Henry and the Night Sky

A woman in a remote cabin on the Indiana frontier dreams of escaping her abusive husband. A "miracle" occurs at a school Christmas pageant during the Great Depression. A young newspaper photographer in the 1970s is haunted by horrifying images. A meek bank clerk finds new independence and enthusiasm for life as he begins studying planets and other objects in the night sky. This eclectic anthology of short fiction by Joseph F. Persinger runs the gamut from warm and poignant stories to tales of violent crime and punishment. Written over the course of the author's decades-long career as an award-winning journalist, most are deeply rooted in his lifelong fascination with the people, language, and folklore of rural small town America. These nine stories are published here for the first time.