Chaunce Stanton Books

LITERARY NOVELS

Grave of Songs

An intense family drama written as historical fiction. Set in 1888 in Minnesota, a pioneer boy must deal with the death of his father and the discovery of ancient giant bones buried on the farm.

Blank Slate Boarding House for Creatives

This dark historical fantasy pits the world’s greatest mind magician against Harry Houdini in 1922. A young woman arrives at her first job: servant to creative artists. How can she protect herself from the powerful magician?

Luano’s Luckiest Day

An intriguing tale of magical realism set in an isolated desert town. A boy yearns for his mother, but the boy’s uncle wants to erase her memory from the town like sand in the wind. Then spiders arrive, and the boy knows his mother is returning.

Intense Historical Family Drama – GRAVE OF SONGS

You’re Not in Little House on the Prairie Anymore…

EVERY FAMILY HAS SECRETS

What other secrets lie buried on the Nelson family farm—besides the bones of ancient giants?

https://youtu.be/lNhnDr5ZjNo

A father dies protecting his son, and the boy’s life is turned upside-down. He struggles to be the man his father was to build a future on the family farm, but his strict aunt and uncle seem bent on tearing everything down.

Set in Annandale, Minnesota in 1888, this is the story of a family confronted by a changing world.

The Grave of Songs is a powerful confluence of historical family drama, folklore, imagination, and coming-of-age storytelling.


What Readers Say

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Literary Fiction

Right to the very last sentence this page-turner keeps you hanging. Beautifully written, one of the best literary pieces I’ve read since Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The characters are profound. This slice of life during the 1800s is poignant and captivating. The author carries the reader on a cloud of brilliant prose that highlights the internal and external conflicts surrounding a young boy during a time of limited opportunities. The realistic struggles and hardships twine uniquely with fantastical folklore throughout this saga. This is one of those novels you hate to finish because you just don’t want the experience to ever end.

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating Story, Great Escape Reading

Stanton starts by setting an adolescent protagonist into a dismal frontier life, reminiscent and giving a bow to 20th century literary greats. He unwinds his tale by heaping misfortune and indignation on the poor lad as the book accelerates to its inevitable conclusion. Combines the atmosphere of a Faulkner novel with the snap of S. E. Hinton in a quick read that any reader of good literature is sure to enjoy.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Imaginative and Worthwhile Read

A convincing story portraying the life, struggles, and imagination of a young farm boy in a small rural town, as he faces loss and hardships. Relatable characters evoking strong emotions, while still offering an escape into the vivid imagery of the landscape. Captivating from beginning to end. A book worth reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Characters Draw You In

Very well written. Found it hard to put down.