HEART OF PALM

HEART OF PALM is the story of the Bravo family, longtime residents Utina, Florida, a small town on the brink of change. With a strong-willed and unforgettable matriarch, Arla, at the helm, the Bravos are as much a part of local culture as crawfish and cypress swamps. Frank, Arla's younger son, runs the family's struggling seafood restaurant, while his brother, Carson, has left the family business to become a successful attorney. When real estate developers offer to buy the family's property, both Carson and their wayward father, Dean, step in to claim their share. Tempers ignite, secrets are unearthed, and, ultimately, the Bravos are changed forever.

Richard Russo loves the novel and has given us this great quote: “Intelligence, heart, wit Laura Smith has all the tools, and HEARTS OF PALM is a very impressive first novel.”

Laura Lee Smith lives in St. Augustine, Florida. Her short fiction was selected by guest editor Amy Hempel for inclusion in New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2010. Her work has appeared in The Florida Review, Natural Bridge, Bayou and other journals. She teaches creative writing at Flagler College and works as an advertising copywriter.

PALMHERZEN
Deutsch von Eva Kemper
[HC: Dumont 08/13; PB: Dumont 10/14]