These are among the new titles released by local writers, listed in alphabetical order by author names:
“My Name Is Emilia del Valle” by Isabel Allende
Ballantine Books, 304 pages, $30, May 6, 2025
Isabel Allende, the longtime Marin County resident and internally bestselling author of “A Long Petal of the Sea” and “The House of the Spirits” (among numerous titles) returns with another strong female protagonist and South American setting in “My Name Is Emilia del Valle.” Once described as the world’s most widely read Spanish language writer, Allende’s new historical novel details the journey of a free-thinking young writer who defies convention, risks scandal and journeys from San Francisco to war-torn Chile in the 1880s. Publishers Weekly called it “riveting” and said, “The author’s legions of fans will love this” and the Associated Press said, “All of Allende’s books, ‘My Name Is Emilia del Valle’ included, have the epic feel of a major Hollywood film.”
“Shaken Free” by Ilana DeBare
Hypatia Press, 412 pages, $16.99, June 2, 2025
Oakland resident Ilana DeBare, a former San Francisco Chronicle reporter (and writer of brochures, grant proposals and several unpublished novels!) follows 2023’s “Shaken Loose” with “Shaken Free.” In the spiritual-horror-science-fiction “Shaken Loose,” Annie, a San Francisco underachiever who inexplicably winds up in Hell, encounters non-Christians across time and culture, from a fourth century Hun to a Chinese revolutionary to a 1950s housewife from the American South during efforts to escape. In the sequel “Shaken Free,” after Annie returns home, she embarks on yet another journey to Hell, with old and new friends, seeking the answer to the age-old question: How can God be in charge of a world filled with so much pain and injustice? Michael David Lukas, author of The Last Watchman of Old Cairo, said of “Shaken Free”: “Magical, satirical, and full of insight about what makes us human.”
“Flight of the Fallen” by Hana Lee
S&S/Saga Press, 464 pages, $19.99, June 10, 2025
Hana Lee, a Mountain View resident, biracial Korean American fantasy author (and software engineer by day) releases “Flight of the Fallen,” the second in her Magebike Courier series after “Road to Ruin.” The major characters in the gritty fantasy return: Courtier Jin-Lu, Princess Yi-Nereen and Prince Kadrin, who previously survived a near-apocalypse, are compelled to join forces again to save their people and refugees as tensions leading to a civil war mount. The continuing saga offers more political intrigue, monsters and a thrilling “high-speed motorcycle adventure to find a refuge for humanity beyond the wasteland.” Booklist said the “action-packed ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’-inspired fantasy is a breathless, polyamorous adventure that will delight fans of well-built, fast-paced, queer sf/fantasy.”
Wildfire Days: A Woman, a Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West by Kelly Ramsey
Scribner, 352 pages, $29.99, June 17, 2025
Kelly Ramsey, a Redding resident, former U.S. Forest Service worker and student of poetry and fiction writing in undergraduate and graduate school, tells compelling, thrilling stories from her eventful stint as a Northern California firefighter in “Wildfire Days: A Woman, a Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West.” As the only woman in the specially trained, elite crew, and among its oldest members, she faced not just the physical challenges of doing such dangerous work during an exceptionally intense fire season, but also the psychological and social pressures of trying to fit in as “one of the guys.” She weaves in detail about growing up as the daughter of an alcoholic and descriptions of unsuccessful romantic relationships that shed light on how she handles the firefighting, giving the memoir universal appeal as a story of vulnerable person on a journey of self-discovery. Readers have called the book a page turner; Sebastian Junger, bestselling author of “The Perfect Storm” and other nonfiction adventures, said, “Kelly Ramsey is that combination of a badass and a great writer that we all strive for.”
“Forged: A Novel” by Danielle Teller
Pegasus Books, 368 pages, $27.95, May 6, 2025
Danielle Teller, a Palo Alto resident who grew up in Canada and became a medical doctor, is enjoying a successful second career as a novelist. Her debut “All the Ever Afters,” a twist on the Cinderella story, was well-received. Her new book “Forged,” set in the Gilded Age, is about an impoverished rural woman who flees to the city and becomes a crafty con artist as she chases the American Dream. Sanjena Sathian, author of “Goddess Complex,” says, “Teller spins a thrilling and immersive historical adventure—a tale of power, reinvention and delectable Tom Ripley-esque villainy. She plunges the reader into a vividly rendered past rife with suspense and schemes; twists and turns. This is a timeless American story of wealth, power and the quest to craft an identity.”
“Last Nerve: A Memoir of Illness and the Endurance of Family” by Mindy Uhrlaub
River Grove Books, 204 pages, $17.95, May 19, 2025
Minday Urhlaub, a Bay Area writer and activist who wrote “Unnatural Resources”— a novel about the brutal journey of young Congolese girl who searches for her missing mother and brother after surviving a vicious attack and losing her father to murder — has a new, non-fiction title. In “Last Nerve: A Memoir of Illness and the Endurance of Family,” she shares vivid details of her challenges with ALS. As she watches her mother die of the fatal neurodegenerative disease, she learns that she also carries the gene for it. At the same time, she’s caring for her husband, who’s being treated for stage-four lymphoma, and for her son, who has behavioral and emotional difficulties. While its topics seem to make for a heavy, tough read, the book instead offers an uplifting look at the power of family connections and of the human spirit. Kirkus Reviews said, “This memoir has a great deal of insight and depth, and readers will be moved. A complex and thoughtful remembrance about how family members can help one another through the worst of times.”
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