cover image Amy Inspired

Amy Inspired

Bethany Pierce, Bethany House, $14.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-7642-0850-8

A young woman grows into herself and her faith in this superbly written second novel from Pierce (Feeling for Bones), a minister's daughter. Amy Gallagher is a newly minted MFA graduate teaching freshman English at her alma mater. Struggling to find a market for her articles and stories, she secretly envies her carefree coffee barista roommate, Zoë, whose prolific prose is published regularly. Recently dumped by her university colleague, Amy resigns herself to takeout, TV, and grading papers to distract her from her dead-end love life and perpetual writer's block. But when Zoë invites her friend Eli for an extended stay in their apartment, Amy comes to know herself—and her faith—on different terms. Pierce crafts a tight, deliciously engrossing novel from start to finish. Readers will be captivated by Amy's relationships, struggles, and choices as much as they will be riveted by the author's seamless portrayal of them. This novel can—and should—be enjoyed not only by Christian readers but anyone in search of a great read. (Oct. 10)