Stateside Stories

A collection of three novels by Gwen Banta, now available in one volume!

Enduv Road: This generational saga will take you on a journey from Endicott, New York during World War II to rural Utah, where three neighboring towns were swallowed by the Jordanelle Reservoir in 1995. The chronicle of the Jackson family is one of unforgettable characters and compelling events - a story as rich in history as its Utah setting.

The Remarkable Journey Of Weed Clapper: Witty seventeen-year-old Weed Clapper journeys to Indiana amid the growing racial unrest of 1960. After his black friend is terrorized by the KKK, Weed begins to uncover the dark secrets of this small Midwestern town. Turning to his beautiful young teacher for support, he tumbles into a most forbidden love affair. Laugh-out-loud funny, yet achingly poignant, Weed's journey to defy convention and defend his sense of justice will cause you to stand up and cheer for this charming, unlikely hero.

The Train Jumper: In 1958, 19-year-old Kat Caswell hops a freight train, leaving rural Indiana behind. While aboard the grand Southern Belle Railway she meets Hilda, who offers her employment at a gentlemen's club in the French Quarter of New Orleans. There, Kat forms a close bond with a charming young immigrant worker named Leni. When immigration comes to take Leni into custody, the railway once again becomes an escape route. A grand adventure full of laughter and pathos, the lives of Gwen Banta's characters are woven together by railroads and the exotic places the rails connect, eventually leading Kat and Leni to their individual destinies.