Leaving Edgefield (2025) by Carolyn W. Hooker is a compelling work of historical fiction centered on the life of Carrie Butler, a Black teen from Edgefield, South Carolina, who went to work as a domestic servant in the Thurmond house in 1924. The story is told through Carrie’s richly imagined voice as she lies on […]
Claire Matturro interviews Robert Gwaltney, author of “Sing Down the Moon”
March 16, 2026 by 2 Comments
Claire Hamner Matturro: Robert, first, thank you for sharing some time and your answers with Southern Literary Review. You have a very full schedule of book release events for Sing Down the Moon, plus you are the vice-president in Atlanta of the Easter Seals North Georgia, Inc, and serve as Fiction Editor for the Blue […]
“One Beautiful Year of Normal” by Sandra Griffith
March 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Largely set in Savannah, One Beautiful Year of Normal (She Writes Press 2026) by Sandra Griffith explores the effects of a mother’s severe mental illness on her child in a riveting psychological thriller. The narrative shifts between past and present as the adult August Caine attends the funeral of her Aunt Helen—a woman she believed […]
“What Were You Thinking: Essays 2006–2024” by Hank Lazer
March 3, 2026 by Leave a Comment
The deeply philosophical essays in What You Were Thinking: Essays 2006-2024 (Lavender Ink, 2025) by renowned poet Hank Lazer will appeal to poetry lovers and scholars. In addition to the essays, Lazer includes examples of his “shape” poems and a number of interviews that further illuminate his artistic and philosophical commitments. In April 2015, Lazer […]
“How Simi Got Her Groom Back” by Sonali Dev
March 2, 2026 by Leave a Comment
How much do you owe the older sister who raised you and protected you from a harsh, unforgiving childhood? That question lies at the heart of Sonali Dev’s charming romantic comedy How Simi Got Her Groom Back (Lake Union 2026). Most of us would agree we owe such a sister a great deal—but would we offer her […]
“A Florida Dance: Life Stories from the Sunshine State” by Doug Alderson
February 10, 2026 by Leave a Comment
I have enjoyed all of Doug Alderson’s award-winning books, but I was truly blown away by his latest, A Florida Dance: Life Stories from the Sunshine State (Earthways Press 2026). I know Doug through Tallahassee’s writing community and consider him a friend, but the praise I’m offering here is fully earned. These stories are so […]