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Saints and Skeletons

In the Spotlight by Berry’s Books Solely Highlights the Work of Indies United Publishing House Authors. Objective Book Reviews Can Be Found Here.

Is your goal to read more books by women this summer? Perfect! You’re just in time to crack open the beautiful cover of Ana Manwaring’s Saints and Skeletons. A longtime thriller writer, Manwaring’s latest work is a memoir, but but it’s no less thrilling than her previous work. No two people live the same life, but it’s safe to say that most people have never lived a life like Manwaring’s.

Book Synopsis:

This action-packed memoir/travelogue formed the real-life backdrop to what later became the successful JadeAnne Stone thriller series. Starting in the summer of 1991, Saints and Skeletons takes you through the back roads of Mexico, Belize, and the Peten region of northern Guatemala, where author, teacher and former journalist Manwaring camped out in ruins, sampled exotic foods, smoked loco weed atop pyramids, drank mescal out of the still, skinny dipped in Zipolite, found lost cities, and learned to make a killer margarita. In the process, she also experienced love, betrayal and loneliness. As doors opened and walls crumbled in her heart, skeletons tumbled out and, occasionally, saints appeared just when Manwaring needed them most.

Sounds like a fun read doesn’t it? Below, you can see what other readers have to say about Saints and Skeletons.

The Reviews Are In!

There are so many things I loved about this engrossing memoir. If I knew nothing of the author beforehand, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she’s a lifelong poet and an award-winning crime novelist. Too often, you find a book with beautiful language that plods forward slowly and deliberately, or a crime novel with lots of pace and adventure but lacking in soul. This book has it all – beautiful execution along with interesting peril that the author faced on this adventure of a lifetime. Love story, travelogue, and survival story, this book is an exciting chronicle of a gutsy woman’s search and personal transformation across unfamiliar lands. But the best part is the fictional JadeAnne Stone series that evolved from this experience. Highly recommended for readers seeking meaningful adventure.

Lisa Towles, Author

Saints and Skeletons by Ann Manwaring offers a poignant and introspective narrative that delves into a life shaped by personal triumphs, struggles, and the unwavering quest for self-discovery. With eloquent prose and candid storytelling, Manwaring invites readers to immerse themselves in the depths of her experiences, bearing witness to the transformative power of vulnerability and resilience.

The memoir takes readers on a non-linear journey through various stages of Manwaring’s life. Each chapter serves as an intimate exploration of her emotions, relationships, and internal conflicts that have shaped her identity. Manwaring’s writing is characterized by its honesty, rawness, and introspection, displaying her commendable ability to reflect on her experiences with clarity and emotional depth. Whether recounting moments of joy, heartache, or personal growth, her words evoke profound empathy and establish a strong connection with readers. It is this vulnerability that enables readers to forge a deep bond with the author, as they relate to the universal themes of love, loss, and self-acceptance.

Literary Reviewer

Don’t wait to add this well-received memoir to your TBR! If you want to read more books by women, you may enjoy these other other titles:

• Our Better Selves
• The Nasties of Nastgant Swamp
• It’ll Feel Better When It Quits Hurting

It’s always exciting to add a new book to your shelf, and don’t forget that your purchase is helping fuel an indie writer!

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