2022 GOLD WINNER: NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS - FICTION/SMALL PRESS 2022 FINALIST: NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS - REGIONAL FICTION Book Description When Miriam—restless, and longing for something she cannot name—picks up a copy of Sister Bird’s Guide to Small Birds she finds on the last page an invitation from the Sisters at St. Hildegard Monastery on Plover Point—“we gladly respond to questions about the life of birds and the life of faith.” Debut novelist Lil Copan brings us a book for birdwatchers, coffee drinkers, baseball fans, bumper-sticker readers, animal lovers and all those who care about life's most piercing, unanswerable, tender, humanizing questions. One set of letters over the course of two years reveals deep internal conflicts, a small farm on the verge of going under, a nun with a gambling addiction, and another with a profound secret that might upend everything the community worked so hard for. When an innocent birding question begins this special correspondence, what emerges is a revelatory journey of the spirit. Reviews "I read it straight through. I'm not confident that I even breathed while reading it. The novel is a wonder! Formally, literarily, and spiritually, it's just staggering. Wise and absorbing. Reading LITTLE HOURS, I had the all too rare experience of losing the self-conscious awareness that I was reading; I was, instead, simply and suddenly placed in a world that was both familiar and unfamiliar to me. What a gift." —Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl Meets God "What characters they are: finely drawn, indelibly comic, charming, irascible, forbidding, wise. And foolish, as we all are, in most compelling, most believable, ways. Beautiful writing and penetrating intelligence . . . [reminding us] sometimes wayward paths end up being the surest." —Carlene Bauer, author of Frances and Bernard "Gorgeously written. Lil Copan's luminous new book will do wonders for your soul." —James Martin, author of Building a Bridge "Little Hours is immediately funny, intimate, and soul-tending. From the first exchange of letters, you love the women writing them. You realize that their questions, desires, and temptations are your own, so you hang on every word, waiting to learn and grow along with these beautiful characters. This book is so true, and so gentle and loving in its truth telling." —Vinita Hampton Wright, author of Velma Still Cooks in Leeway "This is one of the best models for spiritual companionship I’ve seen in print. It’s a profound book. I hope that my listeners will pick it up and will love it as I have loved it." –David Dault, host of Things Not Seen radio show and podcast

In 1960, five young men arrived at the imposing gates of Parkminster, the largest center of the most rigorous and ascetic monastic order in the Western world: the Carthusians. This is the story of their five-year journey into a society virtually unchanged in its behavior and lifestyle since its foundation in 1084. An Infinity of Little Hours is a uniquely intimate portrait of the customs and practices of a monastic order almost entirely unknown until now. It is also a drama of the men's struggle as they avoid the 1960s -- the decade of hedonism, music, fashion, and amorality -- and enter an entirely different era and a spiritual world of their own making. After five years each must face a choice: to make "solemn profession" and never leave Parkminster; or to turn his back on his life's ambition to find God in solitude. A remarkable investigative work, the book combines first-hand testimony with unique source material to describe the Carthusian life. And in the final chapter, which recounts a reunion forty years after the events described elsewhere in the book, Nancy Klein Maguire reveals which of the five succeeded in their quest, and which did not.

In 'The Complete Rougon-Macquart Cycle', Émile Zola masterfully weaves together a series of 20 novels that explore the lives and trials of the Rougon-Macquart family across generations. Zola's naturalistic style and detailed portrayal of characters in their everyday lives make these novels a cornerstone of 19th-century literature. Set against the backdrop of French society during the Second Empire, each novel delves into themes of heredity, environment, and the impact of social conditions on individual destinies. Zola's meticulous attention to detail and vivid descriptions bring to life a rich tapestry of characters and settings that captivate readers with their depth and complexity. The cycle as a whole is a monumental achievement in French literature, showcasing Zola's talent for storytelling and his commitment to realism. It remains a classic work that continues to resonate with readers today. Émile Zola's personal experiences and observations of society undoubtedly influenced his decision to write the Rougon-Macquart cycle. As a leading figure in the naturalist movement, Zola sought to expose the social injustices and inequalities of his time through his writing. His dedication to portraying the harsh realities of life for the working class and his belief in the power of literature to effect social change are evident in the pages of these novels. Readers who appreciate intricate character studies, rich historical detail, and thought-provoking social commentary will find 'The Complete Rougon-Macquart Cycle' a compelling and rewarding read that offers a profound insight into the human condition and the complexities of society.

Émile Zola's magnum opus, The Rougon-Macquart Cycle, is a groundbreaking series of 20 novels that paint a detailed and interconnected portrait of two branches of a French family during the Second Empire. Zola's naturalist style shines in this collection, showcasing his meticulous attention to detail and his unflinching portrayal of social issues such as class struggle, political corruption, and the effects of heredity on human behavior. The novels combine elements of drama, romance, and tragedy, creating a rich tapestry of characters and situations that captivate the reader from start to finish. Zola's exploration of the complexities of human nature in the face of societal pressures makes this collection a timeless masterpiece in the world of literature. Émile Zola's own background as a journalist and his commitment to social reform are evident in the vivid depiction of the characters and their struggles in The Rougon-Macquart Cycle. His keen observations of society and the human condition give the novels a depth and authenticity that continue to resonate with readers today. I highly recommend this complete collection to anyone interested in exploring the complexities of family dynamics, societal issues, and the power of environment on individual destinies in a richly textured narrative.

'Powerful' JOANNA GLEN 'Beautiful' KATE SAWYER 'A triumph' JENNIE GODFREY The eagerly awaited new novel from Bobby Palmer, author of the critically acclaimed debut Isaac and the Egg. If you stood before sunrise in this wild old place, looking through the trees into the garden, here's what you'd see: A father and son, a fox standing between them. Jack, home for the first time in years, still determined to be the opposite of his father. Gerry, who would rather talk to animals than the angry man back under his roof. Everything that follows is because of the fox, and because Jack's mother is missing. It spans generations of big dreams and lost time, unexpected connections and things falling apart, great wide worlds and the moments that define us. If you met them in the small hours, you'd begin to piece together their story. 'A magical, comforting read that touches on father-son relationships, male mental health and the healing power of nature' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A beautiful examination of love and loss' HEAT 'Tender and touching' GLAMOUR PRAISE FOR ISAAC AND THE EGG 'A tender story of love, grief and the transformative power of friendship' Guardian 'Truly one of the most beautiful stories you will ever read' Joanna Cannon 'Will linger longer after the final page' Independent 'Unique, tender and funny' Pandora Sykes 'A future classic' Clare Mackintosh 'Like nothing I've ever read before' Stylist 'An arresting debut novel about grief in the most wonderfully oblique way' Reverend Richard Coles 'Just magic' Kate Sawyer

"Marianne Boruch's work has the wonderful, commanding power of true attention."—The Washington Post "[H]er patience, her willingness to wait for the film of familiarity to slip, allows her to see what is there with a jeweler's sense of facet and flaw."—Poetry magazine Endearingly strange, unsentimental, and uniquely structured, in true Rilkean fashion The Book of Hours questions the meaning and significance of everything from the flaws of human interaction to perfect posture. Unrelenting honesty and exacting description are coupled with the trials of a dying mother, saint shadows, birds, and "shit drying to chalk." My mother's body to wires, to tubes and their liquid, days she turned toward me or away, winter but so much sun from car to door. I followed it past nurses at their station talking movies, who's good in one and not the other. Gown tied at the back and neck, she slept beside a window. I wedged my chair there, reading, looking up, reading,—who knows what I read—her legs bruised, thin, arms battered by the doctor's needle. Her face. Can I say this plainly now? There was light as she grew less. She drifted to it. I'm not hungry, not religious, I'm in a spot, she told me one afternoon then closed her eyes to that radiance again. Marianne Boruch grew up in Chicago and earned a masters degree from the University of Massachusetts. She teaches at Purdue University and at Warren Wilson College. She lives in West Lafayette, Indiana.

From the critically acclaimed author of A Beautiful Blue Death and A Burial at Sea comes an intriguing new mystery in what The New York Times calls "a beguiling series" Charles Lenox is at the pinnacle of his political career and is a delighted new father. His days of regularly investigating the crimes of Victorian London now some years behind him, he plans a trip to his uncle's estate, Somerset, in the expectation of a few calm weeks to write an important speech. When he arrives in the quiet village of Plumley, however, what greets him is a series of strange vandalisms upon the local shops: broken windows, minor thefts, threatening scrawls. Only when a far more serious crime is committed does he begin to understand the great stakes of those events, and the complex and sinister mind that is wreaking fear and suspicion in Plumley. Now, with his protege, John Dallington, at his side, the race is on for Lenox to find the culprit before he strikes again. And this time his victim may be someone that Lenox loves.