Broad River Books, an imprint of Muddy Ford Press, the boutique publishing house located in Chapin, SC and the original underwriter for Jasper Magazine, announces the release of their newest novel, Low Country Lamentations by Frank Malmsteen. Lauded by Kirkus Review as “[a] striking, character-driven tale. . ,” Low Country Lamentations may be this year's favorite summer read for anyone who enjoys a tongue-in-cheek take on the likes of Dorothea Benton Frank, Anne Rivers Siddons, or Pat Conroy. As an added bonus, Malmsteen offers an atypical take on the classic book-within-a-book trope by fully integrating excerpts from a second Southern novel, a road novel not-coincidentally entitled Lowcountry Lamentations and ostensibly written by Erica Edwards, within the pages of his larger and more encompassing volume.
The release of Low Country Lamentations will be celebrated with a launch party on the Bourbon Columbia patio, 1214 Main Street, on Thursday May 18th from 5 – 7 with food, music, and a cryptic theatrical element.
A scholar of literary tradition, the reclusive author, Frank Malmsteen, has studied the genre of Southern fiction for decades and created a tome that will not only engage and enthrall, but will keep readers questioning long after consuming the final pages of the book. This will be the only North American appearance by Mr. Malmsteen, whose previous work includes Recondite Oblivion (2022), an enigmatic look at aesthetics that generated vast opportunities for interpretation. Only recently, the ascetic Malmsteen has agreed to come out of his self-imposed seclusion for one night only and we are thrilled that he has selected this specific launch party on Main Street, Columbia, SC as the singular location at which he will meet with the public to sell and sign his newest book, Low Country Lamentations.
