Coyote Summer by Laura Koerber

The summer of magic happened forty years ago when Ben was just seventeen, but he’s never forgotten.

It started with rape and ended with a promise. In between things happened that Ben still didn’t understand. A man turned into a coyote, a girl danced in the air, Ben broke the law, and he fell in love for the first time.

And, when the summer ended, he made a promise that he now needs to keep.

Coyote Summer, a magical realism novel on a coming-of-age theme is about the aftermath of a sexual assault, but from the perspective of a male witness.

“The gist of the story is as listed above. But this doesn’t even touch on the beauty of the prose Koerber has a way with words, that is for sure. The imagery is staggeringly beautiful. The author paints with words. You can see, smell, taste, and hear as the lines leap off the page. … The prose, therefore, adds a beauty that transcends the darkness and reveals the light where it falls: in nature, in making right choices, in the good in the world, in healthy relationships, in standing up for the weak and powerless. ” Janelle Garret, Booknest