East of the Sun and West of the Moon

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is an entertaining collection of short stories that all take place in and around the small, fictional southern IL town of McClane. The author, Ford R. Phillips, grew up in a very small town in southern Illinois, much like McClane, and these stories and the characters therein are all derivative of that experience. The significance of the book’s title is explained in the preface: “Now, said the old woman, I think you had better take my horse and ride to the East Wind and ask him. It may be that he knows the way to the land East of the Sun and West of the Moon.” … from an old Norwegian folk tale. The little town of McClane is now “East of the Sun and West of the Moon.” It no longer exists, except in the distant and dust-laden memories of all the people who have left it. The town, the author knew, is no longer there. It has been completely swept away by the repeated wave actions of time.

Mr. Phillips grew up in a small town in southern Illinois at the edge of the Shawnee National Forest. At age 14, he moved to Cape Girardeau, MO, just six miles away, where he attended high school and the local university, receiving a B.S. in English and a Master of Arts in American literature. He has two grown children and has been married to the love of his life for 50 years.