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.

The Empress of Cooke County: A Novel by Elizabeth Bass Parman ’83

September 20, 2024

Tags Alumni Book

As one reviewer notes, “Put on a pot of coffee, cut yourself a wedge of chess pie and dive in.”

Set in a gossipy small town during the turbulent 1960s — and full of Southern charm and unforgettable characters — this hilarious book by a first-time novelist tells the story of 38-year-old Posey Jarvis, who knows she’s the rightful “empress” of rural Spark in Cooke County, Tennessee ... if only everyone else would just realize it too.

Come along for a ride that includes an inherited mansion with possums nesting in the parlor, a defiant daughter looking to escape her impending wedding, and a creepy Peeping Tom who’s been terrorizing the town. According to the publisher, “The Empress of Cooke County is a novel about found family, what it means to be loved, and how being true to yourself can have life-altering consequences.”