Alumni Authors Fresh Ink: New Books from Davidson College Alums
June 5, 2026
Welcome to our summer bookshelf, a dedicated space celebrating the diverse voices and brilliant accomplishments of our alumni writers. From gripping fiction to insightful non-fiction, see what our community is creating.
First Loser
By Scott Cunningham ’16
High school wrestler Connor Castaway pushes his body and mind to the limit to honor his late father’s legacy, spiraling into a world of addiction and obsession. This raw coming-of-age story examines the brutal cost of relentless ambition and the fine line between achieving greatness and self-destruction.
The Geomagician
By Jennifer Mandula ’12
In this debut novel about paleontologist Mary Anning set in a magical Victorian England, Mandula blends real-life history with fantasy. The story marks the beginning of a two-book series exploring themes of ambition, sexism in science, belonging and second chances.
The Three Graces of Pearl Street
By Elizabeth Wellington Rollins ’10
In this intergenerational family drama set in a working-class Italian American neighborhood, three women protagonists navigate family dynamics and personal reinvention. The novel, lauded as uplifting and emotionally layered, explores what it means to balance the intricacies of tradition with modernity, to celebrate moments of ordinary grace, and to embrace the most authentic version of yourself.
Undue Process: The Inside Story of Trump’s Mass Deportation Program
By Julia Ainsley ’09
NBC News’ Senior Homeland Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley provides a news-driven account of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and mass deportation plans. Drawing on sources within ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, the book explores internal government resistance and the redefinition of executive power.
The Mediator
By Robert Bailey ’02
In this high-stakes legal thriller set in Huntsville, Alabama, mediator Max Ringo must fight for redemption and her son’s life after he is kidnapped during a contentious divorce negotiation. Drawing on the author’s own professional experience, the story explores a parent’s love through an authentic lens of legal and ethical dilemmas.
Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage
By Heather Sweeney ’98
This memoir explores Heather Sweeney’s journey of rediscovering her identity after ending a 13-year marriage to a U.S. Navy officer. She reflects on the challenges of conforming to the role of a supportive military spouse and how those experiences ultimately prepared her for life as a single mother.
The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway
By Virginia McGee Richards ’85
This photographic and narrative history documents the “Inner Passage,” a network of canals in the South Carolina Lowcountry built by enslaved people. Through 60 extraordinary photographs, Richards reveals how these waterways, originally constructed for white plantation owners, were used by enslaved people to travel hundreds of miles southward to freedom in Spanish Florida.
The Easter Hug
By Augustus E. Succop III ’75
Retired pastor Gus Succop explores the significance of Easter and the vastness of divine love by comparing it to a “hug” in this children’s book. Through siblings Anna and Charlie, young readers learn to see God’s presence in everything from nature to Sunday school lessons, offering a message of hope and constant care.
This article was originally published in the Spring/Summer 2026 print issue of the Davidson Journal Magazine; for more, please see the Davidson Journal section of our website.
