Literary Louisiana: Literary Ladies
In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s a roundup of books by some of Louisiana’s many female authors
Nature Made
Louisiana Herb Journal: Healing on Home Ground
Clinical herbalist Corinne Martin invites readers to venture outside and explore all of the healing treasures that Louisiana flora has to offer. “Louisiana Herb Journal: Healing on Home Ground,” details wild Louisiana herbs and plants, information on the history, traditions from Cajun healers and native tribes and the healing properties and uses of each. This is a great starter guide for anyone looking to get into nature and explore the unique landscape of Louisiana. Paperback, 304 pages, $34.95.
Community Bonds
The Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories
New Orleans writer Ladee Hubbard follows her critically acclaimed novel “The Rib King” with a colorful, gripping and moving collection of short stories. “The Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories” follows a series of interlocking tales involving family, friends and neighbors in a Black neighborhood over the course of 15 years. Hubbard examines issues of Black middle class, false media portrayal of the community, resilience and strength of family and spirit in this striking collection. Hubbard received the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction, and has had her work published in the “Times Literary Supplement” and “Guernica.” Hardcover, 224 pages, $24.99.
Kitchen Stories
Nana’s Creole Italian Table: Recipes and Stories from Sicilian New Orleans
You can’t talk about New Orleans cuisine without including Creole Italian creations. From po-boys to olive salad, meatballs to red gravy, Italian immigrants have influenced some of the most iconic New Orleans staples. In “Nana’s Creole Italian Table: Recipes and Stories from Sicilian New Orleans,” food writer and founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, Elizabeth Williams explores the food she grew up on recipes and stories that delve into the traditions of her own family, surrounding neighborhoods, New Orleans Italian culture and more. Warning: this book will make you hungry. Hardcover, 208 pages, $29.95.
Moving Spirits
New York Times bestselling author Karen White sets her latest romantic novel in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. “The Shop on Royal Street,” follows Nola Trenholm who has recently moved to New Orleans to make a fresh start in life. While Nola is excited to purchase and renovate her first home, she is surprised to find that some ghostly tenants remain. She is forced to reconnect with a mysterious man from her past who can guide her spiritual journey with her home’s stubborn spirits. But will an unsolved mystery derail her efforts to start anew? “The Shop on Royal Street” is the first spinoff from White’s bestselling Tradd Street series and promises plenty of twists and turns. Hardcover, 384 pages, $27.
