GREAT NORTHWEST BOOK FESTIVAL HONORS MORMON MEMOIR

A coming-of-age story about a young girl’s journey within the Mormon faith is the top book of the 2025 Great Northwest Book Festival, which honors the best of the late winter/early spring.


Author Tammy Dietz’s Falling From Disgrace (Cynren Press) explores a profoundly patriarchal hierarchy that declares men superior and women subordinate, and demands devotion, purity, and chastity. But when the dogma of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints clashes with the forces of a changing world, Tammy's destiny transforms.

Set in the affluent Bay Area, Tammy's coming-of-age story is one of poverty amid wealth and a desire for status, recognition, and inclusion, both inside the Church and out. But when Tammy breaks the most serious of rules, her once certain path falters, her once protective community turns intrusive, and she finds herself on an unexpected journey.

Other winners in the competition:

ROMANCE: A Perfect Miracle - Katrina Alexander

GENERAL FICTION:

WINNER Descending Thirds - Nicole Conn

RUNNERS-UP:

• The Name I Choose - Holly Bough
• Fool’s Gold Folly - J.D.R. Hawkins
• Northfield Saga 4: Storm Break - Calvin B. Fisher

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• A Soldier’s Burden - Natia Khaduri
• The Day the Birds Came Calling - Dr. Linda Roberts-Betsch
• Sniff - G.C. Brown
• Where You Will Die - Craig Allen Heath
• Something in the Blood - H.H. Mika

UNPUBLISHED:

WINNER: The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor - D.R. Berlin

RUNNER-UP: Real Life Real Laughs - Cate Burns


YOUNG ADULT:

WINNER: The Lost Worlds Book One - Esteban Vazquez


MEMOIR:

WINNER: Falling from Disgrace - Tammy S. Dietz

RUNNER-UP: Lying Down with Dogs - Linda Caradine

HONORABLE MENTION:

• The Scientist - Jayme Katha Tener

POETRY:

WINNER: Gratitude Diary: Poems - Jessica Cohn

RUNNER-UP: Be - Will Espero


CHILDREN’S BOOKS:

WINNER: A Kindergarten Story - Tammy Donahue

RUNNER-UP: Polka Dots and Tater Tots - Melinda Chambers

HONORABLE MENTION:

• Popcorn the Squirrel - Rusty McQuade

COMPILATIONS/ANTHOLOGIES:

WINNER: Island to Icon - Dreama Denver


WILD CARD:

WINNER: Stolen Voices - Bonnie Bley


HISTORY:

WINNER: Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads - S.R. Mallery


GENERAL NON FICTION:

WINNER: Mission Out of Control - Dr. Charles Mamarda