Adam Johnson

"In six masterly stories, Johnson delves deep into love and loss, natural disasters, the influence of technology, and how the political shapes the personal. "George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine" follows a former warden of a Stasi prison in East Germany who vehemently denies his past, even as pieces of it are delivered in packages to his door. "Nirvana," portrays a programmer whose wife has a rare disease finding solace in a digital simulacrum of the...

Mateho the Inquisitor is called to a monastery to investigate the involvement of an alleged witch in the brutal murder of a monk.

"Lane Speer is a 16 year old girl who spends her family vacations camping in the mountains. She takes the memories for granted until she loses her father to an unexpected bout with cancer. Only a year later, as Lane is still reeling from her father's death, her mother remarries a guy that Lane hardly knows. Even more confusing, he is a Mormon. To top it off, while her mom is away on her honeymoon with her new husband, Lane is forced to stay with her...

Winter 1839. Jailed on charges of treason and murder, the proclaimed prophet Joseph Smith and his companions are held in Liberty, Missouri, while they await a court hearing. Local jailer, Samuel Tillery is tasked with protecting the prisoners from increased mob attacks. But as public opinion begins to shift, Sam is forced to take matters into his own hands, for the protection of the prisoners, and his own life.

Christmas is supposed to be a season of love, warm feelings, and happy hearts. But with the children's constant bickering, pretty packages and a sweet-smelling tree don't come close to filling the McDonald home with the true spirit of the first Christmas. Then Mom remembers an old tradition of building a soft bed for Baby Jesus one straw at a time. Each time someone secretly does something nice for another family member, he or she gets to add a single...