Continuum

As you sit by the pool or under a shade tree this summer, why not pick up a book written by one of our own? These University of Utah grads and profs have written about everything from their personal experience with dating to the history of tequila.

DREAM HOUSE ON GOLAN DRIVE
by David G. Pace MA’94 

At age 11, Riley Hartley finds himself reexamining his relationship to his family, his Mormon faith, and his community. His quirky new friend Lucy claims she is divinely inspired and acts as a guide on his journey of self-discovery. The story flips the Mormon cultural expectations upside down with both heartache and humor (rated 5 stars on Amazon).

THE LATE MATTHEW BROWN
by Paul Ketzle PhD’04, associate professor in the Honors College

In this satire of race, bureaucracy, and the struggle to build meaningful relationships, Matthew Brown is a rising star in the “New South” political machine, the newly discovered father to a smart-aleck 12-year-old daughter, and (in his own opinion) a complete fraud (rated 4.5 stars on Amazon).

HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FALLING IN LOVE WITH NATURE
by Scott D. Sampson, former U professor and curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah

Sampson, host of PBS Kids’ Dinosaur Train, details studies about how nature can relieve stress, depression, and attention deficits, while helping emotional development (rated 4.5 stars on Amazon).

¡TEQUILA! DISTILLING THE SPIRIT OF MEXICO
by Marie Sarita Gaytán, U assistant professor of sociology and gender studies

Tequila is Mexico’s signature drink—the one that represents its culture. In this historical and anthropological analysis of its use in Mexican society, Gaytán features colorful historical characters like Pancho Villa and Jose Cuervo to illustrate the importance of tequila (rated 4.5 stars on Amazon).

SPEAKERS OF THE DEAD: A WALT WHITMAN MYSTERY
by J. Aaron Sanders BA’98 MFA’01

This mystery novel stars a reimagined Walt Whitman during his reporter days, determined to get justice for a woman who was wrongly hanged for the murder of her husband. The book also features 1840s medical scientists, and the dangerous underworld of body snatchers who provide them with their cadavers (rated 4.5 stars on Amazon).

MY UNSENTIMENTAL EDUCATION
by Debra Monroe PhD’90

A memoir about a woman who wants to be a housewife but finds that circumstances and a string of bad dating choices send her down a different path. At times ridiculous, but always self-aware, Monroe’s story is funny and brutally honest (rated 5 stars on Amazon)