Lady in the Moon: A Novel in Stories

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.

Connie Claire (Peterson) Szarke, awardwinning Minnesota author, came of age in the Southwestern part of the state, influenced by life on the prairie, among farms, small towns, woods, and lakes. As a former high school French teacher and lifelong pianist, Szarke’s links with European culture, history, and the arts provide her with additional material for her novels and short stories. She currently lives on a lake west of the Twin Cities.