PNBA announces its 2009 winners! (Read More!)

Guernica by Boling, Dave An extraordinary epic of love, family and war set in the Basque town of Guernica before, during, and after its destruction by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War. Calling to mind such timeless war-and-love classics as "Corelli's Mandolin" and "The English Patient," Guernica is a transporting novel that thrums with the power of storytelling and is peopled with characters driven by grit and heart. In 1935, Miguel Navarro finds himself in conflict with the Spanish Civil Guard, and flees the Basque fishing village of Lekeitio to make a new start in Guernica, the center of Basque culture and tradition. In the midst of this isolated bastion of democratic values, Miguel finds more than a new life--he finds someone to live for. Miren Ansotegui is a charismatic and graceful dancer who has her pick of the bachelors in Guernica, but focuses only on the charming and mysterious Miguel. The two discover a love that war and tragedy can not destroy. History and fiction merge seamlessly in this beautiful novel about the resilience of family, love, and tradition in the face of hardship. The bombing of Guernica was a devastating experiment in total warfare by the German Luftwaffe in the run-up to World War II. For the Basques, it was an attack on the soul of their ancient nation; for the world, it was an unprecedented crime against humanity. In his first novel, Boling reintroduces the event and paints his own picture of a people so strong, vibrant, and proud that they are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their values, their country, and their loved ones.

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Perry, Michael Coop, Michael Perry's newest memoir, chronicles his first year of marriage, fatherhood and homesteading in his homeland of Northern Wisconsin. Paralleling his own enterprise, Perry brings readers back to his childhood on the farm, raised under an obscure fundamentalist Christian sect and alongside dozens of foster siblings. Close to my half-Midwest heart, Perry's voice is observant, honest and humorous. His endeavors are ambitious and his approach humble - an agrarian memoir with a contemporary voice. I encourage everyone to experience going back to the land with this endearing author. -Rachel

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Mortenson, Greg, Relin, David Oliver The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban's backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools-especially for girls-that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, "Three Cups of Tea" combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.