@ Book House

Editorials, op-eds, and other writings by a memorable newspaperman.

PenCraft Award Winner - Young Adult Fiction

The meadow outside Bethel, New York, is eerily empty and silent. Yesterday it held half a million cheering people, and only a few hours ago, the closer, Jimi Hendrix, recast the "Star Spangled Banner" as a firefight in the Mekong Delta. Mark Berger's been here the whole time. Arriving four days early, he helped set up kitchens and paths. During the festival, he worked to calm kids tripping out on bad acid, maneuvered a water truck through a sea of spectators, and fell in love, twice.

Violet is a pillar of hospitality and compassion within her community. As a farmer's wife and mother of a large brood, she is resolute, thrifty, and charming. The life that is woven between the land and her family is one of harmony and beauty. When she begins to struggle with depression, her life seems to unravel. At first the change is subtle, but it quickly intensifies as the flicker of a candle flame brings a way to feel again; her beloved creek becomes ominous as it beckons to her.

Synopsis

Today more than ever, everyone must be her or his own healer, and this is especially true in the management of anxiety and depression. In the first major conceptual leap in mental health care in forty years, Mind Easing's Three-Layered Healing Plan harmonizes wellness approaches, therapy, and, when needed, medicine into a safe and effective plan tailored to the needs and wishes of the individual.