Slant of Light
Set during the brink of the Civil War, this beautifully written novel traces James Turner, a charming, impulsive writer and lecturer; Charlotte Turner, his down-to-earth bride; and Adam Cabot, an idealistic Harvard-educated abolitionist as they are drawn together in a social experiment deep in the Missouri Ozarks. Inspired by utopian dreams of building a new society, Turner is given a tract of land to found the community of Daybreak: but not everyone involved in the project is a willing partner, and being the leader of a remote farming community isn't the life Turner envisioned.
Charlotte, confronted with the hardships of rural life, must mature quickly to deal with the challenges of building the community while facing her husband's betrayals and her growing attraction to Cabot. In turn, Cabot struggles to reconcile his need to leave Daybreak and join the fight against slavery with his desire to stay near the woman he loves.
As the war draws ever closer, the utopians try to remain neutral and friendly to all but soon find neutrality is not an option. Ultimately, each member of Daybreak must take a stand--both in their political and personal lives.
About Steve Wiegenstein (Columbia, Missouri Author)
Steve Wiegenstein is the author of The Language of Trees (2017), This Old World (2014), and Slant of Light (2012). All are published by Blank Slate Press, a literary small press in St. Louis. Slant of Light was the runner-up for the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction, and This Old World was a shortlisted finalist for the M.M. Bennetts Award in Historical Fiction.
Steve grew up in the Ozarks, the setting for his novel series, and worked there as a newspaper reporter before entering the field of higher education. He is an avid hiker and canoeist who hits the trails and float streams of the Ozarks every chance he gets.
Steve lives in Columbia, Missouri. He loves to speak at libraries, civic organizations, and other groups as part of the Missouri Humanities Council's "Show-Me Speakers Bureau."
