Natalie Ross

For small-town librarian Priscilla Park, transforming the historic Willow House into a museum is more than a job-it's a project close to her heart. But when the property's ownership is suddenly challenged and the house faces public auction, Priscilla's world is upended. Still grieving the loss of her aunt, she takes on the daunting task of saving Willow House and her reputation. As she works to solve the mystery, Priscilla unexpectedly uncovers hidden family stories and confronts the Korean traditions and superstitions she grew up with. Along the way, she finds herself letting go of old doubts and fears, gaining a quiet confidence she hadn't known before. With her loyal friends by her side, Priscilla races to unravel a Civil War-era intrigue and save Willow House before its secrets and her town's heritage are lost forever. What she discovers may not only preserve a landmark, and spark interest in the community, but also transform her own life in unexpected ways.

"Visually rich with infographics, deep-dive data and more than 50 narratives about what makes Seattleites tick, this beautifully illustrated book] will delight and educate newcomers and mossbacks alike." --The Seattle Times This visually rich cultural atlas of Seattle explores the mercurial nature of place through the lens of one of the fastest growing cities in America. Through both experiential and data-driven cartography, Seattleness lends itself to longtime residents, newcomers to the city, and those curious about the moody borough that has brought us airplanes, grunge, gourmet coffee, and e-commerce. In the style of Infinite City and Portlandness, this illustrated book examines an expansive range of topics from UFO sightings to pinball legacies, gray skies to frontier psychology, strong women and strong coffee. Compelling infographic visuals emerge from deep dives into data, unraveling over 50 real and strange narratives about the green metropolis perched at the edge of the Salish Sea.

The author is not only a counselor but a mother who has experienced a great loss, the loss of her child. She takes you on a journey with her as she unpacks her grief on paper through poetry; but, she also gives the reader tools to be able to move through their grief process. Here is an excerpt from her book, A Counselor's Poetic Guide Through the Grief Journey: "My words used to hide in my chest like the extremities of a turtle in uncharted territories. Like many of you, writing poetry as a child and adolescent helped me express myself and overcome being shy. In high school, two friends and I collaborated on a poem about family trauma and death loss. The piece brought our classroom to tears and revealed to me the moving power of words. For the next decade, life happenings took precedence over my writing. However, when my son Nathaniel "Peanut" died, I desperately needed to unhook from the anchor of despair. Poetry was my expressive homeland. Now, the prodigal daughter, I found my way back to writing. The healing power of spoken word became clear when I expanded beyond writing poems to performing at open mic events. The mutual support we created, as we shared the underbelly parts of our circumstances, filled me with hope."Here you can be free to unpack whatever it is you need to heal from but may have been unable to. This book is also a tool for other counselors to use with their clients who may be suffering during a difficult loss in their lives.