The Crescent Rose: A Tale of Love and Faith follows sixteen-year-old Layla Hasan, who discovers a mysterious white rose etched with a crescent during Ramadan in coastal Al-Jawhar. Guided by her grandfather's stories, she embarks on a journey of doubt, devotion, and courage—transforming her faith into a charity rose sale for orphans, weathering online ridicule, and forging new friendships. As the legend of the Crescent Rose blossoms in her heart and community, Layla learns the power of sinc...

The Fire-Soul by Raivo Bimšteins tells the life story of Rhyan, a young man with a magical lighter. The narrative follows his journey from high school years to adulthood and trials of working life, all while he searches for his elusive Soul-mate. Framed by a present-day storyline, the book explores powerful themes of love, betrayal, revenge, alcoholism, and the ultimate pursuit of success.

The Spring 2024 Issue. Ploughshares is an award-winning journal of new writing. Since 1971, Ploughshares has discovered and cultivated the freshest voices in contemporary American literature, and now provides readers with thoughtful and entertaining literature in a variety of formats. Find out why the New York Times named Ploughshares “the Triton among minnows.”The Spring 2024 Issue, guest-edited by Laila Lalami, features poetry and prose by Mosab Abu Toha, Nathalie Handal, January...