Literary fiction may not be as popular as it once was, but Ghost Country by Dana Michelle Burnett is a rare treat.

Ghost Country is Dana Michelle Burnett’s first literary novel. The book features a collection of vignettes, each exploring a member of a modern Native American family. It is a technique that other authors have used for such favorites as Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club and Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells.

The novel takes place in Lanesville, Indiana. The first chapter introduces the reader to Rose, a young girl bullied into helping her aunts by her immature mother. Through this story the reader immediately gets the feel of the family dynamic and the roles each person plays.

In each story we are introduced to another member of this compelling family. We meet Ama, the eldest of Rose’s aunts and by far the most interesting as she struggles theatrically to keep the Cherokee heritage alive in the family. Aunt Autumn is a tragic figure, still mourning the death of her young husband in the jungles of Vietnam. And then there is Summer, the most entertaining of all the characters, dressing in black because she mourns the death of John Lennon and holding a wake every year on the anniversary of his death.

The daughters of these women struggle to find the acceptance of their mothers as well as an escape from the events that shaped their lives before they were even born. By the novel’s end, we come to understand the ghost country that lies between mothers and daughters. Ghost Country is a heart-warming, poignant, and thought provoking novel.

Dana Michelle Burnett got her start with her local paper, The Tribune, published out of New Albany Indiana. Her short stories were published in Outsider Ink, Mindprints: A Literary Journal, and Foliate Oak. Her first book, Home Decorating for the Real World, was released November of 2010 and quickly became a Kindle bestseller. Ghost Country was released in December to high demand generated by the author’s website and Facebook campaign.

The author is currently working on her next novel, a paranormal romance, but hasn’t shared any of the details. With the previous success of her books, we can expect the new novel to do well. The world should expect to hear more about Dana Michelle Burnett as an up and coming author.

Want to find out more about author Dana Michelle Burnett, Janice Wade suggests visiting the author’s website for more details about Ghost Country.