Reviews of One Vacant Chair

Winner of the S. Mariella Gable Prize
A Book Sense 76 November/December Selection

"An enjoyable read, without a dull page." —Kirkus Reviews

"A wonderful read." —Booklist

"Coomer’s story shines with vivid characters in their everyday mode yet offers surprising twists that will keep the reader’s interest to the last." —Library Journal

"It is Joe Coomer’s genius for the subtle meanderings of female relationships that make One Vacant Chair a novel to sit still for."—Minneapolis Star Tribune

"An insightful writer with a dry, humorous edge. . . . Coomer’s sharp observations and comic perspective join in fresh and unexpected imagery, engaging the reader’s imagination and sympathies." —Portsmouth Herald

"Coomer is clearly an author of serious talent." —The Washington Post Book World

"Coomer has created an absorbing world of ordinary folks who are far from ordinary." —The Telluride Watch

"Coomer’s brilliance shines through….A beautifully written novel filled with the extremes of joy and sadness." —NewPages.com

"Joe Coomer’s characters in One Vacant Chair, especially the women, are those friends you’ve been waiting to meet, and he delivers them with his characteristic delectable language, rich in metaphors and dialect. I savored this novel and can’t wait to recommend it to our book clubs!" —Cheryl McKeon, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA