Enduv Road
Enduv Road

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher: Next Chapter

Published: 2023-03-17

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13:

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Based on the whimsical advice of Aunt Beaners' Ouija board, the unconventional Jackson family abruptly uproots and moves west in 1960 to Scope Ranch in Keetley, Utah, near the mountain town of Park City. Unaware that Keetley is doomed to destruction, Simmy Jackson and her kid brother, Lefty, adapt to their new rustic life. As the siblings grow to adulthood and start families of their own, they learn the fascinating history of each of their colorful relatives, such as eccentric (and arguably criminal) Aunt Beaners, affable Uncle Arty, and the inimitable ranch hand, Charlie Spratt, who becomes the patriarch of the family. Although their adventures are equally hilarious and heartbreaking, Simmy and Lefty must reconcile love with forgiveness when they discover the shocking truth and betrayal behind their journey to Utah. Full of laughter and pathos, Gwen Banta's "Enduv Road" is a generational saga that takes the reader on a journey from Endicott, New York during World War II to rural Utah where three neighboring towns were swallowed by the Jordanelle Reservoir in 1995. The chronicle of the Jackson family is one of unforgettable characters and compelling events - a story as rich in history as its Utah setting.

Stateside Stories
Stateside Stories

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher: Next Chapter

Published: 2023-08-08

Total Pages: 880

ISBN-13:

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A collection of three novels by Gwen Banta, now available in one volume! Enduv Road: This generational saga will take you on a journey from Endicott, New York during World War II to rural Utah, where three neighboring towns were swallowed by the Jordanelle Reservoir in 1995. The chronicle of the Jackson family is one of unforgettable characters and compelling events - a story as rich in history as its Utah setting. The Remarkable Journey Of Weed Clapper: Witty seventeen-year-old Weed Clapper journeys to Indiana amid the growing racial unrest of 1960. After his black friend is terrorized by the KKK, Weed begins to uncover the dark secrets of this small Midwestern town. Turning to his beautiful young teacher for support, he tumbles into a most forbidden love affair. Laugh-out-loud funny, yet achingly poignant, Weed's journey to defy convention and defend his sense of justice will cause you to stand up and cheer for this charming, unlikely hero. The Train Jumper: In 1958, 19-year-old Kat Caswell hops a freight train, leaving rural Indiana behind. While aboard the grand Southern Belle Railway she meets Hilda, who offers her employment at a gentlemen's club in the French Quarter of New Orleans. There, Kat forms a close bond with a charming young immigrant worker named Leni. When immigration comes to take Leni into custody, the railway once again becomes an escape route. A grand adventure full of laughter and pathos, the lives of Gwen Banta's characters are woven together by railroads and the exotic places the rails connect, eventually leading Kat and Leni to their individual destinies.

Rediscovering Ramona
Rediscovering Ramona

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher: Next Chapter

Published: 2024-09-10

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13:

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"Rediscovering Ramona grips you from the first moment. Banta's storytelling truly shines." - Readers Favorite, 5 Stars (K.C. Finn) After a tragedy, witty Los Angeles writer Ramona 'Ro' Wilder struggles with crippling feelings of vulnerability. When the global pandemic hits, she limits her social interaction to the view from her window in her bohemian neighborhood of Laurel Canyon. Ro's search for serenity is disrupted by Fred, her charming but annoying neighbor who constantly tests her patience. When they become accidental friends during the pandemic, Ro learns Fred has a terminal illness. His last wish is for Ro to meet his mysterious friend in Marrakesh to dispose of his ashes. A comical, yet poignant tale based on many true events in the author's life, REDISCOVERING RAMONA takes the reader on an adventure from the Hollywood Hills to the Casbahs of Marrakesh and Casablanca. "A must-read for contemporary fiction fans." - Readers Favorite, 5 Stars (Manik Chaturmutha)

The Unconventional Path of Thelonious Aubrey
The Unconventional Path of Thelonious Aubrey

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher: Next Chapter

Published: 2023-12-27

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13:

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Fledging singer Thelonious 'Theo' Aubrey and his best friend Bo, an African-American trumpet player, struggle to succeed in the exhilarating music scene of the French Quarter as America slowly recovers from World War II. Desperate for money, they join forces with Callie, a seductive young dancer, and Gritty, an enigmatic outsider. From the colorful streets of New Orleans to the legendary jazz clubs of Harlem, the young artists meet some of the most prominent musicians of their day. When the fallout from their checkered pasts catches up with them, a surprising turn of events leads the lovable, eccentric characters to their unexpected destinies. Gwen Banta's THE UNCONVENTIONAL PATH OF THELONIOUS AUBREY is a historical fiction masterpiece full of humor, love, and heartbreak, set in history's most exciting era of jazz and blues.

Beyond the Hole in the Fence
Beyond the Hole in the Fence

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher: Next Chapter

Published: 2024-05-08

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13:

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1950. When New York authorities try to remove Rainy from her home, she and Gramps seek refuge with a traveling carnival. They must adapt to an unconventional, nomadic lifestyle filled with carnies whose physical anomalies have defined them as "freaks." While traveling with the show, Rainy, Gramps, and the carnies suffer through a widespread Polio Epidemic and must fight to survive the ravages of Delaware's terrifying Hurricane Able of 1952. After a shocking turn of events, Rainy longs to return to a normal life. But what does "normal" really mean? Gwen Banta's BEYOND THE HOLE IN THE FENCE is an edge-of-your-seat adventure filled with colorful, larger-than-life characters. Through humor and heartbreak, Rainy learns she can never recapture her past. She finds love and comes of age in an eccentric environment under remarkable circumstances. "Thoroughly absorbing from the 1st paragraph... a rollicking ride... an exceptionally vivid portrait of the 1950s and an atmosphere of wonder, revelation, and change." - D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review-

Epigraphia Carnatica
Epigraphia Carnatica

Author: Benjamin Lewis Rice

Publisher: Legare Street Press

Published: 2023-07-18

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781019551523

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Epigraphia Carnatica is a scholarly work by Benjamin Lewis Rice and the Mysore Archaeological Department. The book provides a comprehensive survey of the inscriptions found in the Hassan District of southern India, with detailed translations and commentaries. This book is an invaluable resource for historians and linguists alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Chasing Redbird
Chasing Redbird

Author: Sharon Creech

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2012-04-24

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 0061961310

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“Intriguing, delightful, and touching.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “Creech’s best yet.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny discovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family’s house, she realized that things were about to change. It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie’s death, and herself, was to find out where it went. From Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech comes a story of love, loss, and understanding, an intricately woven tale of a young girl who sets out in search of her place in the world—and discovers it in her own backyard. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Inside Sam Lerner
Inside Sam Lerner

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher: Next Chapter

Published: 2022-01-28

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13:

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After his wife's death, former detective Sam Lerner returns to his native New Orleans and ends up at the Gentlemen's Club, an escort establishment owned by his longtime friend. There, he befriends Madsen Cassaise: a young Creole who cares for him as he struggles to overcome his grief and growing dependence on alcohol. But when Madsen is found dead, Sam is drawn into the investigation. As more escorts disappear, Sam delves ever deeper into the bayous, cemeteries, levees and bistros of the Vieux Carre, and discovers a shocking secret. In the Big Easy, a place as mysterious as the case itself, the former detective will discover what is truly Inside Sam Lerner.

The Fly Strip
The Fly Strip

Author: Gwen Banta

Publisher:

Published: 2019-09-11

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 9781643707990

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"The Fly Strip" is the story of a witty seventeen-year-old boy in rural Indiana in 1960, who finds himself on the front lines of the integration movement of that era. Through chaos and tragedy, he turns to his young teacher for support. He soon discovers the secrets of this small Midwestern town...and experiences a most forbidden love. Winner of numerous Awards prior to the book being published Opus Magnum Discovery Awards - Honorable Mention Winner - Unpublished Stories - Great Northwest Book Festival Winner - Unpublished Stories - Los Angeles Book Festival Winner - Unpublished Stories - Pacific Rim Book Festival Winner - Unpublished Stories - San Francisco Book Festival Honorable Mention - Unpublished Stories - Amsterdam Book Festival Winner - Unpublished Stories - Great Southeast Book Festival