Margaret Verble

 Finalist, Reading the West Adult Fiction Award

 

 

"In this remarkable novel, Margaret Verble brings a mid-20th century story to life through the power of relationships. Her harrowing tale makes it clear that violence and other forms of inhumane treatment thrive when the humanity of others is not honored....Ultimately, though, Stealing is a story about reilience and hope. Evil, no matter how ubiquitous and seemingly mighty, does not get the last word. Wickedness has an expiration date. Kit's story inspires me to keep praying for the day when all oppressors will disabuse themselves of mythologies and theologies marinated in fear." 

The Christian Century, Aug. 2024 

 

"Stealing is simply and beautifully written... Kit is a frank, trustworthy narrator with a powerful voice."

The Denver Post, 3/26/2024

 

"Stealing is a masterclass in storytelling...Margaret Verble has harnessed the art of how to shoot straight to the heart of a story, and it is an experience that should not be missed." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/14/2023

 

"This powerful novel should join the classics like Ernest J. Gaines's The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Helena Maria Viramontes's, Under the Feet of Jesus, and Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird. Stealing is a chronicle of truth, and Kit is an unforgettable American heroine... ."

New York Times, 2/7/2023

 

Publishers Weekly's advance review says, "Blistering... Verble's skillful storytelling does justice to a harrowing chapter of history." (1/9/2023) 

 

In an advanced review (12/6/2022), Good Housekeeping calls Stealing, "A historical reckoning with a hint of mystery that keeps the plot past-your-bedtime propulsive."

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky follows a death-defying young Cherokee horse-diver who, with her companions from the Glendale Park Zoo, must get to the bottom of a mystery that spans centuries. The book has recieved a lot of good reviews. For instance, Book Riot said today (Nov. 3, 2021) "A blend of historical fiction and magical realism makes this an unforgettable story." 

 

One of the Best Fiction Books of the Year, Booklist 2021. 

Cherokee America, winner of the 2020 Spur Award for best traditional western, is an American epic set in the Old Cherokee Nation West. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational saga centering around the title character, Cherokee America Singer. The book is based on the lives of real people and set in 1875. 

 

"'Cherokee America' is an essential corrective to the racially tinged myths created to justify the annihilation of indigenous cultures and the theft of native lands. The pacing of the novel mimics the rhythm of a Cherokee neighborly visit: conversation about the weather, crops, family and gossip before getting around to the real point of the call. No matter what was discussed, no matter what was resolved (or not resolved), there was joy and satisfaction in spending time with friends and family. That's how you will feel about Check and the other characters by the end of the novel. You're invested in them, their culture, their life. Verble has given historical fiction lovers a real gift: "Cherokee America" is an excellent illustration of how diverse books enrich literature, and the minds of those who read them." - Melissa Lenhardt, New York Times Book Review.

 

Winner of the Spur Award for Best Traditional Western, 2020

Finalist for Reading the West Adult Fiction Award, 2020

NYTimes 100 Notable Books of 2020

Maud’s Line is set in 1928, a year after the worst flood in American memory and a year before the stock market crash and the start of the Great Depression. The heroine, Maud Nail, lives at the end of a lane at the end of a section line on Indian allotment land. She shares her home with her father, Mustard, who can’t stay out of a fight, and her brother, Lovely, who is sensitive and in love. Maud’s prospects, both for love and for living with electricity and in-door plumbing, are limited until a bright blue canvas-covered peddler’s wagon rolls down her section line and stops in her lane. The wagon, driven by Booker Wakefield, a teacher looking for adventure on summer break, is loaded with trinkets, necessities, and books. Maud, who is a reader, is taken both with the peddler and his merchandise. But Maud’s world is filled with violence and Booker’s life has been sheltered. The events of the book cause friction between them, and Maud has to take comfort where she can find it and call on her wits and reserves of strength to survive.

 

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 2016