Twin Rivers tales: 7 local authors that capture the spirit of New Bern
With the number and diversity of New Bern-based authors growing year by year, there's never been a better time to seek out books that offer a decidedly local perspective on literary genres.
A glance at the “local authors” section at one of the city’s bookstores reveals just how wide ranging that work is, with a selection including everything from romance and historical fiction novels to personal memoirs and expertly researched tales of New Bern’s fascinating, and sometimes bloody, past.
As Michelle Garren Flye, local author and owner of The Next Chapter Books and Art in downtown New Bern commented, “People don’t really appreciate the amount of talent we have in this town and in the surrounding areas. There’s so much talent out there. We have award winners, national award winners, best selling authors…There’s so many stories."
Here are seven books by New Bern authors well worth enjoying, some well known and others that may have flown under the radar. While not all the authors are native to the area, they each bring a unique perspective to what it means to live, love and struggle against the backdrop of the Twin Rivers.
In addition to The Next Chapter Books and Art, a number of these books can be found at the New Bern Books-a-Million store and Amazon.com.
Knock on Wood - Leslie Tall Manning
Fiction
Award-winning New Bern novelist Leslie Tall Manning spins an engrossing tale of Billy Baker, a man whose life was changed forever by a near death drowning experience when he was a child. Sixteen years later, in 1994, Baker struggles with simple tasks such as setting tables and believes he is still living in the days of disco and bell bottoms. A story of unrequited love, jealousy, and hidden memories, “Knock on Wood” recalls classic tales such as “Forrest Gump” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.”
New Bern History 101 - Edward Barnes Ellis, Jr
History
Want to know why New Bern bears stick out their tongues, how Pepsi’s inventor lost his company or what became of the local Native American population? Now in its second edition, the award-winning New Bern History 101 was first released in 2009, just before the 300th anniversary of New Bern’s founding. Eddie Ellis, a journalist and life-long student of the area’s history, offers a compelling portrait of the city of his birth, full of little known facts, fascinating character portraits and enduring mysteries.
The Bridges at Union Point - Les Pendleton
Fiction
A resident of historic downtown New Bern, Les Pendleton often features real locations in coastal North Carolina in his books, which span an array of genres from action adventure, romance, historical fiction, suspense-filled mysteries and autobiographies. In his 2020 fiction novel, “The Bridges at Union Point,” New Bern native Jim Harrision, a decorated Coast Guard rescue swimmer, acts selflessly to save his wife’s boss when his car careens off the Trent River Bridge. The action costs him dearly, forever altering his life and rocking the foundations of the small town he calls home.
New Bern: Tales from the Inner Banks - Bill Hand
History
Raised in Pennsylvania, Bill Hand has lived in the New Bern area since 1995 and has spent his years there digging into the town's past. In this collection of informative and often lighthearted articles, Hand brings to life stories and historical characters from throughout New Bern's history, stretching back to its founding by Swiss colonist Baron De Graffenreid in 1710 and forward through the twentieth century. Discover the story behind North Carolina's most famous governor, William Tryon, the tale of the person who built the first car in North Carolina, and the story of Camp Battle, a World War II prisoner of war camp.
A Man, a Mule and a Gun - Ben Watford
Fiction
Better known as a local potter and historian, Watford is also the author of numerous books. Published in 2011, “A Man, a Mule and a Gun” tells the story of Jumo Gumasaka, a young man who is captured and brought to the Americas in a slave ship. After serving in the First Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers during the Civil War, Gumasaka travels west with his unlikely companion, a mule called Nellie. Discovering his natural and deadly ability with a Colt revolver, the former slave spends time with the Plains Indians, where he becomes a renowned warrior in their quest for justice.
The Way to Redemption - Matt Bircher
Fiction
Matt Borcher, a Craven Community College graduate, already has three self-published novels under his belt. His latest, “The Way to Redemption,” follows the daily life of a high school basketball coach who has enjoyed years of success coaching at his alma mater but is struggling to find his footing while navigating an uncertain future. The coach’s success, it turns out, has come at a price - the neglect of his wife and children. The book examines the complexities of human emotions while analyzing the professional-personal life balance of an ambitious, driven professional.
New Bern and the Civil War - James Edward White III
History
On March 14, 1862, Federal forces under the command of General Ambrose Burnside overwhelmed Confederate forces in the Battle of New Bern, capturing the town and its seaport. Whites’ detailed account of that struggle brings readers into the center of the conflict and the Confederacy's many missed opportunities to recapture the river port town. Drawing on a rich variety of North Carolina resources, the book brings to life a cast of characters ranging from Ambrose Burnside and George Pickett to lesser known, local figures such as Robert Hoke. White, a retired educator, is the winner of the Willie Parker Peace History Book Award and the Claude Hunter Moore Journal Award presented by the North Carolina Society of Historians.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Twin River tales: 7 local authors that capture the spirit of New Bern
