With a Hammer for My Heart

"A story rich in precise, gorgeous language . . . Tragedies old and new weave a tiny Kentucky town into the center of the universe."—Booklist (starred review) With a Hammer for My Heart is the story of Lawanda, a precocious, poverty-stricken fifteen-year-old girl from Cardin, Kentucky, who dreams of attending college. When Lawanda's friendship with an alcoholic World War II veteran named Garland is misinterpreted by their fellow townspeople, a tragedy calls her future into question. "A compelling, skillfully told story . . . Lyon's finest achievement."—Lexington Herald-Leader "[A] rich tale of healing, redemption, and social responsibility."—Publishers Weekly "Lyon consistently reveals in her work an ability to render the peculiarities of the people and the places she knows best, while at the same time exploring concerns that lend...