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Press Release from St Martins Press
Mormon Book Achieving Notice Nationwide
St Martins Press Press Release 19Jun00 A4
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- A new book on the Mormon faith is selling well across
the nation and gaining comment in some unusual places. Utah author Coke
Newell says his book "Latter Days: A Guided Tour Through Six Billion Years
of Mormonism," released nationally by New York's St. Martin's Press only a
few weeks ago (April 5), has risen quickly to the top one percent of sales
at online superstore Amazon.com. And it appears the book is appealing to
audiences outside the Mormon heartland.
All of the publishing industry magazines have reviewed it, says Newell,
referring to Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, the Library Journal and Publishers
Weekly, but it has begun to show up either in review or as a reference work
in places like the Baltimore Sun, the Ft Worth Star Telegram, the Arizona
Republic, and the Nashville Tennessean. One of Newell's favorite reviews to
date appeared in an online Christian bookstore not customarily kind to The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
"...an excellent, albeit one-sided and besparkled, delineation of Mormon
ideas, theology and history. A bold and nerve-filled presentation of Mormon
beliefs and history that accentuates the positive -- as much as possible."
(See Tekton Apologetics Ministries )
Another is from Allan Carlson, president of the Howard Center for Family,
Religion and Society, and a committed Lutheran: "Latter Days [is] a most
welcome volume. False and flawed opinions about Mormon beliefs and practices
aboud. Coke Newell's forthright, clearly written, even fascinating account
of Latter Day Saint doctrine and history should help clear the air. I truly
enjoyed the book." (See Amazon.com )
The publication of "Latter Days" marks the first time any national trade
publisher has ever published a book on The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints written by a Church insider -- Newell works out of
headquarters as the Church's manager of Public Affairs for eastern North
America. And it stands apart from other Mormon books in a number of ways,
all apparent within mere moments of reading either the dust jacket or the
preface. Its tone is different; its approach is different.
And its author is differet: ironically, or perhaps appropriately, the author
of this first "faithful" book on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints to come from a national trade publisher is a convert to the faith. In
the author's own words from the book's Preface:
"straight out of the rock-n-roll, vegetarian, whole earth and homeschool
homeopathic Colorado mountains. And still into most of it.
Faithfully."
The author's web site contains extensive extracts fromthe book, a contents
listing and a biographical sketch. See it at www.cokenewell.com .
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More about Coke Latter Days" at Amazon.com