Walton’s Creek, Land of Our Fathers (Acclaim Press 2024), Rickie Zayne Ashby’s debut novel, is a book you should judge by its cover. Not only is the artwork evocative of the story inside, but also the cover itself under the dust jacket, is a thing of beauty. This book is available in hardcover only, so […]
“The Good Bride” by Jen Marie Wiggins
December 7, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Jen Marie Wiggins’ debut novel The Good Bride (Crooked Lane 2024) recalls a line from a famous Robert Burns’s poem, usually translated as “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” Despite meticulous planning, everything imaginable goes wrong with Ruth Bancroft’s wedding. The lead-up to the event is complicated by stormy weather, […]
“My Life in Water: A Memoir in Essays” by Cat Pleska
December 7, 2024 by Leave a Comment
In a series of short, water-centric essays, Cat Pleska’s My Life in Water (UnCollected Press 2024) spans a lifetime of memories. Each lovingly crafted story is told in elegant prose using the powerful poetic imagery Pleska is noted for. The first story, “Wash Me Clean,” predates Pleska’s own memories; rather it is a confession by […]
December Read of the Month: “Wofford’s Blood” by Donna Coffey Little
December 4, 2024 by 1 Comment
Wofford’s Blood (Mercer University Press 2024) is a stunning work of historical fiction based on the life of James Daugherty (J. D.) Wofford, a half White, half Cherokee, who became a conductor and interpreter on the Trail of Tears. Author Donna Coffey Little tells readers in an “Author’s Note” at the beginning that the interviews […]
Dawn Major’s Book of Note: “The Way from Me to Us” by Mike Coleman
December 2, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Introduction I had heard Mike Coleman’s name circling my friend’s group of authors for a while, but I hadn’t yet had the chance to personally meet him and then I a read a piece he wrote for WELL READ Magazine titled “An Ekphrasis Moment: Good for the Soul” about French artist Henri Matisse’s painting, The […]
“Yoke & Feather” by Jessie van Eerden
November 27, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Yoke & Feather by Jessie van Eerden (Dzanc Books 2024), described as “a collection of braided essays,” is an intimate yet sweeping search for the “everyday sacred,” the small prayers and essential longings underlying our daily striving for connection, fulfillment, and as yet unrecognized need. Linking seemingly discordant experiences so apt they ring harmonious as […]