Land of Joys

Overview

A bestselling book, an exhibit featuring the Hill-Billies of Heaven Holler, and a brutal murder turn the excitement of 1904 World’s Fair into a nightmare for the people of Daybreak.Country and city collide when Charlotte Turner’s son Adam turns their sleepy Ozarks village of Daybreak into a tourist attraction with his bestselling novel The Hill-Billies of Heaven Holler. But his idea of setting up a hillbilly exhibit at the 1904 World’s Fair has unforeseen consequences in all directions as Charlotte, her granddaughter Petey, and the rest of Daybreak are caught up in the exoticism, greed, and danger that surround the event. Adventure leads to violence at home and at the Fair, and Charlotte must make life-of-death choices to keep Petey safeand preserve her beloved community.

Reviews

"His novel is an exciting and original take on the history of America becoming America, full of complex characters and rich, realistic dialogue. Slant of Light is the perfect summer read for any fan of historical fiction." - Southern Literary Review

"In This Old World, Wiegenstein displays a keen imagination, a deep knowledge of the Ozark's geography and flora, and a firm grasp on the epoch's events. Although the story of Daybreak is of grim, unremitting hardships -- floods, poison, domestic violence and vigilantism, to name a few -- is it also a tale of perseverance and the transformative power of ideas." - Vox magazine

"[The Language of Trees is] a wonderful look at human greed and love, nature and progress, idealism and realities." - Historical Novels Review

"Read Scattered Lights if you'd like to escape the craziness of this abnormal year and instead find respite and basic truths in normal Ozark towns." - Dale Singer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Author Biography

Born and raised in the eastern Missouri Ozarks, Steve Weigenstein’s family roots go deep in Madison, Iron, and Reynolds counties. He attended the University of Missouri where he completed a master’s and doctoral degree in English. His first novel, Slant of Light was published by Blank Slate Press, followed by This Old World and The Language of Trees. These novels garnered significant praise and awards. Scattered Lights, his collection of short stories was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction and earned Steve the Missouri Library Association Missouri Author Award.