Ecco

Growing up in a small town in western New York State, Joyce Carol Oates was far from the acclaimed literary giant that she is today. A shy girl with a vivid imagination and an endless fascination with storytelling, she grew into one of the literary world’s most prolific writers. Her memoir frankly explores her family history and the fragility of her, and thus our, childhood memories. This is a deeply felt and deftly told memoir of an extraordinary individual. – Barbara Hoagland

Rash fans, take note: Another great read set in small town Appalachia, lyrical, as much poetry as prose.  Les, a soon-to-be-retired county sheriff, Becky his friend who was a survivor (sort of) of a school shooting as a child, C.J. the kid everyone bullied but who probably saved Les’s life, and various other characters provide a story of contemporary evil and long-sought-for redemption.  Ron Rash never disappoints. – Sue Fleming