Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Debut Authors & New Arrivals

Jonis Agee's The River Wife, set in 19th-century Missouri is a multigenerational, epic novel covering the lives of five women related either by marriage, partnership, or birth to French fur-trapper and river pirate, Jacques Ducharme. The novel mixes history with a bit of the supernatural to tell the story of the women who lived and toiled Jacques Landing. These women are everyday heroines-- battling life on the Mississippi, surviving by whatever means they can.

A reviewer on Amazon.com summarizes it this way:
“Agee's prose is cinematic. The overall experience is like watching an addictive miniseries. There is a lot happening, with many parallels between the different women. There is danger, violence, suspense, ghostly apparitions, treachery, pirate's treasure, intrigue, and murder--enough to keep almost anyone's interest piqued. But don't expect a fast-paced novel; this is a subtle, slow, lyrical, sensual, and heart-felt novel about what it means to make life-changing choices.”

“Lush historical detail, a plot brimming with danger, love and betrayal, and a magnificent cast . . . will keep readers entranced.” — Publisher's Weekly (starred review)“This mesmerizing saga teeming with memorable characters, sharp depictions of frontier life, and lucid, beautifully wrought prose will haunt readers long afterward.” — Booklist


In her debut novel, Stephanie Gayle takes us through the transition of a young, liberal New York lawyer starting over in Georgia who finds herself appointed co counsel for a death-penalty case. While the criminal case successfully links the entire book together, it does not overshadow the lead character’s own personal trials.

“Despite some tough subject matter, Gayle has written a very appealing first novel with an engaging heroine and a cast of very believable secondary characters.”--Library Journal, starred review“Natalie's dilemmas are perfectly played, and Gayle's economical prose is peppered with sharp sentences and clever fish-out-of-water observations.”--Publishers Weekly

Up High in the Trees is a story told through the eyes of Sebby, an eight year old boy struggling to deal with the death of his pregnant mother. Although the young boy appears to be affected by Asperger's syndrome, the novel is not about autism, but about grief. Brinkman draws the reader so close to Sebby you begin to identify with him on a personal level.

“No one could blame you for turning away from Kiara Brinkman's haunting first novel. The muffled pain of Up High in the Trees will trigger your reflex for emotional protection but, if you can bear it, the treasures here are exquisite. I can't remember when I ever felt so torn between recoiling from a story and wishing I could somehow cross into its pages and comfort a character.” -Ron Charles - The Washington Post

Also added today:
Barefoot, by Elin Hilderbrand
High Noon, by Nora Roberts
Killer Weekend, by Ridley Pearson
Life's a Beach, by Claire Cook
Living in a Foreign Language, a memoir, by Michael Tucker
Mad Dash, by Patricia Gaffney
Rule Number 5, by Ben Weinberg
Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva

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