Author: J. Ryan Stradal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399563067
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
A National Bestseller! “The perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.” —Washington Post “[A] charmer of a tale. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message.” —People Magazine A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself. With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late. Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family? Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota
Author: J. Ryan Stradal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399563075
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
A National Bestseller! “The perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.” —Washington Post “[A] charmer of a tale. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message.” —People Magazine A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself. With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late. Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family? Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399563075
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
A National Bestseller! “The perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.” —Washington Post “[A] charmer of a tale. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message.” —People Magazine A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself. With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late. Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family? Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest
Author: J. Ryan Stradal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 052542914X
Category : Book club in a bag
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Follows Eva Thorvald's life journey, rooted in the foods of Minnesota and growing into a legendary, sought-after chef.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 052542914X
Category : Book club in a bag
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Follows Eva Thorvald's life journey, rooted in the foods of Minnesota and growing into a legendary, sought-after chef.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota
Author: J. Ryan Stradal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399563067
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
A National Bestseller! “The perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.” —Washington Post “[A] charmer of a tale. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message.” —People Magazine A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself. With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late. Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family? Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399563067
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
A National Bestseller! “The perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.” —Washington Post “[A] charmer of a tale. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message.” —People Magazine A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself. With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late. Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family? Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club
Author: J. Ryan Stradal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1984881094
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
“This is a perfect book.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Not That Bad From the New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal, a story of a couple from two very different restaurant families in rustic Minnesota, and the legacy of love and tragedy, of hardship and hope, that unites and divides them Mariel Prager needs a break. Her husband, Ned, is having an identity crisis; her spunky, beloved restaurant is bleeding money by the day; and her mother, Florence, is stubbornly refusing to leave the church where she’s been holed up for more than a week. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in Mariel’s family for decades, but it also caused a rift between mother and daughter that never quite healed. Ned is also an heir—to a chain of home-style diners—and he knows his family's chain could provide a better future than his wife's fading restaurant. In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Ned and Mariel lose almost everything they hold dear. Can they find a way to rebuild their lives, and will the Lakeside Supper Club be their salvation? In this vanishing world of relish trays and brandy old-fashioneds, New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal has given us a story full of his signature winning, honest yet fallible Midwestern characters as they grapple with love and tragedy, hardship and hope—and what their legacy will be when they are gone.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1984881094
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
“This is a perfect book.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Not That Bad From the New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal, a story of a couple from two very different restaurant families in rustic Minnesota, and the legacy of love and tragedy, of hardship and hope, that unites and divides them Mariel Prager needs a break. Her husband, Ned, is having an identity crisis; her spunky, beloved restaurant is bleeding money by the day; and her mother, Florence, is stubbornly refusing to leave the church where she’s been holed up for more than a week. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in Mariel’s family for decades, but it also caused a rift between mother and daughter that never quite healed. Ned is also an heir—to a chain of home-style diners—and he knows his family's chain could provide a better future than his wife's fading restaurant. In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Ned and Mariel lose almost everything they hold dear. Can they find a way to rebuild their lives, and will the Lakeside Supper Club be their salvation? In this vanishing world of relish trays and brandy old-fashioneds, New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal has given us a story full of his signature winning, honest yet fallible Midwestern characters as they grapple with love and tragedy, hardship and hope—and what their legacy will be when they are gone.
Buzz Books 2019: Spring/Summer
Author:
Publisher: Publishers Lunch
ISBN: 1948586177
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 872
Book Description
Start off a new year of reading discoveries with substantial excerpts from 44 Buzz Books due to be published in the months ahead. Be among the first to get a taste of new fiction from bestselling authors including Cecelia Ahern, with a feminist story collection; Liv Constantine, the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine; Costa Award-winner Sadie Jones, who has written a psychological thriller; and J. Ryan Stradal’s follow up to his popular Kitchens of the Great Midwest. Karl Marlantes, author of bestselling nonfiction is represented by a novel about the Vietnam War, while Sarah Blake, Lauren Denton, Tracey Garvis Graves, and Katherine Reay will make their fans happy with new titles. Literary buffs will be delighted to read new work by T.C. Boyle, Madeline ffitch, and Nell Zink. The new Buzz Books includes a record number of exciting debuts. Critically acclaimed poet Ocean Vuong’s first novel bridges Vietnam and America. Melanie Golding’s mystery, Little Darlings, already has been optioned for film, while Kira Jane Buxton’s Hollow Kingdom, has been sold to AMC for its first animated TV series. Our always fascinating nonfiction section is memoir heavy this time around. Obama insider Valerie Jarrett shares her experience in the White House, while musician Moby has written a second autobiographical volume. For still more great previews, check out our separate Buzz Books 2019: Young Adult Spring/Summer. For complete download links, lists and more, visit buzz.publishersmarketplace.com.
Publisher: Publishers Lunch
ISBN: 1948586177
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 872
Book Description
Start off a new year of reading discoveries with substantial excerpts from 44 Buzz Books due to be published in the months ahead. Be among the first to get a taste of new fiction from bestselling authors including Cecelia Ahern, with a feminist story collection; Liv Constantine, the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine; Costa Award-winner Sadie Jones, who has written a psychological thriller; and J. Ryan Stradal’s follow up to his popular Kitchens of the Great Midwest. Karl Marlantes, author of bestselling nonfiction is represented by a novel about the Vietnam War, while Sarah Blake, Lauren Denton, Tracey Garvis Graves, and Katherine Reay will make their fans happy with new titles. Literary buffs will be delighted to read new work by T.C. Boyle, Madeline ffitch, and Nell Zink. The new Buzz Books includes a record number of exciting debuts. Critically acclaimed poet Ocean Vuong’s first novel bridges Vietnam and America. Melanie Golding’s mystery, Little Darlings, already has been optioned for film, while Kira Jane Buxton’s Hollow Kingdom, has been sold to AMC for its first animated TV series. Our always fascinating nonfiction section is memoir heavy this time around. Obama insider Valerie Jarrett shares her experience in the White House, while musician Moby has written a second autobiographical volume. For still more great previews, check out our separate Buzz Books 2019: Young Adult Spring/Summer. For complete download links, lists and more, visit buzz.publishersmarketplace.com.
Burst
Author: Mary Otis
Publisher: Zibby Books
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 203
Book Description
Longlisted for the 2024 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Winner, Independent Publisher Book Awards, Silver Medal - Literary Fiction Featured on PBS NewsHour Named by Good Morning America, New York Post, and Los Angeles Daily News as one of the Best Books of Spring 2023 A deeply moving debut novel from the award-winning author of Yes, Yes, Cherries (“Funny, brave, and amazing”—Lorrie Moore) that explores the relationship complexities between mothers and daughters, the desire to escape, and the longing to connect. Viva has always found ways to manage her mother’s impulsive, eccentric and addictive personality. She’s had to—for her entire life, it has always been Viva and Charlotte against the world. After accidentally discovering an innate ability for dance, Viva chases her new passion with the same fervor with which her mother chases the bottle. Over the years, Viva’s talent becomes a ticket to a life of her own, and as she moves further away from home to pursue her dream, Charlotte struggles to make peace with her own past as a failed artist and the effects of her addiction. When tragedy strikes, Viva begins a downward spiral and must decide whether she will repeat her mother’s mistakes or finally take control of her life. Told from interwoven perspectives with lyrical prose as deft as a choreographed dance.
Publisher: Zibby Books
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 203
Book Description
Longlisted for the 2024 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Winner, Independent Publisher Book Awards, Silver Medal - Literary Fiction Featured on PBS NewsHour Named by Good Morning America, New York Post, and Los Angeles Daily News as one of the Best Books of Spring 2023 A deeply moving debut novel from the award-winning author of Yes, Yes, Cherries (“Funny, brave, and amazing”—Lorrie Moore) that explores the relationship complexities between mothers and daughters, the desire to escape, and the longing to connect. Viva has always found ways to manage her mother’s impulsive, eccentric and addictive personality. She’s had to—for her entire life, it has always been Viva and Charlotte against the world. After accidentally discovering an innate ability for dance, Viva chases her new passion with the same fervor with which her mother chases the bottle. Over the years, Viva’s talent becomes a ticket to a life of her own, and as she moves further away from home to pursue her dream, Charlotte struggles to make peace with her own past as a failed artist and the effects of her addiction. When tragedy strikes, Viva begins a downward spiral and must decide whether she will repeat her mother’s mistakes or finally take control of her life. Told from interwoven perspectives with lyrical prose as deft as a choreographed dance.
Big Friendship
Author: Aminatou Sow
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1982111909
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul. Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls. Aminatou and Ann define Big Friendship as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a Big Friendship is making the decision to invest in one another again and again. An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1982111909
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul. Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls. Aminatou and Ann define Big Friendship as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a Big Friendship is making the decision to invest in one another again and again. An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.
Celebrating Kansas Breweries
Author: Michael J. Travis
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439675740
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
A Tour of the Kansas Beer Industry Breweries in the state of Kansas are opening at a fast pace, in communities from Council Grove to Olathe. As the industry grows, the opportunities for craft beer fans to enjoy the communities and beer abound. Check out Ryan Triggs and Nick Feightner at Tall Trellis Brew Co. where you can enjoy a pint while sitting next to hop bines. Visit Fields & Ivy Brewery, the only brewery in the state with an active grain silo. Author Michael Travis traveled for a year and visited every brewery, capturing the heartbeat and story behind the owners and head brewers who make the magic happen.
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439675740
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
A Tour of the Kansas Beer Industry Breweries in the state of Kansas are opening at a fast pace, in communities from Council Grove to Olathe. As the industry grows, the opportunities for craft beer fans to enjoy the communities and beer abound. Check out Ryan Triggs and Nick Feightner at Tall Trellis Brew Co. where you can enjoy a pint while sitting next to hop bines. Visit Fields & Ivy Brewery, the only brewery in the state with an active grain silo. Author Michael Travis traveled for a year and visited every brewery, capturing the heartbeat and story behind the owners and head brewers who make the magic happen.
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club
Author: Amy E. Reichert
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593197771
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert. For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells--the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World--means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina's always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who's much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina's side all through her lonely childhood. Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He's charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn't have time for romance--she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she's in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe? When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593197771
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert. For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells--the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World--means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina's always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who's much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina's side all through her lonely childhood. Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He's charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn't have time for romance--she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she's in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe? When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.
Shaky Town
Author: Lou Mathews
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 1684428238
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 160
Book Description
In Shaky Town, Lou Mathews has written a timeless novel of working-class Los Angeles. A former mechanic and street racer, he tells his story in cool and panoramic style, weaving together the tragedies and glories of one of L.A.’s eastside neighborhoods. From a teenage girl caught in the middle of a gang war to a priest who has lost his faith and hit bottom, the characters in Shaky Town live on a dangerous faultline but remain unshakable in their connections to one another. Like Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, Katherine Ann Porter’s Ship of Fools, Gloria Naylor’s The Women of Brewster Place, and Pat Barker’s Union Street, Shaky Town is the story of complicated, conflicted, and disparate characters bound together by place.
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 1684428238
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 160
Book Description
In Shaky Town, Lou Mathews has written a timeless novel of working-class Los Angeles. A former mechanic and street racer, he tells his story in cool and panoramic style, weaving together the tragedies and glories of one of L.A.’s eastside neighborhoods. From a teenage girl caught in the middle of a gang war to a priest who has lost his faith and hit bottom, the characters in Shaky Town live on a dangerous faultline but remain unshakable in their connections to one another. Like Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, Katherine Ann Porter’s Ship of Fools, Gloria Naylor’s The Women of Brewster Place, and Pat Barker’s Union Street, Shaky Town is the story of complicated, conflicted, and disparate characters bound together by place.