{"product_id":"a-gathering-place-9798999042286","title":"A Gathering Place","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA luminous story of faith and resilience in post-Katrina New Orleans-where one woman rebuilds hope, one act of grace at a time.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"An entertaining and poignant addition to the post-Katrina canon of New Orleans stories. A Gathering Place takes us inside a loving family, complete with inter-generational drama, joyful and tragic memories, and delicious Lebanese food. The author takes on some complex racial and socio-economic dynamics, wrapping them into a lively and sometimes madcap plot with tenderness, music, and poetry.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eElisa M. Speranza, author of\u003c\/em\u003e The Italian Prisoner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen 81-year-old Blue Hamieh-a devout Lebanese Catholic-hears the Virgin Mary's voice to create a \"gathering place\" in New Orleans, she walks away from everything-her Mississippi home, her family's pleas, and all common sense.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e It's 2009. Katrina's wreckage still scars the Gulf Coast as well as the city of New Orleans. Blue spends her life savings on a collapsing building in one of the Big Easy's most desolate neighborhoods, determined to turn it into a café that will unite three fractured communities. But crime, poverty, and underlying racial tensions close in fast. Thieves lurk in the shadows. Deep-rooted distrust threatens to divide rather than unite. And her own family-convinced she's lost her mind-plots to take her back home by force.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e As her memory begins to slip, Blue is running out of time. To finish what she believes is a divine mission, she'll have to defy everyone who doubts her-and face down a city that may never be ready for her dream.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Vicki Salloum's gripping novel is a powerful story of faith, resilience, and the courage to rebuild when the world says it's too late. This is a story for all whose lives have been touched by natural disasters and devastating personal loss-and for all women who face ridicule in their quest to do what they believe is right.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Vicki Salloum's \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e is a sophisticated multicultural family saga following the life of Blue-an elderly lady full of tenacity and passion as she follows a voice she heard from the Mother of God to rebuild a community. Using the remnants of memories after Hurricane Katrina to construct a future of love and a sense of place where all are welcomed, Blue is on a journey of faith and conviction. Filled with spirituality and holy dreams, Salloum writes to provide hope for all in overcoming obstacles and struggles of every size, giving a soul to these pages. All it takes is just one person. Blue.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003eShome Dasgupta\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eCajun South Brown Folk\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Vicki Salloum celebrates her heritage and her beloved city of New Orleans in this engaging story of Aunt Blue, a woman driven by faith and a mission: to revive a lost corner of post-Katrina New Orleans. With skillful prose, vivid characters, affectionate humor, and a page-turning pace, \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e shines a light on the cultural gumbo that is New Orleans.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e -\u003cstrong\u003eCarolyn Perry\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eFor Better, For Worse: Patient in the Maelstrom\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Mississippi native and resident of New Orleans, Vicki Salloum has magically woven her Lebanese Catholic family's colorful roots and traditions into a wonderful piece of literary fiction in her novel, \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e. Filled with hope and redemption, \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e will capture your heart.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e -\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Cushman\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eJohn and Mary Margaret\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTangles and Plaques\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cem\u003eA Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-6999786\"\u003eVicki Salloum\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Silent Clamor Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/18\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 232\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.51lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.53d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798999042286\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC045030\"\u003eFamily Life | Multigenerational\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC044000\"\u003eWomen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC074000\"\u003eSouthern\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis title is not returnable\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Silent Clamor Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45115468873867,"sku":"9798999042286","price":23.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5100\/7115\/files\/img_2e5ed709-7ab7-43cd-b1c5-16905b660744.jpg?v=1768925700","url":"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/products\/a-gathering-place-9798999042286","provider":"CA Corrections Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}