by Bhira Backhaus (2009)
In Oak Grove, California, 1976, there are as many Sikh temples as Christian churches, the city council prints announcements in both English and Punjabi and the large Indian immigrant community is gracefully coexists with the old farming families. But for 15-year-old Jeeto, figuring out where she fits best--and what she must do to find that fit--isn't so easy.
Christopher Tilghman
With a strong sense of place and family history, the stories in this stunning collection reach for a deeper understanding of fatherhood, embracing both the son's point of view and the father's. "A true storyteller" (Los Angeles Times), Christopher Tilgham probes the deepest source of feeling--familial, erotic, spiritual--in fiction of of impressive scope and maturity.
Karen Cushman
California doesn't suit Lucy Whipple -- not the name, not the place. But moving out West to Lucky Diggins, California, was her mama's dream-come-true. And now her brother, Butte, and sisters, Prairie and Sierra, seem to be Westerners at heart, too. For Lucy, Lucky Diggins is hardly a town at all -- just a bunch of ramshackle tents and tobacco-spitting miners. Even the gold her mama claimed was just lying around in the fields isn't panning out. Worst of all, there's no lending library! Dag diggety! So Lucy vows to be plain miserable until she can hightail it back East where she belongs. But Lucy California Morning Whipple may be in for a surprise -- because home is a lot closer than she thinks.
Sylvia McNicoll
What would you do if you only had one week to live? When a skateboarding accident claims 14-year-old Jade's life, she negotiates a one week do-over in heaven. Will she attempt to improve the world or simply live life full out? Or will she try to cheat fate instead?
Robyn Carr
A decorated U.S. Marine reservist, LAPD officer Mike Valenzuela was wounded in the line of duty, but has found hope and healing in Virgin River. When he agrees to become the town's first cop, he does so knowing it's time he settled down. Twice divorced and the lover of too many women, he secretly longs for the kind of commitment and happiness his marine buddies have found--a woman who can tie up his heart forever. He finds that woman in Brie Sheridan, a Sacramento prosecutor who understands his drive to protect and serve. Virgin River becomes a safe haven for Brie after nearly losing her life at the hands of a crazed criminal. Though tough and courageous, she's got some fears she can't escape--but now she has someone who will show her just what it means to trust again.Mike will do anything to help Brie free herself from painful memories. Passionate, strong and gentle, he vows to give back to her what she's so selflessly given him--her heart, and with it, a new beginning.