Here with the Winter by J. Penrod Scott
Here with the Winter follows the arrival of Jessie Conrad to a street named Meadow Drive in eastern Ohio. There, readers witness the dedication of a mother to her two young children, Charlotte and Charles, who explore and roam the village with their new friends and neighbors.
Set in the early 1960's, Here with the Winter is a family story about the expansion of a community atop good history. It features a little bit of clock collecting and rifle history, newspaper reporting, a piano, the rooting of a new house, and a new swim lake. It illustrates the kinship of nature and interesting relatives, all under the church bells of the bustling village of West Emmette.
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Henry Marshall Hall
"His desk was strewn with notebook paper, scribbled across fully with thick, dark pencil script....While a scholarship was never within reach at a university, it was his regardless, from his soul, and books, and adventures."
-- the grandfather in Here with the Winter
Jessie Conrad
"Jessie raised her pencil, which was shaking, and smiled at the room with a timid 'Thank you' as the group, including her father, applauded lightly."
-- the mother in Here with the Winter
"The prose is beautiful and easy to follow. The tone is gentle, warm, and highlights the rhythm of everyday life in different seasons. Jessie is a likable protagonist, and her love for her young family is admirable. The author uses Henry as a representation of the historic and modern times of Ohio, then further utilizes the character to give readers a glimpse into the rich history of the state."
book review by Reader Views Kids January 19, 2022
"Tension builds in the background over a gun gifted to Jessie's father by his longtime friend....When the son comes looking for it, believing it rightfully belongs to him, tragedy strikes. But even this conflict does not detract from the...steadfast hopefulness of the town....Immersive and lyrical, the author's story ... brings to life a whole community of people and celebrates their lives and the ordinary pleasures that come with family, friends and neighbors."
book review by The U.S. Review of Books, 2021
"Deftly crafting an original story set in the bustling Midwestern township of West Emmette, Ohio, author J. Penrod Scott has raised her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence with her genuine flair for her distinctive, narrative driven, and attention engaging storytelling skills. A fun and entertaining read from cover to cover, 'Here with the Winter' is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Historical Literary Fiction collections."
book review by Midwest Book Review, April 2025
Available at all online bookstores.
Published by Archway Publishing, a subsidiary of Simon & Schuster, May 2021
Length: 184 pages
Please write to the author at jpenrodscott@gmail.com
