Main description:

Forced from her downtown Manhattan apartment by the terrorist attack of September 11, journalist Wendy Bounds was delivered to Guinan's doorstep -- a legendary Irish drinking hole and country store nestled along the banks of the Hudson River in the small town of Garrison, New York -- by a friend.

Captivated by the bar's charismatic but ailing owner and his charming, motley clientele, Bounds uprooted herself permanently and moved to tiny Garrison, the picturesque river town they all call home. There she became one of the rare female regulars at the old pub and was quickly swept up into its rhythm, heartbeat, and grand history -- as related by Jim Guinan himself, the stubborn high priest of this little chapel. Surrounded by a crew of endearing, delightfully colorful characters who were now her neighbors and friends, she slowly finds her own way home.

Beautifully written, deeply personal, and brilliantly insightful, Little Chapel on the River is a love story about a place -- and the people who bring it to life.

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“A seamless, shining tale.”

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“A true romance--with a place.”

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“Bounds captures the warmth of the place and the rootedness it [Guinan’s] symbolizes.”

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“Bounds’ elegiac tale of transformation is a story filled with sweet surprises that never becomes cloying...”

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“Compelling . . . I could not put it down.”

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“Compelling.”

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“Gwendolyn Bounds has perfectly captured the sounds, flavors--indeed, the soul--of a quickly disappearing kind of small town life.”

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“In an age of spiky-heeled chick-lit, this book is a refreshing change.”

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“Reading Wendy Bounds’s very fine book is much like a delightful night spent visiting a pub in Ireland.”

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“Set aside a huge chunk of time to read this book as putting it down would cause heartache.”

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“Stunning. Little Chapel on the River is beautifully written, artfully crafted and lovingly told.”

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“Timely and meaningful…extraordinary…highly recommended.”