Christmas comes early
Mark A. Pritchard is a writer in the tradition of well-loved British and American authors, from E. B. White to Madeleine L’Engle, from J. R. R. Tolkien to J. K. Rowling, whose books, though directed at the young, capture the hearts and minds of readers of all ages.
Billy Christmas is a boy with a man’s problems. Since his father disappeared mysteriously last Christmas, Billy’s mom has withdrawn into her grief, neglecting him and everything else. Now, in addition to his schoolwork, Billy must also keep the household running for both of them, paying the bills from their ever-dwindling bank account. Meanwhile, his father’s departure has become the chief topic of conversation in the small town of Marlow, and most of Billy’s classmates either ignore or bully him. He relies on his best friend Katherine for strength, and on his own inner certainty that somewhere, somehow, his father is still alive and wants to come home. Then, twelve days before Christmas, Billy is given a magical challenge, a series of twelve difficult and dangerous tasks. If he completes them all, his dream of being reunited with his missing dad might come true.
Young adult readers and their parents will love Billy Christmas as they do the books of Tolkein and J.K. Rowling. Magic, Mystery, and Family are at the core of this wonderful novel.
16.95 $15
For the First Time, Rose Solari's Complete Published Poetry
Difficult Weather is a poetry of neighborhoods more interesting than safe, a world determined by coincidence, longing, and the repeatable magic of the quotidian. Her language is by turns raw and luminous, her perceptions uncommonly acute, and her vision at once incisive and compassionate. —Carolyn Forché, on Difficult Weather
Orpheus in the Park comes dangerously close to being the best collection I have read over the past two years. This is a brilliant collection. I know I will continue to dip in and out of it as it brings back memories of hot summers lost in a world of Mount Olympus, of the battle between the gods and the mortals, and reminds me of the challenges and weaknesses of humanity itself. —Fiona Doney Simmonds, on Orpheus in the Park
Solari’s poems begin from the center of her heart. Word seduction, myth given life again, these poems descend from the sky as if there was another beautiful galaxy out there, just beyond our reach, breaking apart, poem by poem. —E.Ethelbert Miller, on The Last Girl
41.97 $33
The Legacy Authors all in one Place
The poet Grace Cavalieri is...a truly generous friend of poetry and poets. In her writing and all she does her largeminded generosity shines. It’s a blessing to American poetry that this radiant, giving spirit, with her appropriate first name, is there in our capital city: a light amid fog. –Robert Pinsky, on Other Voices, Other Lives
Few write with as much brilliance and variety as Richard Peabody. Spanning nearly forty years, The Richard Peabody Reader offers us a buffet of Peabody’s poetry and prose from 1976 to the present that includes nostalgia, tragedy, despair, wit, surrealism, sex, and even science-fiction. This is an immensely entertaining collection of decades of work by a writer whose powers never lag and whose creativity seems to know no limits. —Mary Mackey, on The Richard Peabody Reader
“Reading Linda’s work is like being mesmerized by a snake before it swallows you whole. The words shimmer, creating a dreamscape where the story unfolds and draws you in while strange, sometimes bizarre, encounters play out in minutely described detail. You ‘emerge’ from her stories rather than ‘finish’ them. The poems are spare, elegant and evocative, stirring deep emotions even while not ostensibly emotional. This is a beautiful book by a writer who has honed her writing skills and knows precisely how to wield them.”
—Maureen Wheeler, on Navigating the Divide
53.99 $43.99