Will Lindstrom was only sixteen when he and his father left the predictable routine of their family farm in southwestern Minnesota and were launched, via the Transcontinental Railway, into the wilds of eastern Montana to find Uncle Amer. The year was 1919. Decades later, after he and daughter Callie arrive at the Scandinavian Cemetery in Rockford, Illinois, in search of Amer's tombstone, an elderly Will recounts that difficult journey west, pays homage to the life that was, and reveals controversial truths about his beloved uncle and the prejudice that killed him. This novel, A Stone for Amer, is part of the Callie Lindstrom trilogy, which includes Delicate Armor and Lady in the Moon, A Novel in Stories.

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About the Author

Midwest author, Connie Claire Szarke, grew up in “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” A writer of fiction and poetry, she also taught high school French for many years. She enjoys playing classical piano, painting, alpine skiing, and kayaking with her Shetland sheepdogs near her home west of the Twin Cities. Much of her work has been published in literary journals and magazines, including The Talking Stick, Dust & Fire, Stories Teachers Tell, Lake Country Journal Magazine, and Community Connections: The Minnesota Project.

Set in the Upper Midwest, 1950s-1990, Delicate Armor is the coming-of-age story of Callie Lindstrom, a cheeky girl who shares a special bond with her father. After the loss of his baby boy, Will Lindstrom places his energy in young Callie, teaching her his love for the outdoors. Accepted into the world of men within her family and privy to their dreams and struggles, she learns to navigate waves of conflict and loss while realizing her own place in the world. This book is about lost time, the tenacity of the human spirit, and our narrator’s emerging consciousness as she passes from young girl to self-possessed woman. Delicate Armor is Callie’s tribute to the land and to her microcosm of men.

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Delicate Armor is available from:

• Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
• Barnes & Noble in Nook or Paperback.
• Directly from the author

Not ready to purchase?
Go to Goodreads and add it to your to-read list!

Other books by this author:

About the Author

Midwest author, Connie Claire Szarke, grew up in “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” A writer of fiction and poetry, she also taught high school French for many years. She enjoys playing classical piano, painting, alpine skiing, and kayaking with her Shetland sheepdogs near her home west of the Twin Cities. Much of her work has been published in literary journals and magazines, including The Talking Stick, Dust & Fire, Stories Teachers Tell, Lake Country Journal Magazine, and Community Connections: The Minnesota Project.

Oh, those formation years--coming of age never ends until it's time to leave this earth for good. Callandra Mae Lindstrom, a once feisty girl grown into a promising young woman, approaches her middle years altered by an abusive marriage.

During the road trip back home from Illinois, where she and her father Will traveled in search of Uncle Amer's gravesite, Callie spends time behind the wheel coming to terms with her personal struggles. In doing so, she reflects on the lives of others, including former residents of Masterton, her captivating hometown. The ways in which these people survived or succumbed to their own painful experiences serve as critical lessons, helping Callie to get on in the world as she alternately stumbles and dances through this part of her life.

Purchase information

Lady in the Moon is available from:

• Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
• Barnes & Noble in Nook or Paperback.
• Directly from the author

Not ready to purchase?
Go to Goodreads and add it to your to-read list!

Other books by this author:

About the Author

Midwest author, Connie Claire Szarke, grew up in “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” A writer of fiction and poetry, she also taught high school French for many years. She enjoys playing classical piano, painting, alpine skiing, and kayaking with her Shetland sheepdogs near her home west of the Twin Cities. Much of her work has been published in literary journals and magazines, including The Talking Stick, Dust & Fire, Stories Teachers Tell, Lake Country Journal Magazine, and Community Connections: The Minnesota Project.