- 2026 Finalist for The Eric Hoffer Award
The first collection of award-winning short fiction from the author of Bellflower and Things to See in Arizona; Mary Vensel White's writing reflects "how we can endure and overcome our personal histories, better understand our ancestral ones, and accept the unknown future ahead."
A celebration of human resilience and the ability to always find a road not taken.
In "Driftwood," a woman in a sleepy desert town willingly jumps into the back of a stranger's pickup. In "Griffin," an organized wife struggles to keep her family together and manage her husband's mental illness. And in the title story, "Resonant Blue," an egotistical architect shatters everything around him as he tries to connect with his loved ones and build a better life.
A game show for those seeking love, a family wedding that unveils another secret union, a woman's impulsive trip to Greece to find her first love... In these twelve stories, Mary Vensel White's characters face turning points. Whether backed against a wall, reeling from a loss, or forced to confront a painful truth, they doggedly pursue the glimmer of possibility shining on the horizon.
Praise for the author's novels:
"Unique and powerful. I will think about these characters for a long time. ?Jessica Francis Kane, author of This Close: Stories
"Vensel White seamlessly forms a tapestry of prose with...astute observations of the human dynamic...shines light on the ways we imprison and ultimately release ourselves through the strength of our yearnings." ?Cherie Kephart, author of A Few Minor Adjustments
"Each vignette comes as a surprise, and each is a testament to how, just like in life, everything is woven and fused and pulling toward the other." ?Deborah Reed, author of The Days When Birds Come Back
