The Plain Sense of Things (Flyover Fiction) - Softcover

Pamela Carter Joern’s debut novel, The Floor of the Sky (available in a Bison Books edition), was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and winner of the Alex Award and the Nebraska Book Award. Joern is a playwright, the winner of a Tamarack Award, and the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board writing fellowship. Visit her Web site at pamelacarterjoern.com.

“Set against the backdrop of the Nebraska prairie, Joern’s powerful second offering follows three generations as they navigate the greater part of the 20th century. . . . Evocative prose elevates Joern’s excellent portrayal of the family’s evolution and brings a warmth and richness to a stark landscape.”—Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly 2008-06-09)

"The clarity and honesty of Joern's prose impart a quiet intensity to this novel about three generations of a family enduring a hardscrabble existence in western Nebraska. Shaped by place and by each other, strong, flawed characters struggle through love and pain to create rich and dignified lives well worthy of our attention."—Tripp Ryder, Carleton College Bookstore, Shelf Awareness (Tripp Ryder Carleton College Bookstore)

"Joern has a gift for illuminating a character's inner life without speaking over much of it. She adeptly mixes past and present tense, effectively linking past and present, story and memory. . . . Kudos to the University of Nebraska Press' Flyover Fiction series for bringing Joern's work to light. May there be more forthcoming."—Pamela Miller, Minneapolis Star Tribune (Pamela Miller Minneapolis Star Tribune 2008-11-30)

"Immerse yourself in her novels and discover the truths she writes about."—Glenda Martin, Minnesota Women’s Press (Glenda Martin Minnesota Women’s Press 2009-01-22)

"As with Joern’s previous novel, The Floor of the Sky, Joern’s writing is evocative and riveting, revealing her deep respect for those who live, and even thrive, on the plains."—Helene Williams, Historical Novels Review (Helene Williams Historical Novels Review 2009-02-01)

"With clean, polished and illuminating prose, Joern takes us through the highs and lows, marriage, divorce, children, disappointments, triumphs and sibling rivalries of several generations of one Nebraska clan. . . . It's a saga to be read again and again by an author who's already made a name for herself."—Barbara Rixstine, Lincoln Journal Star (Barbara Rixstine Lincoln Journal Star 2009-07-04)