Joanne Orion Miller: 2 books

Marciella is sure her mother has deserted her; but is it true? This short story set in Manhattan's Spanish Harlem follows the very peculiar assumptions of one little girl--and how her life was shaped by them. Psychologists make much of childhood influences. But what if the memories we hold are misinterpreted? Marciella came to know the truth, and in an instant, her life was changed forever.

Choices are slim for Cayley Wallace in 1889, in the boomtown of San Francisco. When she takes an unexpected opportunity to serve drinks at a bar on Market Street, she causes an uproar in her conservative Irish neighborhood, triggers a brutal outburst by her husband, and takes the first step toward...