The youngest of nine children, Michael Downing was three when his father died — suddenly and inexplicably. No autopsy was performed. The family diagnosis was God's will.As a boy, Downing rigorously trained as a spiritual athlete, preparing to vault into heaven. But eventually he escaped the religious dogma, and the family arena — until one of his brothers died in 2003, suddenly and inexplicably. No autopsy was performed.Alarmed, Downing pursued a diagnosis: Drawn into a wor...

**“[A] love story for adults— wrapped in a sophisticated mystery about art, religion and the fragility of the human heart."— Elizabeth Benedict, bestselling author of AlmostA recently widowed woman of a certain age sets off on a tour of Italy in this moving and witty novel interwoven with art history and romance.**Recently widowed, unhappily stuck on a pricey whiplash tour of Italy, Elizabeth Berman comes face to face with the first documented painting of a teardro...

This hilarious, sometimes harrowing, and ultimately heartening novel is the companion to the critically acclaimed, national bestseller Perfect Agreement"Beautifully and economically written, and very funny." —Linda Wertheimer, NPRThis is your chance to enroll in English 10 at highly rated Hellman College—if you can find a place to sit in the fantastically overcrowded classroom.Mark Sternum, whom readers first met in Downing...

Welcome to Happy, Texas—a small Panhandle town with a name that doesn’t always ring true.Discontent is brewing in Happy as Brother Bob questions his beliefs as pastor of a church. Jen, his choir director, flounders in her unhappy marriage while caring for her mentally ill sister, Cheyenne, and cowboy James struggles between what is right and finally finding true love.When an elder Hispanic member of their community—Joaquin—learns his granddaughter,...

Sam and Ed live the high life, and see no reason to add to their happy twosome. Then 11–year–old Scot's mother dies, and a wine–soaked promise pushes the couple into parenthood. They dutifully make all the usual arrangements, but Scot is far from usual, sporting makeup and enduring bullying at school. Soon Sam and Ed begin to question their parenting, their commitment to each other, and the compromises they've made to live in a straight society. Breakfast with Scot is a humorous, ...

This hilarious, sometimes harrowing, and ultimately heartening novel is the companion to the critically acclaimed, national bestseller Perfect Agreement"Beautifully and economically written, and very funny." ―Linda Wertheimer, NPRThis is your chance to enroll in English 10 at highly rated Hellman College―if you can find a place to sit in the fantastically overcrowded classroom.Mark Sternum, whom readers first met in Downing...

**SHORTLISTED for the 2021 Speaker's Book AwardLONGLISTED for the 2021 Toronto Book AwardThe triumph of Saga Boy is the triumph of Blackness everywhere--the irrepressible instinct for survival in a world where Blacks are prey."--Ian Williams, Giller Prize-winning author of ReproductionAn enthralling, deeply personal account of a young immigrant's search for belonging and Black identity amid the long-lasting effects of cultural dislocation.**...

**SHORTLISTED for the 2021 Speaker's Book AwardLONGLISTED for the 2021 Toronto Book AwardThe triumph of Saga Boy is the triumph of Blackness everywhere--the irrepressible instinct for survival in a world where Blacks are prey."--Ian Williams, Giller Prize-winning author of ReproductionAn enthralling, deeply personal account of a young immigrant's search for belonging and Black identity amid the long-lasting effects of cultural dislocation.**...

Queenie meets Frying Plantain in this courageous coming-of-age story, set in the 1990s, about a mixed-race Black girl fighting for recognition in a South Carolina Cherokee community that refuses to accept her ancestry as legitimate.On the rain-swollen banks of the River Etsi in South Carolina, Ophelia Blue Rivers—six years old in 1992—catches frogs and stretches to reach the swaying sunflowers. She’s an orphan raised in a rustic cabin by her Grand...

Queenie meets Frying Plantain in this courageous coming-of-age story, set in the 1990s, about a mixed-race Black girl fighting for recognition in a South Carolina Cherokee community that refuses to accept her ancestry as legitimate.On the rain-swollen banks of the River Etsi in South Carolina, Ophelia Blue Rivers—six years old in 1992—catches frogs and stretches to reach the swaying sunflowers. She’s an orphan raised in a rustic cabin by her Grand...

Author and musician Antonio Michael Downing's debut picture book is about big changes and big feelings, and speaks to all kids experiencing the highs and lows of childhood.Little Tony is full of love for his grandmother, his home in Trinidad and delicious pholourie. But he's also full of other big feelings, including anger. His grandmother tries to teach him to be patient — patience is a star in his crown, she says — but it's hard.He tries to keep his anger...

A PRESTO BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024'Gripping.' FINANCIAL TIMES'Breathtaking.' SIMON CALLOW'Vivid.' BBC MUSIC MAGAZINEA colourful and concise telling of the fascinating story behind Richard Wagner's extraordinary masterpiece, Ring of the Nibelung.The Ring is one of the most epic and compelling stories of the nineteenth century, created by...