Jeanette Minniti
Pamela Howland Wescott
Literary Fiction
Published by: Ragged Island Press
Paperback ISBN: 979-8992544800
Paperback Trim: 5.5" x 8.5" - 340 pages
Burnt Umber
by Pamela Howland Wescott
Burnt Umber is a gripping, emotionally layered novel that follows Doro Banyan, a Boston artist whose life is upended when eleven-year-old Pedee disappears during a trip to Wyoming. What begins as a frantic search through the wilderness becomes a deeper journey of reckoning—with her past, her identity, and the child she was forced to give up for adoption decades earlier. As Doro reconnects with her long-lost son, now a transgender man named Matt, she must navigate the complexities of love, regret, and redemption.
Set against the stark beauty of the Tetons and the vibrant streets of Boston, Burnt Umber explores the healing power of art, the courage it takes to face our truth, and the unexpected ways family can take shape. With unforgettable characters and a voice that’s both tender and unflinching, Pamela Wescott’s debut invites readers into a story of transformation, second chances, and the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole.
"Prepare to fall in love with Doro and Pedee as they embark on an illuminating journey to discover their places in the world."
—JZ, Amazon 5-Star Review
Also by Pamela Howland Wescott
Paperback ISBN: 978-0595371730
Paperback Trim: 6" x 9" - 76 pages
The Love That Shouted for Joy
by Pamela Howland Wescott
In this candid, witty, and deeply heartfelt memoir, Pamela Wescott shares 22 personal vignettes that chronicle the journey of a same-sex couple navigating love, family, and wedding planning—culminating in a backyard ceremony during Massachusetts' historic summer of 2004. These stories illuminate the beauty and complexity of commitment, identity, and the evolving meaning of marriage.
"Funny and touching… a delightful episodic journey through love, identity, and finding your place in the world."
—Donna Fowler, Amazon 5-Star Review
Excerpt
Burnt Umber by Pamela Howland Wescott
Chapter One
I set off when no one would see me scramble up that pine needle-strewn path into the forest. So cushiony it was a challenge to get a grip with each step forward. I felt sick trying to imagine how Pedee could stay safe out here. How long could she survive? Search and Rescue had been at it for two days with a sheriff, and church volunteers who set up a command center.
They told me to stay put, let the experienced searchers handle it. I didn't want to add to the search if I got lost, too. I stayed and made them coffee. But now I questioned whether they were ever going to find her.
"Doro, how could you lose her?" Pedee's mother Maribel was frantic. I felt it was my fault even though so many others had been watching.
Pamela Wescott has written two memoirs about lifelong losses healed by unexpected turns in relationships. They include Serving Life, about her father dying at home, and chosen by Terry Tempest Williams as a Finalist for the Bakeless Creative Nonfiction Award at Bread Loaf.
When same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts, Pam self-published The Love that Shouted for Joy, a collection of vignettes about complications that arose when she and Kathleen decided to marry in 2004.
Pam has created a dahlia farm at her home in Hyde Park, Massachusetts with her wife Kathleen and their 12-year-old corgi Isaac. Some of her experience of the West came from bicycling cross-country to go to graduate school at UC Berkeley after getting her BA at Wellesley College.
