Loiacono Literary Agency takes on Robert Goswitz’s novel The Earth Shall Claim Your Bones, a story of legend… and reality.
In 1870, Bernadine Brunette saves her small north woods Wisconsin town from a forest fire with a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The town becomes a pilgrimage destination and changes its name to Virgin’s Ridge. From that day forward the social, financial, and spiritual fortunes of the town depend on maintaining this legend. Ninety-five years later, seventeen-year-old Ed Lansky discovers the legend is untrue. What will become of him when he questions its authenticity?
The Earth Shall Claim Your Bones brings the social upheaval of the 1960s to north woods Wisconsin. Themes presented include religious intolerance, racial tension, and the generation gap based on his early years growing up in northern Wisconsin. It is the prequel to his Vietnam War novel, The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune.
Robert Goswitz was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, graduated from Milton College, and holds an MA in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in March of 1971 and served in Vietnam from September of 1971 to August of 1972, receiving the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for his service. After the military, Robert was a special education teacher from 1974 until his retirement in 2007.
Goswitz’s debut novel, The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune, was published by Black Opal Books in 2017. Upon the expiration of the contract, he regained his rights to the Vietnam era novel, which is now available as well. His novel excerpts have been published in O Dark Thirty Literary Magazine and The Military Writers Anthology for 2015. Another excerpt received Honorable Mention from the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction/ Essay Contest sponsored by Winning Writers “One of the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers.” www.winningwriters.com. Robert Goswitz Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency.