Martha Brooks crafts narratives that delve into the profound emotional landscapes of adolescence, guiding characters through journeys of self-discovery. Her writing is distinguished by a keen psychological insight into her characters and a sensitive portrayal of complex interpersonal dynamics. Through compelling stories, she explores themes of identity, friendship, and the search for one's place in the world. Her works resonate with readers for their authenticity and potent emotional impact.
Exploring the profound journey of grief, the author shares daily love letters to her late husband, Brian, after his battle with brain cancer. Through these heartfelt reflections, she navigates the complexities of loss, capturing both intimate emotions and universal themes of love and remembrance. Martha Brooks, an acclaimed author and jazz singer, invites readers to connect with the raw and transformative power of love that endures beyond death.
In the midst of a heaven-rattling summer storm, a young stranger blows into a small prairie town. On the run after taking her latest boyfriend's truck, with a pocketful of stolen money and a heart full of pain, seventeen-year-old Noreen Stall seems to invite trouble.And trouble comes soon enough, as Noreen's new mistakes trigger calamities that shake the lives of the residents of Pembina Lake. Acclaimed novelist Martha Brooks has written an unforgettable and award-winning story about a terribly complex heroine and the effects she has on those around her.
“Life is full of surprises, and sometimes the good and the bad get all bunched up together.” Alexandra’s beloved grandfather said this often. But nothing could have prepared her the death of her father – a man she never knew – and his legacy – a cabin on prairie land near an ancient Native American burial ground. It is at the cabin that she meets Lonny, who seems more troubled than Alexandra. Lonny’s stepfather had once owned that very same cabin and land and always wanted it to go to Lonny. But Lonny, tormented by guilty memories and disturbing visions, refused to take it. Who would have thought it would it end up in the hands of a city girl like Alexandra? He tries not to like her, but is drawn to her nevertheless.As their story unfolds, Lonny and Alex are haunted and guided by spirits that draw them to the land and to each other in this moving and tender tale about two unforgettable teens.
There were two moons last August: one almost full at the beginning when Mom was alive and our lives were normal - and then a full cheater moon at the end, that looked down so beautifully on the world when everything was awful and changed and never would be the same again". A year after her mother's death, 16-year-old Sidonie spends sleepless nights playing cards with her cat, Bogey. During the day she lies around and reads under the nose of her 19-year-old sister, Roberta, who angrily scrubs floors already clean and cooks meals that are inedible. Their father, a doctor, comes home only when he is too exhausted to stay at work any longer. Only the jazz piano playing of Roberta's boyfriend, Phil, brings relief to the long summer. Kieran, a 16-year-old boy, comes to their lakeside community and Sidonie begins to discover what she needs to pull her life and family together again.Martha Brooks skillfully re-creates the world of 1959 in the small town of Bison Valley and reveals the joys and pains of adolescence in this moving and often humorous novel about healing and hope. She deftly explores the themes of mourning, family, friendship, and love.