It's not every day you read a novel that you find actually inspiring.  It's definitely not every day that you read an inspirational novel set in a tuberculosis sanatorium.  However, it's not every day novelists like James Markert are born, so at the Editorial Department, we make an effort to appreciate his gifts.

James Markert's The Requiem Rose is his story of Louisville, Kentucky in 1929 as the city was struck by a wave of tuberculosis, the Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium, set on a hill outside the city, is the setting of a great number of deeply troubled patients and Wolfgang Pike, who is assigned to both the physical and spiritual needs of the home's residents.  Not only does The Requiem Rose capture a moment in the history of Louisville, but a story of hope, music and other universal elements of human existence.

Working with The Editorial Department's Peter Gelfan (who described the book as "heartfelt, powerful and cinematic" with the "potential to resonate with people on many different levels"), Markert believed in the story he wanted to tell, and so did we.  That's why we're thrilled to announce that Louisville publisher Butler Books is publishing The Requiem Rose this December.  Look for more information in these virtual pages about Markert and his book next month, but for now, congratulations to James on his achievement. Visit his website for far more about his book and Waverly Hills.  [photo courtesy of Flickr user ConspiracyofHappiness]