“In Suburban Epidemic, a heart wrenching tale of a working suburban mom forced to stop and consider her own mortality in the midst of her hectic lifestyle, the main character Amy grabs your imagination and lingers with you long after setting the story aside.”

--Tracie White, Award-winning Science Writer, Author of The Puzzle Solver

“These stories remind you that everyone you pass on the street has an intricate story beyond what's visible to the eye. Mary has a great gift in painting a picture of these lives and weaving them together to tell the larger story of the California community.”

—Anonymous verified Amazon Customer

“…most memorable for the utterly compelling evocation of the prelapsarian years of the 1970s, when children could still run free through the apricot orchards and plunge into the tangle of Blackberry Creek.”

--Ann Saab, Professor Emeritus, UNC Greensboro

“Smathers writes beautifully. She shares each of her characters and their worlds so fully. I felt like I was there with each of them. My heart went out to Paz, Connie, the boys who saw the coyote, Salvador Rodriguez and Heels.  I cried for Amy in Suburban Epidemic. I look forward to her next book.”

--Kathy Nielsen, Genealogist, retired Librarian, Monterey Public Library