Gifts for the Dead (Rivers) - Softcover

"Joan Schweighardt is a master of historical fiction... As with Before we Died, Gifts for the Dead maintains a deep sense of reference for the natural world, for non-western forms of knowledge that are being lost, and for the enduring mystery and beauty of love. Though it's a fine sequel, Gifts for the Dead can be read on its own. Schweighardt does a wonderful job of weaving the first book through the narrative subtly, picking up and expanding on some of the themes of the first book:  family ties and the sometimes wrought bond between siblings, the enduring nature of trauma and recovery, and the impact of greed on all that is precious in this world. Gifts for the Dead is a powerful and beautiful book that draws the reader in and doesn't let go." --Magdalena Ball, CompulsiveReader.com
"A journey to South America to solve a family mystery leads to unexpected revelations and personal transformation in this meticulously researched, exquisitely rendered novel. Gifts for the Dead is a tale of life, death and discovery in the early 20th century, but it's also a love story and a sensitive exploration of what human beings will do to move beyond grief."  
--Faye Rapoport DesPres, author of Message from a Blue Jay: Love, Loss and One Writer's Journey Home
 
"Every elegantly crafted scene in Joan Schweighardt's Gifts for the Dead is a gift in itself--lush, perfectly detailed and fitted within a marvelous story of secrets, loss, love and adventure. This is a page turner whose intriguing and sweeping story immerses the reader in the experience of early 20th century America while shrewdly observing a socio-political atmosphere that echoes the one we currently inhabit."
--Rocco Lo Bosco, author of Staying Sane in Crazy Town: A Monologue of Rude Wisdom