The adventures of a spirited boy growing up in a Mississippi River town in the nineteenth century, as he tries a new method for curing warts, witnesses a murder, runs away to an island and pretends to be a pirate, watches his own funeral, and falls for the new girl in the neighborhood.

Kim Vogel Sawyer, ACF Book of the Year winner for Waiting for Summer's Return, delivers historically rich tales with unforgettable characters. After an 1886 fire kills their parents, three children are split up. Keeping her parents' love letters, Maelle entrusts the family's picture to Mattie and its Bible to Molly. And, in a tearful parting, eight-year-old Maelle's vows to one day find her younger siblings.

The adventures of a boy growing up in the nineteenth century in a Mississippi River town as he plays hookey on an island, witnesses a crime, hunts for pirates' treasure, and becomes lost in a cave.

The time is 1946 until the present. The town is Elmwood Springs, Missouri, right in the middle of the country, in the midst of the mostly joyous transition from war to peace, aiming toward a dizzingly bright future. Once again, Fannie Flagg gives us a story of richly human characters, the saving graces of the once-maligned middle classes and small-town life, and the daily contest between laughter and tears.

"Ellie Bowman barely remembers the incident that put her into a coma. When she awoke, filled with unease, all she knew for certain was that her boyfriend, Rick, was missing. She knew she needed to get away from her old life and recover in safety. Ellie starts over in rural Missouri, working from her cottage and trusting no one except her business partner. But when Ellie hears that Rick has resurfaced, her nightmares return, and with them, small snippets...

Melinda Andrews loves two things deeply—her Amish friend Gabe Swartz and the wild animals she helps to heal. When an Englishman tells Melinda she has a special gift with "critters," she dreams of becoming a vet. Could this be God's plan for her life? Gabe loves Melinda and wants to make her his wife. When he finds out about her wild dream, he realizes he must either sacrifice his faith or lose Melinda forever. Will Melinda stay with Gabe

...

Historical Society President Murdered, Lexie Starr Investigates in The Extinguished Guest, A Cozy Mystery by Jeanne Glidewell. At the Grand Opening of Stone Van Patten's new B&B, the local Historical Society's soon-to-be inaugurated new president, Horatio Prescott III, is found murdered in the inn's grandest suite. Much to Van Patten's chagrin, Lexie, a widowed library assistant, decides to aid in the investigation. Despite several foiled attempts...

With the first quilting mystery weekend underway at the Quilt Haus Inn, Julie Ellis finds herself investigating a real-life murder when one of her guests turns up dead, and the rest of the guests appear to have something to hide.