"Comparisons will be made to Kent Haruf.... Sharfeddin's eye for detail and her unsentimental compassion for her characters will entrance readers. The stark terrain is beautifully rendered." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Exquisite use of language and detail. . . [Mineral Spirits] examines themes of love, hope, and aloneness-versus-loneliness. . . With its strong characters, as well as its good story line, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers." ForeWord

"Sharfeddin has captured the family-like entanglements in a small community--by showing us what happens when those relationships begin to come apart." Philadelphia Inquirer 

"Superbly crafted. . . Characters are wonderfully drawn. . . Explores a wide range of themes related to sin and guilt, personal integrity, and the destructive power of prejudice. Essentially, however, this is a story about the miracle of love blossoming in unlikely places. Highly recommended." Library Journal (starred review)

"Sharfeddin's empathy for her characters and sense of place keep the reader engrossed. . . . A spellbinding, high-country thriller." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A first-rate page-turner from start to finish." Denver Post

"A good old-fashioned cowboy tale that's as gritty as they come... a nice piece of emotional storytelling." Chicago Tribune

 

"An accomplished work. . . Authentic descriptions of the stark, isolated landscape, rustic conditions, and the bitter winter form a backdrop to characters' turmoil, suggesting a timelessness that is only occasionally broken with touches of modernity. . . Impressive." Publishers Weekly

"Striking. . . A deceptively simple contemporary western about two loners who have learned from their mistakes and flaws, but not overcome them." Portsmouth (NH) Harold

"Sharfeddin's intimate understanding of the land and characters of the West comes across smoothly in her writing. . . . Sharfeddin's writing is clear, precise and full of true-to-life details. . ." Lewiston Tribune

"Juicy reading [with] some powerful themes: faith versus religion, sin and forgiveness." San Diego Union-Tribune

"A thoughtful blend of crime (high-country style) and social commentary." Seattle Times

"Sharfeddin's writing is sharp, the characters real and the setting grittily recognizable to anyone who has driven a stretch of I-90 between Spokane and Missoula. There is no mistaking this place for any other, from the particular sound of semis on the highway to the lonely geography and the decided chill in the air." Oregonian

"Sharfeddin has a masterly way of telling a hushed story. It is enjoyable not because we want to know who did it, but because we want to linger just a little more in the depth and complexity of the people who live in the steely cold winter of Montana. It's hard to let go." South Florida Sun-Sentinel