Award-Winning Books

In 1976, Ronald Reagan hit the campaign trail with an extraordinary account of a woman committing massive welfare fraud. The story caught fire and a devastating symbol of the misuse government programs was born: the Welfare Queen. Overthrowing the Queen examines these legends of fraud and abuse while bringing to light personal stories of hardship and hope told by cashiers, bus drivers, and business owners; politicians and aid providers; and, most important, aid recipients themselves. Together these stories reveal how the seemingly innocent act of storytelling can create not only powerful stereotypes that shape public policy, but also redemptive counter-narratives that offer hope of a more accurate, fair, and empathetic view of poverty in America today. Overthrowing the Queen tackles perceptions of welfare recipients while proposing new approaches to the study of oral narrative that extend far beyond the study of welfare, poverty, and social justice.

Warm, crumbly cornbread. Chicken sizzling in the pan. Childhood memories filled with delicious, home-cooked dishes and your family there to enjoy it with you. Cast iron's popularity faded in the '70s—replaced by chemically processed cookware—but today's cooks are reigniting a passion for wholesome cast-iron-cooked meals. This ain't your grandma's kitchen—caring for and cooking with cast iron is easy, healthy, and totally Pinterest worthy.

In Modern Cast Iron, self-proclaimed cast-iron connoisseur Ashley L. Jones recaptures the ease and joy of cooking with cast-iron cookware. Jones introduces readers to the best brands and types of cast-iron cookware to fulfill any cook's needs. She offers detailed tips and tricks for rescuing old, rusted pans and keeping them properly seasoned, and she shares recommendations for the best cooking oil for every recipe. With Jones's help, both experienced and beginner cooks will be able to rival grandma's cooking. Chock-full of stories from Jones's own childhood growing up with cast-iron meals, as well as recipe after tantalizing recipe—from breakfast quiche to gluten-free meals and beautiful blueberry cobbler—Modern Cast Iron explores the countless ways that cast iron benefits health and happiness.

A comprehensive guide to all things cast iron and home-style cookin', Modern Cast Iron offers a new way for cooks to spice up the kitchen using all-natural tools and ingredients.

Hoosiers have always loved basketball!

Long before Larry Bird carried Indiana State University to the 1979 NCAA National Championship or Bobby Knight walked the sidelines at Indiana University, basketball fostered community identity across the Hoosier state. From Indiana's tiniest towns to its biggest cities, high school basketball is a source of pride, unifying communities with different races, religions, and social and economic status.

First drawn simply to documenting the architecture of Indiana's high school buildings and basketball courts, Chris Smith and Michael Keating quickly discovered that the real story was about more than just brick and mortar, maple and shellac. Told repeatedly by locals how important these places were to their communities, they began to embrace the "game on Saturday, church on Sunday" mantra that is found in many towns through Indiana, watching countless hours of basketball and becoming a part of the Hoosier tradition themselves.

With over 150 color photographs and unforgettable stories from high school basketball and beyond, Chasing Indiana's Game: The Hoosier Hardwood Project is a tribute to the Hoosier state and all who love basketball.

A modern retelling of 20 sensational true crimes, No Place Like Murder reveals the inside details behind nefarious acts that shocked the Midwest between 1869 and 1950. The stories chronicle the misdeeds, examining the perpetrators' mindsets, motives, lives, apprehensions, and trials, as well as what became of them long after.
True crime author Janis Thornton profiles notorious murderers such as Frankie Miller, who was fed up when her fiancé stood her up for another woman. As fans of the song "Frankie and Johnny" already know, Frankie met her former lover at the door with a shotgun.
Thornton's tales reveal the darker side of life in the Midwest, including the account of Isabelle Messmer, a plucky young woman who dreamed of escaping her quiet farm-town life. After she nearly took down two tough Pittsburgh policemen in 1933, she was dubbed "Gun Girl" and went on to make headlines from coast to coast. In 1942, however, after a murder conviction in Texas, she vowed to do her time and go straight. Full of intrigue and revelations, No Place Like Murder also features such folks as Chirka and Rasico, the first two Hoosier men to die in the electric chair after they brutally murdered their wives in 1913. The two didn't meet until their fateful last night.
An enthralling and chilling collection, No Place Like Murder is sure to thrill true crime lovers.

Whether served in a batch of cookies or in a soup bowl, the persimmon is a favorite fruit of Midwesterners. Called the "divine fruit" or the "fruit of the gods," persimmons range from the American common persimmon, perfect for every kind of dessert, to Fuyu persimmons, a variety from China that has since won many hearts.

In The Perfect Persimmon, award-winning journalist Michelle Medlock Adams serves up persimmon expertise, from knowing when the fruit is at its ripest to sharing the best preparation techniques. Adams hails from the birthplace of the Mitchell Persimmon Festival in Lawrence County, Indiana, where the Midwest's best-kept secret, persimmon pudding, has people flocking toward what some consider the persimmon capital of the world.

Armed with a love of persimmons that has been nurtured from a young age, Adams has collected the best persimmon recipes, guaranteed to satisfy any hankering for the savory or the sweet. Accompanying these recipes are personal anecdotes detailing childhood memories and folktales about greedy possums, wise turtles, and the persimmon seed's ability to predict winter forecasts, providing a colorful context for this favored fruit.