The Big Wide Calm, a sophomore work by New England author Rich Marcello, has just been released this July and will be hitting shelves throughout the rest of the summer.

In both this and in his debut novel, The Color of Home which was released towards the end of 2013 and has already earned a substantial bed of reviews, Marcello draws on his own wealth of life experience as a musician to give his work a grounded, authentic context. Fans of both works have noted that the two books read almost musically, though they sing markedly different tunes. Both also feature strong female heroines, and unique coming of age stories – elements which set Marcello’s work apart in the world of literary fiction.

In Big Wide Calm, Marcello illustrates the story of a young woman who is taking the first steps in establishing her music career, in hopes of finding stardom. Paige plant, this budding musician, finds an unlikely mentor in the form of John Bustin, a retired and reclusive songwriter. He offers her the opportunity to record her album for free, which of course is music to Paige’s ears, but he also offers something else – a realistic look at the industry, and what it means to look forward to a career as a recording artist. Of course, Bustin’s hard earned experience clashes with Plant’s limitless idealism, but for the sake of the music, and for each other, they have to learn how to stand on their common ground and see eye to eye.

Even though Big Wide Calm has only seen two short weeks of it’s release, it is already enjoying a wide readership and many praises. Check it out for yourself – Available on Amazon now.