Novels
Stone in the Crick
Whether she’s performing her chores or working at Mrs. Ansbacher’s quilt shop, Rebecca finds herself resisting the Amish way of life despite her love for her family and her culture. Even her quilting seems at odds with her heritage. Rebecca yearns to be an artist and knows self-expression is vital for true art, but the Amish feel any act that draws attention to the individual can lead to the sin of pride, so artistic expression is viewed with suspicion.
Matters come to a head when Englisher Gregory Pinckney comes to Lancaster County with his horse, Bojangles. Despite their many differences, Rebecca and Gregory grow closer through their mutual love of horses. Rebecca has competition though, when Wanda, the beautiful daughter of local horse-farm owner Ivan Heminger, sets her sights on Gregory. Then Rebecca’s old boyfriend reappears, and her heart is torn in many directions.
When an insurance scam almost kills Bojangles, events are set in motion that will test Rebecca’s faith and her family’s future. Is Gregory’s life in danger? Must the farm be sold? And does Rebecca dare follow her heart,– or is she destined to remain a Stone in the Crick?
“Acclaimed playwright Granville Burgess is simply a great writer, and in his first novel, a tender, romantic book, his prose sings.”
– Steven S. Drachman, author of the award-winning Watt O’Hugh series (Chickadee Prince Books)
Fork in the Crick
This gripping tale of thwarted romance and attempted murder in a peaceful Lancaster community is filled with surprises and threaded through with the abiding love that knits the Amish world together like stitching on a well-worn quilt.
“Burgess weaves a page-turner tale of intrigue and romance. A skillful, colorful, witty novel, full of humor and intelligence, with memorable, well-rounded characters who feel life-like enough to hug. Burgess has treated us to a rare glimpse inside the rich and complex community life of the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish.”
– Elizabeth Oberbeck, author of The Dressmaker (Henry Holt & Co.)
About the Author
Granville Wyche Burgess is an acclaimed playwright who has received awards from the CBS/Foundation for the Dramatist Guild and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His musical, Conrack, based on a memoir by Pat Conroy, had a sold-out run at Ford’s Theatre. His television writing includes the classic, Tales from the Darkside, as well as Capitol, for which he received an Emmy nomination. He lives in Connecticut with his Amish-Mennonite wife, Reba.
The Last At-Bat of Shoeless Joe: A Novel
1951. Greenville, South Carolina.
Jimmy Roberts is the best hitter in this little mill town, and maybe in the whole Textile Baseball League. He’s got major league potential, and then some.
But to get there, he’ll need a miracle.
Or maybe the help of a local liquor store owner … who just happens to go by the name of “Shoeless Joe.”
The Last At-Bat of Shoeless Joe brilliantly bakes wish fulfillment into a period piece. A gripping story that is both illuminating and emotional, it‘ll hook you early and won’t let go. Great for baseball fans, and even true-crime enthusiasts, of all ages.
— Ken Davidoff, baseball columnist for The New York Post
In Granville Wyche Burgess’ new novel, Shoeless Joe Jackson of Black Sox fame comes alive in a most ingenious way. He becomes involved in a struggle between good and evil, and in the end you root for him to become the hero he might have become had dark forces not ended his baseball career. If you love baseball, you’ll love this book. If you love books with satisfying endings, you’ll give Joe (and Granville) a standing ovation.
— Peter Golenboek, New York Times-bestselling author of Dynasty, The Bronx Zoo (with Sparkly Lyle), Number 1 (with Billy Martin} and Idiot (with Johnny Damon)