In 1947, German war bride Ursula arrives in Minneapolis torn between guilt over leaving loved ones behind and her desire to start a new life. But the American dream proves elusive—she is struck with polio, and then shocked by the sudden death of her GI husband. When she falls for another man, she is faced with a dilemma: how to reconcile her dream of motherhood with an America that is so different from what she imagined.

Christine Gallagher Kearney is a Midwest Review “Great Midwest Writing Contest” finalist, and a semi-finalist for Chestnut Review's “Stubborn Artists Contest.” In 2022, she was accepted to StoryStudio Chicago’s StoryBoard fiction workshop led by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. She has published in Wild Roof Journal, Driftless Magazine, ForbesWoman, Fortune, and Cara Magazine and is a former food columnist for the Irish American News. Christine graduated with her bachelor’s degrees in International Relations and Spanish from Mount Holyoke College, later earning her master’s degree in Organizational and Multicultural Communication through DePaul University. She has a career in the corporate world and writes in her off hours. What We Leave Behind is her debut novel. Christine grew up in Minnesota, but now lives in Chicago with her husband and dachshund. To learn more about her work, visit: www.christinegallagherkearney.com

Julia Tagliere is a writer and editor and the recipient of a 2022 Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist Award. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Writer, Potomac Review, Gargoyle Magazine, Washington Independent Review of Books, SmokeLong Quarterly, WritersResist, Birdcoat Quarterly, various anthologies, and the juried photography and prose collection, Love + Lust. Winner of the 2015 William Faulkner Literary Competition for Best Short Story, the 2017 Writer’s Center Undiscovered Voices Fellowship, and the 2021 Nancy Zafris Short Story Fellowship, Julia resides in Maryland with her family, where she completed her M.A. in Writing at Johns Hopkins University. In 2019, she founded the community literary reading series MoCo Underground, to showcase the work of local writers. She serves as an editor with The Baltimore Review and is currently working on her next novel.

 

About Events at M&Q:

These are guidelines only, and if you have questions about the most up to date information, you can always call us at 612-822-4611.

Q: Do I need to register?

A: Please do if at all possible! Use the registration button above. Registering ahead of time helps us with scheduling, book ordering, and other decisions that are made several weeks prior to the event. The more info we have ahead of time, the better.

With a registered list, we can also easily and directly communicate event updates such as postponements or cancellations.

If you are unable to sign up online, please call or visit the bookstore and register with a bookseller.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but seating decisions are made based on registered attendance and seating priority is given to registered attendees first.

Q: Are in store events free?

A: Yes, Magers & Quinn events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Q: Are masks required?

A: Yes, please wear a face mask at this event while in the event area and signing line. Masks will be available for those who forget. 

Q: How should I get there?

A: Please see our Directions & Parking page for the best tips on getting to Magers & Quinn.

https://www.magersandquinn.com/directions