Claire Hamner Matturro interviews H. H. Leonards, author of “Rosa Parks Beyond the Bus: Life, Lessons, and Leadership”

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) was a Southern Black woman born into the Jim Crow South who became an icon of the civil rights movement after her refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama. Author and friend, H. H. Leonards, writes that with that “one simple act, Mrs. Rosa Parks changed the trajectory of […]

June Read of the Month: “Fast Break,” by Terry Lewis

Reviewed by Claire Matturro Ever since Scott Turow re-energized the legal thriller with his critically acclaimed and commercially successful Presumed Innocent, there’s been a bounty of novels written by lawyers about lawyers and legal proceedings. Into this now-crowded field, former Florida circuit court judge Terry Lewis spins a compelling, authentic tale of courtroom intrigue and […]

“Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” by Sean Dietrich

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro Personal, warm, heart-rendering in spots, funny in others, and nearly perfectly written word by word, Will the Circle Be Unbroken (Zondervan 2020) is classic Sean Dietrich. Which is to say, this memoir is good, very good—excellent, in fact. It has the power, the poignancy and emotional impact of Angela’s Ashes, […]

Claire Hamner Matturro Interviews Jeff Hardin, Author of “Watermark: Poems”

Award-winning poet and college professor Jeff Hardin holds an M.F.A in poetry from The University of Alabama. In addition to his four chapbooks, he has six collections of poetry: Fall Sanctuary, recipient of the Nicholas Roerich Prize from Story Line Press; Notes for a Praise Book, selected by Toi Derricotte and published by Jacar Press; Restoring the Narrative, which […]

“Watermark: Poems,” by Jeff Hardin

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro With his newest collection, Watermark: Poems (Madville Publishing April 14, 2022), Jeff Hardin does something different—and he does it exceptionally well. That is, Hardin, an award-winning poet with six prior published collections, creates his own unique poetic structure in the Watermark selections. In this creative style, in addition to his […]

“Relative Justice,” by Robert Whitlow

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro Best-selling Christian author Robert Whitlow writes a sensitive, thoughtful, and ultimately satisfying legal thriller with his newest novel, Relative Justice (Thomas Nelson, 2022). Relative Justice is sure to please readers who enjoy more emphasis on characters and family than on thriller-style action. Think Jan Karon meets Robert Bailey, with more […]