The Herrick District Library is extremely excited to welcome beloved local author Wade Rouse for a special author event. Come and hear Mr. Rouse discuss his writing at the Herrick District Library's Main Branch on May 13 at 6:30pm, followed by a short Q&A and book signing (books will be available for purchase at the event).
Under the pen name Viola Shipman (chosen in honor of his grandmother), Mr. Rouse has written over a dozen novels, many of which take place in Michigan. Focusing on intergenerational friendships, family, and shared experiences across time, Mr. Rouse has won dozens of fans with his heartfelt style and relatable characters.
In addition to his fiction, Mr. Rouse has written several memoirs under his own name. Funny, poignant, and occasionally absurd, Mr. Rouse's memoirs explore moving to a small town to get away from it all, growing up gay in middle America, reconnecting with his father over a shared love of baseball, and more.
Get started with one of the titles below or check out the full list of Mr. Rouse's books.
I want to read Viola Shipman's newest book.
Check out The Page Turner, which just released on April 8 (let's be honest, you'll probably need to place a hold). This family drama has it all—buried secrets, romance novelists, lakeside cottages, an insider look at the publishing industry, and more.
I want to read the one that started it all.
The Charm Bracelet is not Mr. Rouse's first book (that would be America's Boy), but it is his first fiction title and the first he published under the Viola Shipman name. Readers who like heartfelt family stories will love this exploration of the ties that bind the three main characters.
I want to read something funny and local.
Then you'll love At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream, a memoir about the trials and tribulations of moving to Saugatuck, MI—yes, that Saugatuck.
I want to read a book about childhood friends reconnecting in middle age.
In The Clover Girls, four childhood friends reconnect at the summer camp where they made such great memories in the 80s. It's been many years since and they've drifted apart; will they be able to rekindle old relationships or has too much changed?
I want to read an intergenerational story.
Viola Shipman has lots! Try Famous in A Small Town, where an octogenarian shopkeeper and an adrift forty-something team up for the summer to keep the former's general store afloat.
I want to read a heartfelt memoir.
Wade Rouse's most recent memoir, Magic Season, sees the author returning to his childhood home in the Ozarks to spend time with his dying father. Father and son opening up to each other, bonding over their shared love of baseball and finding connection and reconciliation along the way.
I want to read something wintry.
Some of Viola Shipman's books are explicitly Christmas-themed, but The Secret of Snow is set in the winter season without being holiday-focused. Pick it up as a seasonal read or any time of year when you're yearning for the snow.
