A character ashamed of his disturbing desires illuminates important questions about society’s sexualization of young girls. Lolita in the Lion’s Den, the debut novel from literature professor and sexuality researcher Justin Forest,... Read More

A rape and a search for justice lead a young woman on a road toward overcoming fear in this complex story. "A Balm in Gilead" tells the story of a young woman’s rape and the ongoing danger she faces from her attacker. Marie Green... Read More

The journals of a prostitute help a young girl learn what it means to overcome hardship and become an independent woman. The sex trade has been a favorite theme of authors for hundreds of years, and why wouldn’t it be? The world’s... Read More

Targeted details, evocative phrases, and vivid descriptive passages enhance the quality of Hendrix’s prose. Life-changing moments revealed in retrospect lend a contemplative tone to this outstanding short story collection. Jan D.... Read More

This earnest paean to the backbreaking work of farming and those who do it looks intently at what legacy that life can bring. Set in a rugged scrap of Utah, this first novel rings with the hard-scrabble tones of Steinbeck—a family... Read More

Whimsical yet sincere, this Russian doll of a novel blends traditional and contemporary literary techniques. Lee Klein spins the bizarre but touching story of an autofellating widower and a woman prone to virgin births in his debut... Read More

Detailed depictions of firefighting provide a context for gender inequality in physically demanding careers. Mary Pauline Lowry’s novel "Wildfire" provides an insider view into the world of the Pike Interagency Hotshots. Lowry, who... Read More

Descriptions of violence have a tactile quality and stay with the reader into following scenes; the hectic love in Arya’s family is as lastingly conveyed. The debut novel from Raj Karamchedu, All Things Unforgiven, is a searing... Read More