2008 Highlights: Exciting New Voices

"Rural Mississippi just after the Second World War is a hard and muddy place. Hillary Jordan's novel Mudbound evokes the era brilliantly -- returning soldiers trying to find their way after the brutality of the war, some facing the continuing brutality of a racist America. A very compelling story." --Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

"The Outlander is a breathlessly told tale of a murderess widow who flees into the mountain wilderness, pursued by her vengeance-seeking brothers-in-law. As she makes her hapless way, she meets up with an entertainingly odd series of characters who propel her on her journey, their eccentricities mirroring her sometimes faltering mind. A marvelous adventure in the early 1900s North American West." --Kathleen Johnson, Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA

"This is a stunning, character-rich novel detailing the relationship of two English sisters who have not communicated for 50 years. As the author goes back in time, we learn, through the older sister's voice, the complex and dark secrets that bind them. Readers will be fascinated." --Karen M. Frank, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

"Set in past and present Salem, Massachusetts, the story takes off immediately, interspersing splendid detail about the history of lace makers, as well as the famous witch trials, with the modern story of a family's intricate history. The novel is packed with interesting characters (including modern witches) and many plot lines, which come together magnificently at the conclusion. A truly amazing and riveting read." --Karen M. Frank, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

"Irina Reyn's contemporary take on Anna Karenina is not a remake or a parody or even an homage, but its own story, twice-told, you might say. Filled like a blintz with references to all things Russian, this fast-paced yet ever-atmospheric tale of love and illusion (and disillusion) has the weight of a novel with things on its mind. You will be happy to entertain this second story." --Stephen F. Shapiro, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

"In Hovering Flight is the story of a couple, Addie and Tom, a bird painter and a bird scientist, of their romance and marriage, and of their only daughter, Scarlet. In lovely but precise language Joyce Hinnefeld slowly reveals the larger world and the more intimate landscapes within it. This is a remarkable first novel and a unforgettable story." --Cheryl Upchurch, Capitol Book & News Company, Montgomery, AL