in music. Between the stacks at Rahsaan's Records, the two fell in love to the sounds of Prince and A Tribe Called Quest. But in the wake of grief and heartbreak, they drifted apart, ultimately leaving the city for fresh starts. Decades later, Rahsaan's Records is closing for good. Seeking closure of their own, Octavian and Mina travel homeward, reckoning with the ghosts of the past they left behind and the uncertain future they must create. Insightful and nostalgic, There You Are is a wise novel of love, loss, and the power of community, backed by a phenomenal soundtrack of hip hop, soul, and jazz.Trade Review"Mathea Morais is a really gifted writer. It is a special joy for those of us who are fortunate enough to have read her coming-of age, personal and intimate story of a time in St. Louis circling the death of Michael Brown." -- Harry Belafonte, activist, actor, singer, author"...for readers who enjoy a story of robustness and fragility of love, Morais' work is a must-read." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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