Evocative, metaphorical prose delivers this story of a writer’s suicidal depression interrupted by a child and the haunting voice of ancient fables. In a single summer day in Sycamore, Iowa (pop. 897), Cole Seatstone, writer, father,... Read More

Among his adventuresome friends, Minnow is perhaps the only boy who does not need to ask “Is it true?” of magical tales. He’s seen enough in his young life to be able to separate out the literary chaff from the truly wondrous. When... Read More

In one of Elizabeth Bishop’s poems, which Bill Belleville quotes, she wrote that Florida is “the state that floats in brackish water / held together by mangrove roots.” That sentiment serves to bolster one of his main points: that... Read More

The Lord is my muse, I shall not want. Green pastures, still waters, paths of righteousness, walks through the valley of the shadow of death—Thou anointest my head with poetry; my pen runneth over. The biblical Psalms, in all their... 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 exciting tale of self-discovery and second chances is also filled with humor, heart, and mystery. Tennis all-star Jenny Lee is just as well known for her acerbic wit and temper as she is for her powerful serve, but when a... Read More

Nuanced depictions of primary and secondary characters make the setting of a New York boarding school come alive. In the grand tradition of mysterious happenings at boarding schools, Jan Levine Thal’s Clean to the Bone, the first... Read More

A mediation expert teaches readers how to deal with difficult personalities in a well-constructed, engaging book. The title of Susan Mendoza Beller’s "How to Get Along with Anyone" makes a big promise—and Beller, an international... Read More