In 1861, the Civil War severs Michael Morkan from everything he loves and all that defines him—from his son, Leighton; from his love, Cora Slade; and from the quarry he owns in Springfield, Missouri. Forced to give his black powder to the Missouri State Guard, he finds himself indelibly labeled a rebel traitor and is imprisoned in St. Louis. Back in the Ozarks, Leighton joins the Federal Home Guards in hopes of paroling his father. When Leighton finally frees him, the two are pitched in a last gambit for their quarry and for the legacy of the name Morkan.
Portions of Morkan’s Quarry first appeared in Missouri Review, Ontario Review, and South Carolina Review. A novella-length excerpt was a finalist for the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society William Faulkner / Wisdom Award for the Best Novella.
Born and reared in Springfield, Missouri, Steve Yates is an M.F.A. graduate from the creative writing program at the University of Arkansas. His fiction has won two fellowships from the Mississippi Arts Commission and one from the Arkansas Arts Council.
“With the epic sweep of Cold Mountain and the rich, tender character and scene development of Snow Falling on Cedars, Steve Yates has written one of the most powerful war novels of modern times, swift as a battle, unforgettable, and a tribute to all those whose loyalty to place has surmounted loyalty to cause.”
—Donald Harington, author of The Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks and Ekaterina
“With his wonderfully clear prose, his unerring knowledge of time and place, his deep sense of character, and his sheer storytelling power, Yates will, yes, show you the horrors of war, but, more than that, he will bring these characters fully to life. This is first-rate work. Pay attention. Read it well. You will be moved.”
—Donald Hays, author of The Dixie Association and The Hangman’s Children
“From first page to the end, Morkan’s Quarry is a meticulously researched labor of love in historical novel form.”
—Suzann Ledbetter, author of Klondike Fever and Deliverance Drive
Distributed for Moon City Press.
