{"product_id":"a-gathering-place-paperback","title":"A Gathering Place - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eVicki Salloum\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA luminous story of faith and resilience in post-Katrina New Orleans-where one woman rebuilds hope, one act of grace at a time.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"An entertaining and poignant addition to the post-Katrina canon of New Orleans stories. A Gathering Place takes us inside a loving family, complete with inter-generational drama, joyful and tragic memories, and delicious Lebanese food. The author takes on some complex racial and socio-economic dynamics, wrapping them into a lively and sometimes madcap plot with tenderness, music, and poetry.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eElisa M. Speranza, author of\u003c\/em\u003e The Italian Prisoner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen 81-year-old Blue Hamieh-a devout Lebanese Catholic-hears the Virgin Mary's voice to create a \"gathering place\" in New Orleans, she walks away from everything-her Mississippi home, her family's pleas, and all common sense.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e It's 2009. Katrina's wreckage still scars the Gulf Coast as well as the city of New Orleans. Blue spends her life savings on a collapsing building in one of the Big Easy's most desolate neighborhoods, determined to turn it into a café that will unite three fractured communities. But crime, poverty, and underlying racial tensions close in fast. Thieves lurk in the shadows. Deep-rooted distrust threatens to divide rather than unite. And her own family-convinced she's lost her mind-plots to take her back home by force.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e As her memory begins to slip, Blue is running out of time. To finish what she believes is a divine mission, she'll have to defy everyone who doubts her-and face down a city that may never be ready for her dream.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Vicki Salloum's gripping novel is a powerful story of faith, resilience, and the courage to rebuild when the world says it's too late. This is a story for all whose lives have been touched by natural disasters and devastating personal loss-and for all women who face ridicule in their quest to do what they believe is right.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Vicki Salloum's \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e is a sophisticated multicultural family saga following the life of Blue-an elderly lady full of tenacity and passion as she follows a voice she heard from the Mother of God to rebuild a community. Using the remnants of memories after Hurricane Katrina to construct a future of love and a sense of place where all are welcomed, Blue is on a journey of faith and conviction. Filled with spirituality and holy dreams, Salloum writes to provide hope for all in overcoming obstacles and struggles of every size, giving a soul to these pages. All it takes is just one person. Blue.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003eShome Dasgupta\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eCajun South Brown Folk\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Vicki Salloum celebrates her heritage and her beloved city of New Orleans in this engaging story of Aunt Blue, a woman driven by faith and a mission: to revive a lost corner of post-Katrina New Orleans. With skillful prose, vivid characters, affectionate humor, and a page-turning pace, \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e shines a light on the cultural gumbo that is New Orleans.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e -\u003cstrong\u003eCarolyn Perry\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eFor Better, For Worse: Patient in the Maelstrom\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Mississippi native and resident of New Orleans, Vicki Salloum has magically woven her Lebanese Catholic family's colorful roots and traditions into a wonderful piece of literary fiction in her novel, \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e. Filled with hope and redemption, \u003cem\u003eA Gathering Place\u003c\/em\u003e will capture your heart.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e -\u003cstrong\u003eSusan Cushman\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eJohn and Mary Margaret\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTangles and Plaques\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cem\u003eA Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 232\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.53 x 8 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 18, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47267848126713,"sku":"9798999042286","price":25.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/w9ObkvaUd99798999042286.webp?v=1768872938","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/a-gathering-place-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}