Another busy week at Turnrow Book Co. will wrap up with book signings with Mississippi author Ellen Gilchrist on Thursday and best-selling writer Rick Bragg on Friday.
Gilchrist, a native of Vicksburg, will appear at Turnrow at 5:30 p.m. Thursday to read from and sign copies of her new novel, “A Dangerous Age.”
In addition to her work as a contributing editor for the Vieux Carre Courier and a regular commentator on National Public Radio, Gilchrist has written more than 20 critically acclaimed books, including novels and collections of short stories and poems.
Her first book was “The Land Surveyor’s Daughter,” a book of poetry that was published in 1979, and she won the National Book Award in 1984 for “Victory Over Japan: A Book of Stories.”
“A Dangerous Age” is her first novel to be published in more than a decade.
The book tells the story of how the Iraq war affects the lives of three female cousins — Winnie Hand Abadie, Louise Hand Healy and Olivia Hand.
“I think Ellen Gilchrist offers women a mirror in her characters. They’re strong yet flawed characters that you can identify with and aspire to be like, and her writing is precise and engaging,” said Kelly Kornegay, Turnrow proprietor.
Bragg, an Alabama native, will present the final book in his trilogy of ancestral biographies, “The Prince of Frogtown,” at noon on Friday at Turnrow.
Bragg, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning national correspondent for the New York Times, currently teaches journalism at the University of Alabama.
He has written five books, including “All Over But the Shoutin’” and “Ava’s Man,” which tell the story of his family history.
The third installment, “The Prince of Frogtown,” is about Bragg’s father, Charles Bragg, as well as his own relationship with his stepson.
“It’ll be the last one, but it stands on its own. You don’t have to read the others to understand it,” Bragg said.
Bragg said writing the book was difficult because he did not have a personal relationship with his father. He spent about five years interviewing various old friends of his father’s to compile the story.
The Kornegays also are excited that Bragg will visit the bookstore.
“Rick is also one of the most engaging speakers we’ve ever heard. Just like reading his words, you listen to him and feel like he could be your best friend,” said Jamie Kornegay.
For more information on the book signings, call Turnrow at 453-5995.
