A new novel by California author Mary F. Burns distills the essence of change from one way of life to another, from the way an entire generation understood itself to a radically different conception of freedom, identity, sex, music, art and love.
“The revolution started happening in the 1950s,” Burns states, “and continued building until the Sixties came roaring in.” Ember Days is the story of one small village of people whose lives hold secrets—desires, longing, past sins and future dreams—and the changing atmosphere in 1959 just needed a match to start the fire.
“San Francisco was alive with beat poetry, jazz, rebellion and art,” Burns says. “I’ve spoken to dozens of Californians who were old enough in the mid-50s to visit the cafés, the bars, the coffeehouses of that time, and there really was nothing like it.” World War II was finally laid to rest, but people felt restless. “In my Ember Days story, a village son, now a priest, comes home to bury his mother, and he finds his younger brother gone and a town full of secrets—some of them his own. The small, tightly-knit town that was Mendocino in 1959 begins to reveal those secrets, both at home and down in San Francisco.”
What readers are saying:
“Exceptional storytelling set in a time of changes. Characters are rich and sympathetic, intertwined with great description and depth of understanding of the human heart. This author wows me – every time! Thanks for another great book.”
“A book that paints such vivid characters and draws you into their lives. The story is a wonderful intertwining of lives in a small town. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thank you Mary.”
“I could not help being quickly drawn into the novel, which I think is an important aspect of any good book. What made this book most meaningful to me was the relationships between the main characters. The historical placement of the story describes a time past but makes one feel like you are familiar with all those things that are long gone, like being in the present and past at the same time. All in all, super well done!”
Ember Days has won First Place in Fiction at the Great Northwest Book Festival 2016, and an Honorable Mention in the San Francisco Book Festival 2016. Mary F. Burns is the author of several works of historical fiction, including J-The Woman Who Wrote the Bible, Portraits of an Artist: A Novel about John Singer Sargent, Isaac and Ishmael, and The Spoils of Avalon: A Mystery. She is a book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. Ms. Burns lives in San Francisco.
Please visit the author’s website to view book trailers and get more information: www.maryfburns.com.
EMBER DAYS is featured at www.maryfburns.wix.com/emberdays
Ember Days
Kindle Edition: ASIN: B01C7SFGRO $2.99
Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-0692653630 $14.95
Average Review: FIVE Stars
Media Contact: Word by Word Press – jwriter@gmail.com
