Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians, AUTHOR: Mark Twain & Lee Nelson, CATEGORY: Fiction/ Adventure

Key Features:

• Mark Twain’s long-lost novel comes to life in a wonderful collaboration with legendary Western writer Lee Nelson.
• Readers say they can’t distinguish where Twain leaves off and Nelson begins.
• Nelson’s writing credentials include more than 30 books, including the best-selling Storm Testament series set in the 1800s.

In 1885 while The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was becoming one of the best-selling American classics of modern times, Mark Twain began this sequel in which Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Jim head west on the trail of two white girls kidnapped by Sioux warriors, learning the hard way that “book Injuns and real Injuns ain’t the same.” Fifteen thousand words into the work, Twain stopped in the middle of a sentence, never to go back; the unfinished story sitting on dusty shelves for more than a hundred years until The University of California cut a deal with Utah author Lee Nelson to finish it.

Author's Note: I discovered Mark Twain’s unfinished story Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians when it was published in Life Magazine in 1968. I was in the Brigham Young University barbershop, reading part of the story before my haircut, and I read the rest afterward.

I was enthralled, hanging on every word as Huck, Tom and Jim joined up with the Mills family on the Platte River. A group of Sioux Indians befriended the family, then suddenly slaughtered the parents and older boys, and kidnapped the two girls and Jim. Huck and Tom joined forces with mountain man Brace Johnson to follow the Indians and rescue the girls. As they approached the Indian camp, getting ready for a daring rescue, the story suddenly ended, right in the middle of a sentence. I was so disappointed. Although Mark Twain wrote and published a number of books and stories after 1885, he never finished this one.

Early in 2002, while watching a documentary on Mark Twain on a local PBS station, I remembered reading the Among the Indians story in the barbershop. By this time I had published a dozen historical novels with settings on the American frontier, and realized I was probably as qualified as any other living author to finish the work begun by Twain. A little research on the web led me to those who controlled the copyright—The Mark Twain Foundation and the University of California Press. Contact was made, approval was granted, a contract was drawn up, and the following story is the result.

I have no idea how Twain intended to finish the story, and I reason that he didn’t know either, or he would have done it. I just hope that wherever he is, he enjoys my conclusion as much as I enjoyed his beginning.

Review-
"I was skeptical that anyone could finish a work begun by Mark Twain. I am thankful the project was undertaken by a writer as skillful as Lee Nelson. He did a superior job of incorporating the slang and candor of Huckleberry Finn into his writing and I had a difficult time finding where Twain stopped and Nelson began. . ."

Angel of the Danube

Angel of the Danube, AUTHOR: Alan Rex Mitchell, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

A winner in the first Association for Mormon Letters Marilyn Brown Novel Award competition for 2000, this is "Mormon literature's answer to Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King," according to Richard Cracroft.

Barry Monroe enters a spiritual adventure painted rich in missionary culture, Viennese hospitality, and folk legends that bring him to face the most important mission of his life.

Size: 200 pages, 6x9" Paperback. Qty.: Special $12.95

Millennial Quest Book 2: Angels Among Us, AUTHOR: John Pontius, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Key Features:

• This much-anticipated sequel to Spirit of Fire takes readers on a fascinating journey with Samuel Mahoy around the world.
• The Millennial Quest series is designed to complement and emphasize the author's best-selling non-fiction work Following the Light of Christ Into His Presence.
• This stirring story covers every emotion, from piercing sorrow to soaring joy. Readers won't be able to put it down!

Angels Among Us continues the saga of Samuel Mahoy's life, taking him on a journey through peril, piercing sorrow and soaring joy. Everyone who aspires to righteousness will recognize the depth of his struggles to reach beyond his inherent weaknesses and seize the promised blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Millennial Quest series takes readers on a fascinating journey from the pre-mortal world, through the trials and joys of mortality into the glorious Second Coming and beyond.

Size: 230 pages, 6x9" Paperback. Qty.: Special $14.95

Brother to Brother, AUTHOR: Charles Manley Brown, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Key Features:

• Brother to Brother provides a fictional look into the top echelons of Mormonism and allows readers to contemplate the pressures these leaders face.
• As the son of Elder Hugh B. Brown, the author has drawn on many years of experience to create this powerful novel.

The close friendship between Tony Ririe and Pat Donavan began long ago at Salt Lake City’s East High School. Despite their religious differences, they had forged an unbreakable bond.

Now, decades later in the year 2020, they trust each other without question, even in their current assignments as Elder Anthony J. Ririe of the LDS Church’s First Presidency, and Bishop Patrick Donavan of the Salt Lake Catholic Diocese.

That is why the following message from Pat was truly alarming:

“Tony, I must see you immediately—confidentially and very privately. I’m onto something potentially devastating. Something that could directly affect the future well-being of your church and perhaps my own, as well.”

Their joint efforts in handling a mysterious manuscript that could shake the roots of the LDS Church is a stirring, inspiring journey.

Review-
“Brother to Brother provides a fictional look into the top echelons of Mormonism and allows readers to contemplate the pressures these leaders face. I also appreciated the book’s valuable spiritual insights.”

Chasing Paradise, AUTHOR: Chad Daybell, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction/Youth

Key Features:

• Tina Marlar's inspiring journey is filled with exciting twists that captivate the reader while sharing eternal truths.
• Readers of all ages will enjoy this thought-provoking, uplifting novel.
• This is Chad Daybell's ninth book. He is also the author of The Emma Trilogy, the Tiny Talks series for children, and the best-selling nonfiction books The Youth of Zion and One Foot in the Grave.

Tina Marlar's family seems to have it all. Her parents, Frank and Carmen, are loving and supportive of Tina and her older sister Kim. However, Frank carries a secret of eternal importance.
When Tina dies in a car accident, she is surprised to meet Lucille, the paternal grandmother she never knew. She also discovers her father had once been a member of the LDS Church, but had long ago abandoned his faith and extended family.

Despite opposition in Spirit Prison, Tina embraces the gospel. Now her only hope of being baptized and crossing into Paradise lies with her family. It is her mission to bring her family to the truth.

Can a spirit have much influence on the living? Kim has already started searching out the gospel on her own. Carmen has never been religious, but she can't understand Frank's anger toward Kim's LDS friends. It will take one very determined spirit, and a missionary who follows spiritual prompting, to bring Frank's secret out in the open, and save all of their souls.

This newest novel from the author of the Emma Trilogy will both inspire and entertain you as Tina's quest comes to a surprising conclusion.

Review-
“I like everything about Chasing Paradise. It was so inspiring! I felt as though I was right there chasing paradise along with Tina and her family. I highly recommend this book.”

Gustavia Browne, AUTHOR: Alene Roberts, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Stunning, dark-eyed Gustavia, who says she was born in the wrong century, embarks on a dual journey: a seemingly hopeless search for Freddie Finch, her childhood orphan friend, and a wrenching search for family. Both searches take her into the past- the orphanages of Hull and Hessle in the county of Yorkshire to the teeming metropolis of early 20th century London. Her voyage is fraught with mystery, tragedy, adventure, and enduring love-building to a climax that spans three centuries to unite the threads of five families and four generations.

Gustavia Browne is a journey of discovery, of promises to fathers planted in the hearts of their children and the hearts of children turning to their fathers*.

Mormonville, AUTHOR: Jeff Call, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Key Features:

• Widely hailed by readers as one of the most powerful and thought-provoking LDS novels ever published.
• Luke Manning's personal journey will deeply affect your own life.

Discoveries in Utah town trouble big city reporter

HELAMAN, UTAH - Luke Manning, an investigative reporter from New York City, is assigned to spend one year in Utah, incognito, to infiltrate a Mormon ward and uncover the truth about the LDS Church.

Early indications are that his success is certain, but along the way Luke discovers these people exhibit traits he has rarely seen before-- kindness, compassion, and sincerity, to name a few. As he struggles to complete his assignment in so-called "Mormonville," Luke unwittingly learns the truth about himself.

Review-
“This book was a joy to read. The writing flowed along so smoothly. It was very well written and kept my attention throughout the entire book.”

Never Letting Go of Hope, AUTHOR: Shannon Guymon, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Key Features:

• A tender story that addresses prejudice in a unique way-in our own neighborhoods.
• The protagonist Cassie's inspiring defense of the young girl Hope truly binds the reader to the characters.
• The novel will cause readers to evaluate their own beliefs and morals.

Cassie Roberts had an ordinary life. Busy with her duties as a wife and mother, her life is changed forever when her best friend dies, requesting that Cassie care for her African-American child, Hope. This unusual "adoption" causes many to question whether Cassie has done the right thing, and gives her the feeling that someone out there wants her to give up. But there is one thing Cassie can never let go of, and that's Hope.

Review-
"Never Letting Go of Hope is everything you would expect in a great novel and more.... A very engrossing, moving, and thought-provoking story. Never Letting Go of Hope causes you to evaluate your own beliefs and morals, and will leave you thinking..."

One Against the Wilderness, AUTHOR: Tom Roulstone, CATEGORY: Fiction

One Against the Wilderness begins the story of Deirdre O'Connor, a young woman who is forced to leave the luxuries of her Boston home in 1847 and journey west in search of her father.

With her aunt and uncle, converts to the Mormon Church, she is thrown into the challenges and hardships that confronted the early pioneers. Against this backdrop, Deirdre must decide about the truth of Mormon teachings and choose between Trevor Deakins, a junior naval officer with political aspirations or Josh Logan, a young Mormon schooled by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

From the Mississippi frontier to a cave in the Wind River Mountains to the desert valleys of the promised land, One Against the Wilderness chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of one woman caught up in the historical events that drove the Saints west. This is a story of love and loss, of doubt and faith, of fear and courage. It is a story fueled by one woman's quest for things of eternal consequence.

Review-
"One Against the Wilderness is a fine piece of literature. . . Set in 1847, the novel follows Deirdre O'Connor, a . . . young lady with wit and grit, through her journeys of finding her father, love, and herself. . . Deirdre is a delightful, well-developed character. She is an inspiration because of her courage, warm caring, and accepting attitude. Getting inside her head is a special treat."

Phay Vanneth: Dead or Alive, AUTHOR: Vione Schow, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Key Features:

• A powerful, touching novel based on actual experiences of a Cambodian family's search for their missing sister.
• A modern-day pioneer story as the Phay family joins the LDS Church, which brings challenging but positive changes.
• The novel provides an informative glimpse into an often-misunderstood culture.

"Hurry, hurry or the soldiers will catch us!" Vanna and Vanthy ran for the hillside, sure that Vanneth was behind them. As they found cover for themselves, they heard Vanneth scream. Vanna parted the grasses just wide enough to see the soldiers carrying Vanneth off.

Thus begins the story of Phay Vanna, a courageous Cambodian girl who vows to find her twin sister Vanneth, no matter the cost. Based on actual events, this novel follows the path of Vanna's journey to the United States after her family was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. She finds herself in Utah, immersed in a new culture and a new church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But while her life improves, Vanna's desire to find her sister never fades, leading to a conclusion that will stir your soul.

Review-
"Phay Vanneth is a fascinating look into the world of the Cambodian refugee during a complicated time in our history and into the work of the church at this time."

The Plan, AUTHOR: David Steenhoek, CATEGORY: LDS Fiction

Key Features:

• An entertaining novel as told by a BYU graduate living in California who realizes he left his true love in Provo.
• The main character's "plan" for happiness takes some detours that lead to some highly unexpected moments.
• Written by a "currently single" male member of the LDS Church, single adults will especially relate to the novel's twists.

Life turns out differently than the way you planned it. John Edwards thought he had it all figured out. He had a simple plan when he returned from his mission. He wanted to go to BYU, major in Business, return to Southern California, join a Fortune 500 Company, and work his way up the executive ladder. At that time he'd find a beautiful woman to marry, or maybe she'd just fall into his lap. Then after a couple of years in the crazy business world, he'd start his own business venture, be successful, have the greatest family, a wonderful wife, and the best life ever. That was "The Plan."

There was one problem with "The Plan." It didn't work. The reality hurt. John was stuck in a pointless, dead-end job, where he punched numbers for a living.

Then one day he finds out that Charlotte, a girl he still has feelings for, is engaged. John throws away his life in Southern California, packs his car, and chases after her.