Crosslake author and columnist Mike Holst has released "The Magic Book," his newest fiction novel and fifth overall.

Holst is originally from Staples and a graduate of Staples High School. He will be in Staples Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Sacred Heart Area School craft show.

Keeping with his tradition of Minnesota stories, the story takes place in St. Paul.

Young Jennifer Crawford, fresh out of college, buys a bookstore in downtown St. Paul in 1974 and, while cleaning out the clutter left behind, she finds an old yellowed manuscript. Intrigued, but busy, she sets it aside until one night she can't ignore it any longer so she decides to read it.

Almost mystically and somewhat magically, Jenny is transposed to a dusty road outside of St James, Minnesota, and a chance encounter with a man named Garth. The year is 1918. Is Jennifer reliving an earlier life, or is it all a dream?