Sharfeddin

Sweetwater Burning is a suspenseful crime story centering on an act of bigotry against the lone Muslim family in a remote Idaho town. It is at the same time a sensitive novel of family dynamics—of a complex father-son relationship and of the evolving personal attractions and repulsions between the crusty rancher unjustly accused of the hate crime and the nurse who comes to care for his father. And third, it is a novel of the contemporary West whose settings and characters are authentically drawn.

Reviews

“Sharfeddin’s…eye for detail…and her unsentimental compassion for her characters…will entrance readers. Stark terrain beautifully rendered.” — Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2005 (starred)

“Superbly crafted….A story about the miracle of love blossoming in unlikely places. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal, September 1, 2005 (starred)

Windless Summer is honored at the 2010 New York Book Festival.

Sweetwater Burning (hardcover: Blackbelly) is honored at the 2010 San Francisco Book Festival.

“Sharfeddin has captured the family-like entanglements in a small community—by showing us what happens when those relationships begin to come apart.”

– Philadelphia Inquirer

“A good old-fashioned cowboy tale that’s as gritty as they come… A nice piece of emotional storytelling.”

– Chicago Tribune

“An accomplished western… Authentic description of the stark, isolated landscapes, rustic conditions, and the bitter winter form a backdrop to the characters’ turmoil, suggesting a timelessness that is only occasionally broken with touches of modernity…. Impressive.”

– Publishers Weekly