Barbara Hall's novels for young adults and adults are evocations of the small-town South where she grew up. Most of her books are set in the South, "a very special microcosm," as Hall described the locale in an interview with Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA), "I am not one of those charmed by the South," Hall noted. "But there is an intriguing atmosphere to the place--very gothic--with a heightened sense of drama to everyday things. It's this idea of small town gossip with a constant telling and re- telling of stories." In the award-winning story, Dixie Storms, that gothic setting is "lovingly detailed," according to Betsy Hearne in Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. And into such settings, Hall introduces characters in search of their true identity, in search of a meaning and belonging; adolescents, they are in the midst of quiet crises. Additionally, Hall...