MAILBOX MONDAY
Work obligations and family life have kept me hopping the last few months and I haven't visited Mailbox Monday as often as I would like.
But I am so excited about Laura Stanfill's new novel, Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, that I had to post it on Mailbox Monday. Even if I am typing this post while keeping one eye on the zoom trial of the Boy Scouts' bankruptcy so I don't miss my turn to cross examine this BSA witness!
Singing Lessons is historical fiction set in France and America during the 1800s. Henri Blanchard is the son of a music-box maker who would rather make lace than follow in his father's footsteps. Henri discovers his father had son born before him to one of his father's American customers. When circumstances drive Henri to flee to America, he meets his half-brother and discovers a world beyond his small French village.
Laura Stanfill is the editor and publisher at Forest Avenue Press, a prize-winning independent publisher of literary fiction and memoir. She is a fine essay writer whose work has appeared in
Shondaland, The Rumpus, Catapult, The Vincent Brothers Review, Santa Fe Writers Project, and several print anthologies.
Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary is Stanfill's debut novel. It launches on April 18 from Lanternfish Press and is available now for pre-order. For those in the Portland area, Laura is reading from Singing Lessons at Powell's City of Books on Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 7:00 pm. Signed copies are available for pre-order from Powell's or available at the event.
Read a glowing review of Singing Lessons, recommending the book for fans of Joanne Harris, on Publishers' Weekly.
Read Beth Kephart's review of this "utterly beguiling" novel on Cleaver.
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTIONAs a firstborn son of a master craftsman, Henri Blanchard is expected to inherit the family barrel organ workshop, but he would prefer to make bobbin lace like his best friend Aimée. In an effort to put his misgivings aside and prove himself a worthy heir, he attempts dramatic feats that draw derision from the townsfolk and finally land him in jail, accused of murder. Threatened with the hangman’s noose, he is forced to flee the cozy village of Mireville—and discover a world beyond that may be big enough for even the rarest bird to find a nest.
Suspenseful and heartwarming by turns, Laura Stanfill’s debut is a whimsical journey full of friendship, adventure, and self-discovery.
YOUR MAILBOX MONDAY BOOKS
Join other book lovers on Mailbox Monday to share the books that came into your house last week. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.
Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf, and Velvet of vvb32reads graciously host Mailbox Monday.