Prairie Moon Has Bestsellers!

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, $ 14.00, paperback	sidda may be a great success in New York theatre circles, but the sudden attention has caused her to say something her mother cannote forgive, and now Sidda finds it impossible to go on with her life. While she learns from her mother's three best fiends how to bridge the gap, we learn about the hilarious adventures and heartbreaking trials of the "Sisterhood" as they grew up and raised families in the heat, languor and lushness of Louisiana. Winner of the 1999 ABBY award for the book independent booksellers most enjoyed selling last year! Wells' earlier book, "Little Alters Everywhere" ($ 14.00, paperback) features the same characters.
Bitter Grounds by Sandra Benitez, $ 15.00, paperback	This story of two families, told through the viewpoint of three generations of women, is also the story of El Salvador in the middle of the 20th century. Beginning with Mercedes, a coffee picker who goes to work as a laundress, and Elena, her wealthy employer, we experience Salvadoran life from both ends of the political-social spectrum. Benitez has created complex and lively characters whose intriguing personal stories also tell their country's history.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant	The life story of Jacob's only daughter includes well-known incidents from the old testament, but so much more, as hinted at in this excerpt from the prologue: It's a wonder that any mother ever called a daughter Dinah again. But some did. Maybe you guessed that there was more to me than the voiceless cipher in the text. Maybe you heard it in the music of my name: the first vowel high and clear, as when a mother calls to her child at dusk; the second sound soft, for whispering secrets on pillows. Dee-nah." Wonderfully imagined and beautifully written.
Moon Journal, Fall/Winter 1998, Volume III, Issue 2, (poems, stories, essays) by Chicago area writers, edited by Mary Ber: $5.00	A delightful collection of poems, stories, and short essays, many from local writers. Based on the premise that there is much undiscovered talent, Moon Journal publishes twice a year. Some previous issues still available.