The Crossings

THE GREAT SOUTHEAST BOOK FESTIVAL NAMES THE CROSSINGS FOR TOP HONORS

LOS ANGELES_ The story of a young boy’s daring adventure riding the rails to New Orleans and Mardi Gras is the grand prize winner of the 2015 Great Southeast Book Festival.

The Crossings by Barry Kienzle is a fiction novel based on a journey taken by the author’s father in 1932. Georgie is an altar boy, but he hops a freight train and is determined that nothing will stop him from seeing Mardi Gras in the Big Easy. The colorful characters and the vivid setting make a perfect young adult novel.

Mom’s Choice Award–Young Adult Books: Fiction
Hollywood Book Festival Runner Up Best Young Adult Fiction
New England Book Festival Runner Up Best YA Fiction
San Francisco Book Festival Honorable Mention
Readers’ Favorite Bronze International Book Award–Best YA Coming of Age
Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Captivating story of a boy and a dream set in the 1930s. His family struggles to survive and Georgie helps out with a job after school and he is an altar boy in his church. He plans to hop a freight train to New Orleans to see Mardi Gras and is determined nothing will stop him. His adventure is fraught with danger, new friends, and gives him an experience of a lifetime.

What People Say

“This exciting tale has broad crossover appeal. Youngsters will be taken with the fledgling hero’s bold adventures. Older generations will be touched by the bravado engendered by childhood heartbreak and will likely recall old sidekicks whose flights of fancy led to some pretty improbable escapades.” —Kentucky Enquirer, Karen Kuhlman, Community Columnist

“Barry Kienzle’s, The Crossings, is a spirited fictional account of a 1930s trip to New Orleans as seen through the youthful eyes of George Martin. Kienzle’s inaugural effort is written with the style of a seasoned pro as Mardi Gras and the steel rails leading there come to life on the book’s pages. In a time when young boys came of age too quickly and often for the wrong reasons, The Crossings leaves you feeling blessed about the life George Martin was destined to lead. — Rick Robinson, award-winning author – Alligator Alley

“This riveting story allows one to relive childhood dreams from an innocent time. Living vicariously through “Georgie” leaves us anxiously awaiting…The rest of the story. This book is entertaining and an easy read, a must for the avid reader. –Robert Zapp, President, The Bank of Kentucky

About the Author

Barry Kienzle was born, raised and educated in northern Kentucky and is in every sense, a Kentucky boy, proud of his heritage and the state he calls home. As such, he is very familiar with its history and culture and feels honored that his first novel, The Crossings, is a story with northern Kentucky origins.

Barry studied Accounting at Northern Kentucky University, became a CPA and worked primarily in the accounting and finance areas in construction and real estate development companies, currently as a CFO. As he nears retirement, he is venturing toward a second career in writing and felt compelled to begin it with a novel about an amazing venture of his father’s who, in 1932 hopped a freight train and rode it to New Orleans to see the Mardi Gras.

Barry’s devotion to the community has led him to serve on many boards over time including Habitat for Humanity, senior citizens groups, school and other capital raising campaigns and other not-for-profit organizations. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of both the Northern Kentucky University Foundation and the Bank of Kentucky.