CLARKSVILLE, TN – Parnassus Books in Nashville will host the book launch for Sharon Mabry’s debut memoir, The Blue Box and Memories that Live in the Bones, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25.
Parnassus Books is a coveted venue for authors, and this will be Mabry’s first reading at the bookstore. Space is limited, and Parnassus advises attendees to register now on their website for the free event. Mabry’s new memoir goes on sale that day, Jan. 25, and has already received advanced praise from best-selling authors.
As podcast host and award-winning author Julia Brewer Daily writes, “Her great-aunt said, ‘Memories live in the bones,’ but Sharon Mabry extracts them with precision and deft expertise, sharing them on the pages of her memoir, The Blue Box and Memories that Live in the Bones. Poignant, with clever descriptions and sometimes laugh-out-loud humor, Mabry’s personal stories transport us to our own similar childhood experiences; we are immensely grateful for that journey.”
The memoir spans throughout Mabry’s life and reveals her humorous outlook. A salad-eating dog, the haunted trunk, a ‘possum who drinks coffee—The Blue Box and Memories that Live in the Bones is a collection of stories about Mabry’s growing up years in the mountains of East Tennessee, some of the adventures in her 56-year marriage, and her thoughts on retirement after teaching for 52 years at Austin Peay State University. Mabry writes with wit and candor about her mother’s declining health and the changes to her family home. Throughout her life, Mabry finds the humor that lives within each moment. The Blue Box and Memories that Live in the Bones is a collection that glimpses into the inner joy that maintains Mabry’s dimpled cheeks and smiling eyes. It’s a contagious outlook that will inspire readers to find amusement in their own reflections.
“The Blue Box and Memories that Live in the Bones is the type of book you want to curl up with in front of a crackling fire with a hot cup of coffee. Cozy, comforting, amusing, and brimming with heart, Mabry’s prose absolutely shines. Though she doesn’t shy away from hard things, her stories fill you with a warm glow and the desire to delve into your own anatomy for the memories that live there.” –Anna Lee Huber, USA Today Bestselling Author of A Fatal Illusion.
All of this comes on the heels of Mabry’s debut novel, The Postmaster’s Daughter, published in 2022, by local, independent publisher, Thorncraft Publishing. The Postmaster’s Daughter placed as a finalist in two literary competitions—Best New Debut Fiction Finalist in the American Writing Awards and Finalist in Mystery Fiction for the National Indie Excellence Awards.
The Parnassus Books event is free and open to the public, but registration is required due to limited space. Register here: www.parnassusbooks.net/event/store-sharon-mabry-author-blue-box-and-memories-live-bones