The Gentrification of Rural Texas
The Gillespie County Fair, the oldest fair in Texas, looms insistently over the shoulder of Marc Hess's new novel. As rampant land development and tourist money begin to transform the old German farming community of Fredericksburg, two intermarried pioneer families lock in a life-and-death struggle over the sale of their homestead. Their vicious feud in an otherwise harmonious and bucolic community leads to the demise of two pioneer families and culminates in the triumph of one hard-headed, young girl.
This book delves into the clash of new wealth and ingrained poverty as rural Texas grapples with a changing world. In a short period of time, the town of Fredericksburg has morphed from a rock-rimmed farming community into the chic tourist destination that it is today. While the town itself has blossomed, this is the story about a family that destroys itself.
- Paperback: 216 pages
- Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (April 30, 2019)
Trouble the Water
Based on the life of an unsung American hero and slave, Trouble the Water navigates the rich tributaries of courage, betrayal, and redemption. In his inspiring journey, Robert Smalls witnesses great privilege and suffering alongside his owner's daughter and the dangerous son of a firebrand secessionist. At the age of twelve, he's sent to work in Charleston, where he loads ships and learns to pilot a cotton steamer. When the Civil War erupts and his cotton steamer becomes a confederate warship, Robert seizes the opportunity to pursue freedom for himself and the people he loves.
- Paperback: 348 pages
- Publisher: Koehler Books (June 4, 2019)
The Emancipation of Evan Walls
EVAN WALLS IS TERRIFIED by the birth of his first child because he doesn't want her to suffer the isolation he had as a child. Seeing his torment, his wife, Izzy, prods him to explain. He tells of being a black child growing up in the racially charged 1960s. Inspired to overcome the racism and class status imposed on blacks, he dreams of a life bigger than that lived by most everyone he knows in the small Virginia town of Canaan. He is resented by friends and family for desiring a life better than theirs. Among the smartest in his class, Evan becomes a target of white kids threatened by the forced integration of their schools. Caught in a crossfire of hate from whites and his own people, who question whether he is black enough, Evan is often alone and bewildered. Only the love of his great grandmother, Mama Jennie, and his mentor, Bojack, keeps him on track. Together, they help Evan find perspective and peace.
- Paperback: 312 pages
- Publisher: Koehler Books (June 15, 2019)
No Right Way
The fall of 2015. It s been
four years since the civil war in Syria started and over a year since
ISIS took over major parts of the country. The refugee stream into
Turkey has swelled to unprecedented numbers. The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is scrambling to offer services and
shelter to the multitudes. The Turkish government is doing what it can.
Money from the rest of the world and European governments is flowing in
to help alleviate the crisis. Numerous non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) are using UN funds to do the on-the-ground work to house and feed
refugees.
Valentin Vermeulen's
job is to make sure that all those funds are spent for their intended
purposes. As he digs into his task, he learns that some refugees have
not received any aid at all. Figuring out why that is quickly lands him
in trouble with organize crime.
- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Coffeetown Pr (June 11, 2019)