Bookshelf

Alumni and faculty members who would like to have their books considered for this listing should contact Stacey Himmelberger, editor of Hamilton magazine. This list, which dates back to 2018, is updated periodically with books appearing alphabetically on the date of entry.

Now You Say Yes by Bill Harley ’76

March 1, 2022

Tags Alumni Book

(Atlanta: Peachtree Publishing, 2021)
In this middle-grade novel, orphans Mari, 15, and her stepbrother Conor, 9, set out on a cross-country journey to find their grandmother, hoping she will take them in. Along the way, they encounter many strangers, some helpful, some predatory and threatening. As one reviewer notes, “But more important than the engaging physical journey is Mari’s deeper journey of ingenuity and courage and empathy. An adopted child with a history of abusive foster homes, suddenly orphaned, she discovers her own strength and strategic power. Expertly accommodating her brother's beautifully portrayed character — his intellectual brilliance, his inflexible obsessions — she works through her own frustration and anger and grief to discover the complex power of love.”

Harley is a two-time Grammy award-winning artist. Recipient of the lifetime achievement award from RI Council for the Humanities “for building community; promoting our common humanity; and encouraging lifelong learning, exploring and growing,” he tours nationwide as an author, performing artist, and keynote speaker.