THE BOOKS
Chokecherry Girl
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It’s 1958. Racial tension and class disparities have everyone on edge in a small Montana town. Despite their differences, three women of the community become the unlikeliest of friends.
BOBBI VERNON is a quirky teen, who will do whatever it takes to drive her teacher’s new Chevy convertible. Adding to the already volatile mix, she meets Pretty Weasel, an Indian basketball player, who calls her Chokecherry Girl. She dreams of dating him and wearing his class ring.
PATSY OLSON, after two failed marriages, is desperate to get her life back. After opening a beauty shop with a shaky bank loan, she watches Coach Vernon, Bobbi’s father, arriving for school each day. Attracted yet wary, she needs the business of the town ladies, including the Coach’s wife, Lois.
MARY AGNES LONE HILL, an alcoholic Crow Indian who was sent far away to a brutal Indian school as a child, now cleans houses for the town ladies and longs to end her estrangement with her son, Pretty Weasel.
These three women are drawn together through an illicit love affair, a stolen car, and a shooting that changes their lives forever.
The Rave Reviews
"From the moment I read portions of what was to become Chokecherry Girl at a conference workshop a few years back, I told myself that this was a writer with promise. And now the promise is arrived: this story of the intertwined lives of three young women struggling to find their identities in a late 1950's Montana flyspeck on the plains is true and touching, a worthy distaff counterpart to The Last Picture Show. The characters and the place are palpable, and Link's laconic delivery is perfectly suited for the proceedings. Sweet work, indeed."
--Les Standiford, author of Last Train to Paradise.
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Link switches from a breezy nonchalant to profound wisdom as her characters burrow into your hearts. Funny, brilliant, heartbreaking, uplifting and unforgettable.
Susan G. Wooldridge, author of poemcrazy: freeing your life with words
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Chokecherry Girl gifts us with a story of three extraordinary women who defy barriers of age, social class, and racial prejudice to form a friendship. Link has lovingly drawn her characters as they are caught in a drama of passion and jealousy.
Anne Da Vigo, author of Bakersfield Boys Club
Chokecherry Girl captures a slice of rural life in 1958 in this entertaining read. I was hooked by the very first provocative sentence: “The worst thing about babysitting for the O’Malley’s was the dead baby.” Once you begin this wild ride, you won’t want it to end.
Dr. Jennifer Lagier, Editor of The Monterey Poetry Review, author of Dystopia Playlist and Camille Comes Unglued.
Blue Shy
ISBN-978-1616230494
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Blue Shy is the story of my daughter, Ellie, 19, who suffers a traumatic brain injury. My narrative tells the dramatic story of what led up to and the circumstances of her injury. The tale is interwoven with present day emails from Ellie, easily the best part of the book, as it traces her journey to eventual recovery and college graduation.
The Rave Reviews
“Blue Shy” is an intimate story of a mother/daughter relationship complicated by a stunning tragedy, the reeling aftermath, the development of stability on a new footing, and finally being able to relax into normality again. Having had the privilege of working with Ellie and her family, it is thrilling to see their recovery and strength of spirit. Blue Shy reaffirms my belief in the human condition.
Dr. Donald Strangio, Licensed Psychologist
“Everyday 5.3 million Americans live with disabilities caused by traumatic brain injury. Each injury is different; a new story, a new lesson. Blue Shy tells the story of a determined young who will not let her brain injury prevent her from being independent. This story will touch the hearts of parents who watch their adult children with brain injuries strive to be self-sufficient.”
Susan Connors, President and CEO, Brain Injury Association of America
“Blue Shy is a compelling account of the range of emotions encountered on the road to recovery following a brain injury – from despair to hope. My wish is that all those involved in neuro-rehabilitation will have the opportunity to benefit from this true story. I will definitely use this valuable therapy tool with all my traumatic brain injured clients.”
Mrs. Lorett Shea, MS, CCC-SLP