This landmark project was my first book design, a volunteer opportunity for my college press where I was assigned both the cover and interior layout. As I read Rachel L. Coyne’s manuscript, I noticed a repetition of dark imagery—notably the drowned girl and deer skulls—and got to work coordinating a photoshoot. After recruiting a model, I combed through thrift stores to find the perfect dress (with the addition of a ruffle detail which I proudly sewed on myself), grabbed the deer skull from my own collection, and scouted a location at my aunt’s home on Lake Melissa near Detroit Lakes. We shot on a windy day in autumn, resulting in a moody set of images that were perfectly tailored for the cover.
In an Amazon book review, Jordan Dean Williams writes “The book itself is truly just awesome, it’s beautiful. It’s bound wonderfully, the text is simple, and the interior design actually SERVES the author’s story rather than distract the reader with a pretty picture. The antlers that embrace the heading of each chapter ties directly to Jane’s character, and the rural pine trees that separate each scene of the book grounds the Minnesota setting of the lake, a lake which is really a character all its own.”
Hermes Creative Awards
🥇 Gold Winner | Publication Overall
ADDY Awards
🥈 Silver Winner | Photography
