Fall 2025 The Bookfest First Place Award for Young Adult Historical Fiction

The thrilling newest installment in award winning Jubilee Walker series

In 1872, six hundred miles between Bismarck and Bozeman remain to be surveyed for the Northern Pacific Railroad. But Sitting Bull is gathering strength to resist this incursion into the tribes’ hunting grounds.

Citizens and politicians question the need for the rail line and doubt that it can ever be guaranteed safe from Indian raids. But financier Jay Cooke is willing to risk his financial empire to build it.

When Cooke summons Jubilee Walker to his mansion and presents a proposition for completing the survey, Jubil finds it impossible to resist. But the stakes are high, both financially and personally. How much will Jubil risk to turn his adventure travel tours into a major business? Can he do it without losing the respect of the people he loves? And will he even survive the attempt to complete the survey?

Based on actual events of the 1872 and 1873 railroad surveys and the ensuing financial turmoil as investors lose faith in Cooke’s vision, The Northern Pacific Railroad is perfect for fans of 1883 and Yellowstone.

The 2024 Goethe Book Awards Long List for Historical Fiction
2024 Independent Press Award “Distinguished Favorite” in Western Fiction
Spring 2024 The BookFest First Place Award for Young Adult Historical Fiction
BookLife by Publisher's Weekly — Editor's Pick

When seventeen-year-old Jubilee Walker loses his mother in 1867, he has no idea that during the next two years he will be riding a wagon train across the plains, befriending a Pawnee scout, climbing mountains, and riding the raging rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

When Jubil initially asks to join a scientific expedition led by Major John Wesley Powell, a family friend, Powell refuses, but Jubil’s persistence and resourcefulness eventually win him a place on Powell’s crew. Jubil’s plans for a life of adventure are complicated, however, by his deepening feelings for his best friend, Nelly Boswell, who is reluctant to spend her life with a man who insists on such a dangerous lifestyle.

How will Jubil navigate the hardships and lawlessness of the American West? And will he be forced to choose between a life of adventure and the girl he loves?

Jubil’s story draws on the real-life adventures of naturalist, college professor, and one-armed Civil War veteran Major John Wesley Powell during his Colorado River Exploring Expeditions. Powell became the first explorer to summit Longs Peak in the Colorado Rockies and navigate the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, fixing his place in history as one of America’s great explorers.

"A powerful tale of revenge and perseverance in the face of danger. " - Kirkus Reviews

"Not since True Grit have we celebrated a plucky young girl on a mission to set her turbulent, dusty world right ..." - David Marion Wilkinson, award winning author

"Libraries and readers seeking powerful elements of history and thriller that share equal billing in their depth and deployment will find Sarita an exceptional aquisition." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"(Dossett) possesses a firm grasp of the landscapes and culture of the Wild West and strikingly demonstrates this through her narration." - Lily Andrews, reviewer at Feathered Quill

In the summer of 1920, nineteen-year-old Sarita’s younger brother, JJ, bleeds to death in her arms after being shot by Javier Salsito de Ortega, a ruthless tequila smuggler. The Texas Rangers have their hands full with Prohibition and border issues. Still, Sarita is stunned when they refuse to help.

JJ’s death devastates her father. Without a male heir, Sarita fears he will give in to the oil prospector intent on buying their family ranch, La Barroneña. Even in his despair, she knows her father yearns for justice, but he is too ill and weak to seek it.

Sarita isn’t.

Determined to prove herself and change her fate, she crosses the Rio Grande into a world of deadly threats––from rattlesnakes to Pancho Villa’s rebels to the very killer she’s hunting. Quickly, Sarita realizes she’s stumbled into a web of danger far bigger and more sinister than she imagined. If she is caught, the consequences could jeopardize innocent lives and put her father’s safety at risk.

In a tumultuous landscape of social and political upheaval, what lines will Sarita have to cross to survive? Will her relentless pursuit of justice exact a price too steep to bear? If she succeeds––if she gets home––will she have earned her father’s respect? Will she have secured her family’s future?

“The Storyteller's War is a rousing good tale that will delight the most ardent Chaucer enthusiasts and novices alike.” –Donna D. Conrad, bestselling author of The Magdalene Chronicles

March, 1366. Amid the chaos of a war-torn Spain, Geoffrey Chaucer—page to King Edward III and the son of a wine merchant—finds himself thrust into the heart of a boiling conflict between two brothers: King Pedro the Cruel of Castile and his half-brother, Enrique Trastámara.

But Chaucer’s task is far from simple. Sent as a reluctant spy by the king, he must locate the elusive mercenary Sir Hugh Calveley and persuade him to change sides in a war that could alter the fate of kingdoms. If Chaucer fails, he not only risks losing his life, but also his position at court, and the love of Pippa, the woman he cherishes.

Surrounded by ruthless enemies, seductive spies, and looming battles, Chaucer must rely on his wit, charm, and storytelling to survive the assassin’s blade and a seductress's schemes. As armies collide on the battlefield, Chaucer’s greatest challenge becomes not just turning the tide of war—but winning the battle for Pippa’s heart.

History, romance, and danger collide in this gripping tale of intrigue, loyalty, and love in medieval Europe.

To escape her strait-laced overbearing sister, Birdie Stauffer auditions for the all-female Versatile Quintet, Chautauqua circuit’s opening act. Through this train-traveling roadshow she experiences the tumultuous 1920s, a modern era of shocking flappers and smuggled whiskey, with the camaraderie of newfound friends. Her exceptional gift of concert whistling entertains more than songbirds as she gains national notoriety and she’s soon entangled in two romantic relationships—one with a dapper circuit manager, the other her fellow pianist. Accompanied by four other musicians—a slang slinging flapper, a confident girl-next-door, a tight-lipped loner, and a virtuoso sapphic—and following a series of traumatic events, Birdie discovers even the best relationships can be filled with misunderstandings. As she learns to trust her intuition, she finds it may cost her love interests, her sister, and maybe even herself.

About the Author

The only constant in life is change—so after multiple doozies, Melora Fern moved from Texas to North Carolina to become herself. Growing up a perpetual new kid she persevered by making-up stories and learned to hone that skill into writing fiction. As a recovering CPA, she now counts treasures and words discovered on her daily hikes. Turning the pages of her grandmother’s Chautauqua scrapbook has opened infinite research rabbit-holes and ignited her debut historical fiction. In addition to all there is with writing, she enjoys her rescue cats, gardening, and losing herself in novels of all genres.

Praise for Whistling Women and Crowing Hens

"Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is an immersive read set in the Chautauqua circuit of the 1920s. Talented whistler and trombonist Birdie Stauffer finds herself a member of a quintet performing throughout the northeast. When small-town Birdie steps into the wider world, she discovers aspects of herself she never knew existed. Increasingly at odds with societal and sisterly expectations, she must choose between following her truth and disappointing the most important people in her life.

Melora Fern’s debut novel offers an unconventional coming of age story set against the backdrop of a nation doing the same. As the propriety of the Victorian era gives way to the anything-goes roaring twenties, women find themselves newly enfranchised and empowered, yet still traditional expectations endure.

Fern’s attention to detail and a cast of unforgettable characters make this book hard to put down. Full of the drama and humor that come from five women sharing close quarters for weeks at a time, Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is at times raucous, tragic, and uplifting. At its heart, this book is about finding one’s voice and singing (or whistling) it loud."

—Culley Holderfield, award-winning author of Hemlock Hollow

“Joan Donaldson's masterful use of lyrical prose takes readers on a journey filled with unexpected surprises. William and Lizzie's journey resonates with readers as they overcome past errors and transition from sorrow to optimism, finding a new opportunity for love.” –Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Pam of Babylon Series

Grieving her fiancé’s death, Lizzie Walker struggles to find purpose to her life in Rugby, Tennessee, a utopian community in the Appalachian Mountains. But that changes when William, a wealthy flatlander mourning the loss of his sister, arrives. Teaching together in the community’s school sparks a budding relationship as they embrace Rugby’s classless society and equality for women. However, their peace is short-lived. Lucas, a mountain man, begins harassing Lizzie, who dreads his references to their past, while William fears that exposing his own dark secret will destroy Lizzie’s growing respect and love. When disaster strikes Rugby, Lizzie and the local women embrace their talents and restore hope in their future.

Readers who love the novel Christy will revel in William’s transformation from privileged gentleman to a settler embracing a simple life with Lizzie. Ae Fond Kiss continues the story begun in On Viney’s Mountain and celebrates second chances and the importance of community.

Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father’s war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun.
Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did—that her mother and Hitler’s mistress were friends.

The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna’s.

Plunged into the world of the “ordinary” Munich girl who was her mother’s confidante—and a tyrant’s lover—Anna finds her every belief about right and wrong challenged. With Hannes’s help, she retraces the path of two women who met as teenagers, shared a friendship that spanned the years that Eva Braun was Hitler’s mistress, yet never knew that the men they loved had opposing ambitions.

Eva’s story reveals that she never joined the Nazi party, had Jewish friends, and was credited at the Nuremberg Trials with saving 35,000 Allied lives. As Anna's journey leads back through the treacherous years in wartime Germany, it uncovers long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that always outlast war.

A Priest's Courage. A Town's Redemption.

Winner of 6 Major Awards for Religious and Historical Fiction!
 
Category Winner - 2025 Independent Press Awards
Gold Medal - 2024 Readers' Favorite Awards
Category Winner - 2024 American Writing Awards

Moral Courage in the Shadow of the Third Reich.

In a Bavarian village gripped by Nazi tyranny, an American priest's faith will be tested like never before.

Father Viktor Koch has spent the war quietly ministering to his parish, keeping their faith alive under the watchful eyes of Nazi authorities. But as Germany crumbles in 1945, a shocking discovery thrusts the village into a moral crisis.

A mass grave of concentration camp victims lies on the village's border. When American liberators demand justice, the commander gives the villagers an impossible choice: unearth and bury the dead within 24 hours—or face mass execution.

With time running out, Father Viktor must summon extraordinary courage to protect his people. But can he convince the Americans of the villagers' humanity, or will the legacy of Nazi atrocities condemn them all?

Inspired by true events, The Sower of Black Field is a poignant and gripping historical novel of resilience, faith, and redemption.

Praise for The Sower of Black Field

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Koch blends historical detail with rich storytelling. This book captures the moral complexity of wartime resistance and the triumph of faith over fear." - Goodreads Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "A deeply evocative tale of courage and spiritual conflict. Koch's novel is as inspiring as it is thought-provoking." - NetGalley Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Faith in God, and the testing of that faith, is interwoven throughout the novel... A picture emerges of people caught up in a conflict not of their making, resisting as they can from its evils, and finding strength in the courageous example of their pastor." - Chanticleer Reviews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This book is a poignant and inspiring tale of resilience in the face of overwhelming darkness. Koch has crafted a story that resonates with both historical gravity and timeless moral questions." - Indie Reader

A True Story of Faith and Resistance
 
Perfect for readers who are drawn to powerful narratives of moral courage, wartime resilience, and the unbreakable strength of faith, The Sower of Black Field brings history to life with unforgettable emotional depth.
 
Order your copy today and experience this award-winning story of redemption and hope.

A heartwarming, magical story of a modern woman lost in time who must assist two unlikely strangers in untangling the lies surrounding their lives if she wants to return to her own time and place.

When a snowy accident topples Madeline Drake through a slip in time, she wakes to find herself in tiny, turn of the century, Bethlehem, Wyoming, far from her hectic existence. And as much as it is a shock to her, her arrival immediately upends the tenaciously rooted lives of the town’s odd collection of lost souls.

But the rules are clear—she must stay until Christmas before the door home will open. Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an all-out campaign to return sooner rather than later, only to find that her arrival has unwittingly upended the lives of the town's kind and shy postmistress, Ninny Minch, and that of sharp-tongued and reclusive widow, Savannah Clarke.

While helping anyone other than herself doesn't come easily to her—and despite Madeline’s best efforts to avoid entanglements—fragile bonds of friendship form between this improbable trio. Much to Madeline’s surprise, she discovers that trust and acceptance once given, may be strong enough to untangle even the most darkly held secrets.

Including a few of her own.

As Christmas draws near, Madeline finds herself so entwined in Bethlehem’s currency of wishes and hope, she starts to wonder if this small town might hold the keys to a life of purpose and empowerment like she’s never imagined. And when the door does open, will she be brave enough to step through it and leave everything and everyone behind?

If you are looking for a warm and cozy holiday read, one to share with your dearest friends, your book club, and your family, O Little Town of Bethlehem is sure to delight. Don't miss out on this wonderful love story to friendship.

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION • A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • From one of our most accomplished novelists, a mesmerizing story about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War—and a brilliant portrait of family endurance against all odds

"A tour de force." —Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage

In 1874, in the wake of the War, erasure, trauma, and namelessness haunt civilians and veterans, renegades and wanderers, freedmen and runaways. Twelve-year-old ConaLee, the adult in her family for as long as she can remember, finds herself on a buckboard journey with her mother, Eliza, who hasn’t spoken in more than a year. They arrive at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia, delivered to the hospital’s entrance by a war veteran who has forced himself into their world. There, far from family, a beloved neighbor, and the mountain home they knew, they try to reclaim their lives.

The omnipresent vagaries of war and race rise to the surface as we learn their story: their flight to the highest mountain ridges of western Virginia; the disappearance of ConaLee’s father, who left for the War and never returned. Meanwhile, in the asylum, they begin to find a new path. ConaLee pretends to be her mother’s maid; Eliza responds slowly to treatment. They get swept up in the life of the facility—the mysterious man they call the Night Watch; the orphan child called Weed; the fearsome woman who runs the kitchen; the remarkable doctor at the head of the institution.

Epic, enthralling, and meticulously crafted, Night Watch is a stunning chronicle of surviving war and its aftermath.

Chinua Achebe is considered the father of modern African literature, the writer who "opened the magic casements of African fiction." The African Trilogy—comprised of Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer at Ease—is his magnum opus.

In these masterly novels, Achebe brilliantly imagines the lives of three generations of an African community as their world is upended by the forces of colonialism from the first arrival of the British to the waning days of empire.

The trilogy opens with the groundbreaking Things Fall Apart, the tale of Okonkwo, a hero in his village, whose clashes with missionaries—coupled with his own tragic pride—lead to his fall from grace. Arrow of God takes up the ongoing conflict between continuity and change as Ezeulu, the headstrong chief priest, finds his authority is under threat from rivals and colonial functionaries. But he believes himself to be untouchable and is determined to lead his people, even if it is towards their own destruction. Finally, in No Longer at Ease, Okonkwo's grandson, educated in England, returns to a civil-service job in Lagos, only to see his morality erode as he clings to his membership in the ruling elite.

Drawing on the traditional Igbo tales of Achebe's youth, The African Trilogy is a literary landmark, a mythic and universal tale of modern Africa. As Toni Morrison wrote, "African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe. For passion, intellect and crystalline prose, he is unsurpassed."

England, 1920. Widowed and world-weary, Lady Gayle Summer inherits the brooding Bethencourt Castle after her father’s sudden death. Determined to leave her flapper days behind, she dons the mantle of lady of the manor—only to be greeted by gunfire after the funeral.

When her friend Lady Sylvia vanishes during a quiet afternoon ride, and the horse returns without her, Gayle’s new life turns from dull to deadly. Who killed Sylvia? Was Gayle the true target? And what secrets lie hidden in the castle’s shadowy attics?

With the help of her sharp-eyed maid, Alice, Gayle delves into dusty trunks, unearths half-eaten meals, and uncovers long-buried legal papers that reveal a chilling motive. She’ll need all her courage—and a keen intellect—to unmask a killer before she becomes the next victim.

The storms came first. Then the screams. Then... silence.

When Pinatubo erupted and Typhoon Yunya struck, the living thought they’d seen the worst. But in the Philippines, monsters don’t hide under beds— they wait in the banyan trees, call from the waves, and knock three times on your soul.

Once Upon a Time in the Philippines delivers ten relentless tales of supernatural folklore, cosmic dread, and twisted justice. Each story stands alone, yet threads into a chilling tapestry where myth bleeds into reality.

For readers who crave sleepless nights, shivers down the spine, and folklore sharpened into a weapon. If you love The Medium or Things We Lost in the Fire, this belongs on your shelf of nightmares.

Read it tonight. Just... don’t answer the third knock.

“A true classic of world literature . . . A masterpiece that has inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world.” —Barack Obama

“African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.” —Toni Morrison

"A magical writer - one of the greates of the twentieth century." —Margaret Atwood

Named one of America's most-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe's critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa's cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man's futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.

With more than twenty million copies sold and translated into fifty-seven languages, Things Fall Apart provides one of the most illuminating and permanent monuments to African experience. Achebe does not only capture life in a pre-colonial African village, he conveys the tragedy of the loss of that world while broadening our understanding of our contemporary realities.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Firebird comes a delightfully funny and tender tale of family secrets, reluctant spies, and one unforgettable woman!

Paris 1989.
A cold war is ending.
A new family is beginning.
And one dog is about to save the day.

Carl Box has never met his Aunt Lily. She was the family scandal — exiled, disgraced, and never spoken of. So when he’s named the heir to her Paris estate, he packs a bag (and his two-legged dog, Billy) and prepares for paperwork, not espionage.

But Lily is very much alive. And very much in trouble.

What begins as a simple inheritance turns into a Cold War caper filled with coded messages, eccentric operatives, and secrets that could still get people killed. Carl soon finds himself in the role of spy — dodging agents, covering for Lily, and wondering what exactly she’s been hiding all these years.

Red Lily is a warm, witty historical suspense about unexpected heroism and the mysteries of family ties — perfect for fans of Killers of a Certain Age, Jacqueline Winspear, and Only Murders in the Building.
 

“A tender and satisfying novel.”—Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. As the owner displays and unfurls a Japanese parasol, Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940s—Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love that transcended the prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family were evacuated to the internment camps, she and Henry could only hope that their promise to each other would be kept. Now, forty years later, Henry explores the hotel’s basement for the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot even begin to measure. His search will take him on a journey to revisit the sacrifices he has made for family, for love, for country.

"If you’re one of the few who haven’t experienced the genius of Agatha Christie, this novel is a stellar starting point." — DAVID BALDACCI, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

An exclusive authorized edition of the most famous and beloved stories from the Queen of Mystery.

Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…

Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

"Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction both for readers and for writers. . . . Just one book is never enough." — VAL MCDERMID, Internationally Bestselling Author

His heir is dead; his daughter has gone insane with grief, and his loyal wife, Eliza, avoids him when he most needs her comfort. Tormented by the specter of a dreadful secret too shameful to bear, Hamilton is alone in his grief.

As Hamilton grapples with his troubled marriage and devastated family, his vicious political opponent, Aaron Burr, whips up a fierce and wholly unexpected storm that threatens to topple the nation. A nation Hamilton helped forge in blood, sweat, and tears.

Egomaniacal Burr is obsessed with power, and blames Hamilton for a humiliating political loss.
For Burr the only consolation will be Hamilton’s utter ruin.

It is a time of honor, duels, intrigues, and mindless political violence.

Torn between his duty to his wife and family and his steadfast allegiance to the country he fought to build, Hamilton must make a life or death choice.

You know his name, but this is a story that you haven't heard before! If you loved the score of Hamilton, the biographies of Chernow, and the novels of Stephanie Dray, you will love Hamilton's Choice!

"Fans of American history will love this fictionalization of Alexander Hamilton’s political and family life in the years leading to his death. Great for fans of Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton, Joanne Freeman’s Affairs of Honor, Gore Vidal’s Burr"– Booklife Review

"An earnest historical novel...a thoughtful meditation on the inexorability of
change, and what happens when justice results in a redistribution of success." —
Kirkus Reviews

“...a classic. This is a story of triumph and tragedy, of good and evil, and
finally reconciliation. A true morality play.” — Gene Hoots, former tobacco
executive and author of Going Down Tobacco Road

“A sweeping drama that follows three unforgettable families navigating the
changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history, readers have
been raving that Talmadge Farm is one they cannot put down. Perfect for fans of
Wiley Cash and Amor Towles.” — Carolina Country