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Upon the Corner of the Moon: A Tale of the Macbeths
310 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2025
4 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Nieman
20 books96 followersUpon the Corner of the Moon: A Tale of the Macbeths, is the first of two novels about the rise of Scotland in the 11th century and the historical Macbeths who shaped it. Deeply researched, it has a speculative element in the creation of an ancient goddess religion. “Steeped in the myth, mystery, politics, and culture of Celtic Scotland, Upon the Corner of the Moon presents the world of the young Lady Macbeth and Macbeth with authenticity, a deft hand, and a poet’s voice,” says Susan Fraser King, author of Lady Macbeth: A Novel.
Dead Hand, the sequel to To the Bones, a genre-bending folk horror/mystery set in coal country that was shortlisted for both the Manly Wade Wellman Award and the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. Available in print and e-book on Amazon.
"...a hard-fought battle, from West Virginia to Ireland, for a future free from legacies of pain and plunder. Nieman crafts a richly atmospheric folk horror tale with a thumping heart of environmental justice; like Manly Wade Wellman for a new generation.”—Meagan Lucas, author of Songbirds and Stray Dogs and Here in the Dark
In the Lonely Backwater received the 2022 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for the best book of fiction by a North Carolina writer. Past recipients include Jason Mott, Lee Smith, Allen Gurganus, Charles Frazier et al. The book also was named winner in the Mystery/Suspense category of the American Writing Awards and was a finalist at Foreword Reviews.
The novel is "a page-turning psychological thriller" and "an intricate and intriguing work of art." With a style both Southern Gothic and realist, and its deep immersion in nature, the novel appeals to lovers of suspense and YA reader alike. "Nieman achieves a suspenseful narrative full of compassion, haunting, and desire, and instruction about the power of storytelling" wrote another reviewer.
My most recent poetry book, "Leopard Lady: A Life in Verse," is set in a mid-century carnival sideshow and features poems that have appeared in The Missouri Review, Chautauqua, and other journals. More than 15 years of writing -- and a week of study at Coney Island Museum -- went into telling the story of Dinah and The Professor.
My first novel, Neena Gathering, a post-apocalyptic tale set in West Virginia, was reissued as a classic in the genre, and is also available on Audible.
I've been a doughnut-maker, farmer, reporter, sailor, professor, and always, a walker and observer. All my experiences find their way into my work, from memories of high school drama to a visit to the working face of a coal mine to the insights gleaned from working the police beat at a small-town newspaper.
I have held grants from the NEA, North Carolina and West Virginia arts councils. I earned degrees from West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte.
Follow me on Facebook @valerienieman1, and on Instagram and Twitter @valnieman. My Youtube channel has reading videos and more.
Dead Hand, the sequel to To the Bones, a genre-bending folk horror/mystery set in coal country that was shortlisted for both the Manly Wade Wellman Award and the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. Available in print and e-book on Amazon.
"...a hard-fought battle, from West Virginia to Ireland, for a future free from legacies of pain and plunder. Nieman crafts a richly atmospheric folk horror tale with a thumping heart of environmental justice; like Manly Wade Wellman for a new generation.”—Meagan Lucas, author of Songbirds and Stray Dogs and Here in the Dark
In the Lonely Backwater received the 2022 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for the best book of fiction by a North Carolina writer. Past recipients include Jason Mott, Lee Smith, Allen Gurganus, Charles Frazier et al. The book also was named winner in the Mystery/Suspense category of the American Writing Awards and was a finalist at Foreword Reviews.
The novel is "a page-turning psychological thriller" and "an intricate and intriguing work of art." With a style both Southern Gothic and realist, and its deep immersion in nature, the novel appeals to lovers of suspense and YA reader alike. "Nieman achieves a suspenseful narrative full of compassion, haunting, and desire, and instruction about the power of storytelling" wrote another reviewer.
My most recent poetry book, "Leopard Lady: A Life in Verse," is set in a mid-century carnival sideshow and features poems that have appeared in The Missouri Review, Chautauqua, and other journals. More than 15 years of writing -- and a week of study at Coney Island Museum -- went into telling the story of Dinah and The Professor.
My first novel, Neena Gathering, a post-apocalyptic tale set in West Virginia, was reissued as a classic in the genre, and is also available on Audible.
I've been a doughnut-maker, farmer, reporter, sailor, professor, and always, a walker and observer. All my experiences find their way into my work, from memories of high school drama to a visit to the working face of a coal mine to the insights gleaned from working the police beat at a small-town newspaper.
I have held grants from the NEA, North Carolina and West Virginia arts councils. I earned degrees from West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte.
Follow me on Facebook @valerienieman1, and on Instagram and Twitter @valnieman. My Youtube channel has reading videos and more.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 25, 2024
Upon the Corner of the Moon: A Tale of the MacbethsThe latest offering from Valerie Nieman, Upon The Corner Of The Moon, is an epic tale taking from both history and legend. It follows Macbeth, the character from Shakespeare’s play, and Gruach (Lady Macbeth), from childhood to young adulthood in early eleventh century Scotland.
Foster families raise both children after they are sent away at very young ages for safe keeping. As the story develops, the cast expands to include recurring figures from Shakespeare, like Malcom, Duncan, and historical figures such as Gruach’s first husband Gillecomgan and Macbeth’s father Findlaich, King of the North. Nieman brings the childhood bonds and educations they experienced with their foster families and the hardships of life in those times to life and light.
Nieman has woven a masterful story with the attention to detail of a historian and the lyrical skill of a seasoned poet. Nieman has tucked beautifully lyrical passages into the story’s framework and presents her readers with a grand tale of history and emotion among the backdrop of kingdoms at war, daily life in those times, and the effect it has on all.
I highly recommend this book
Rose Culbreth
Foster families raise both children after they are sent away at very young ages for safe keeping. As the story develops, the cast expands to include recurring figures from Shakespeare, like Malcom, Duncan, and historical figures such as Gruach’s first husband Gillecomgan and Macbeth’s father Findlaich, King of the North. Nieman brings the childhood bonds and educations they experienced with their foster families and the hardships of life in those times to life and light.
Nieman has woven a masterful story with the attention to detail of a historian and the lyrical skill of a seasoned poet. Nieman has tucked beautifully lyrical passages into the story’s framework and presents her readers with a grand tale of history and emotion among the backdrop of kingdoms at war, daily life in those times, and the effect it has on all.
I highly recommend this book
Rose Culbreth
Displaying 1 of 1 review