***Finalist for PEN/Hemingway Award*** The PEN/Hemingway Award, founded in 1976 by Mary Hemingway, the wife of Ernest Hemingway, to honor her late husband and draw attention to first books of fiction. ***Winner of Reading the West Book Awards*** Wes Carver returns to Black River, Montana, with just two things in the cab of his truck: his wife's ashes and a letter from the parole board. The convict who once held him hostage during a riot at the state prison is being considered for release. Wes grew up in Black River, and worked as a corrections officer, as most of the men there do. A gifted player, his fiddle was one of his few joys. But during the riot, Bobby Williams changed everything for Wes ? undermining his faith and stealing his music. Now Wes must decide whether he can let Williams walk away. In a stunning debut ? met with advance praise from the likes of Daniel Woodrell and Jess Walter, and starred reviews by every trade publication ? Hulse shows us the heart and darkness of an American town, and one man's struggle to find forgiveness in the wake of evil. AUTHOR: S. M. Hulse received her MFA from the University of Oregon and was a fiction fellow at the University of Wisconsin?Madison. Her stories have appeared in Willow Springs, Witness, and Salamander. A horsewoman and fiddler, she has spent time in Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. SELLING POINTS: ? The hardcover was chosen as an Indies Introduce title, and received praise from booksellers around the country. It has received a starred review in each of the trades, with more to come when pub date arrives in January. ? Astonishingly assured and mature, this is fiction with powerful themes and deeply human characters. Examining justice, faith, grief, and the possibility of reconciliation and understanding with even our most vexing demons, Black River is a thoughtful, moving debut. ? The prison system in America is under harsh scrutiny; this novel puts a human face on the question of crime and punishment. Hulse was inspired by real events ? a riot at Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana, in the 1950s.
