​"Lori Toppel draws readers in from the first paragraph with this powerful story... The Word Next to the One I Want achieves that
masterful tone often found in a classic work of fiction." 
– Robin Stratton, author of Some Have Gone and Some Remain

"Toppel deftly weaves perfect details of the city into a story that is suspenseful and wonderfully alive with the promise of
redemption. I could not put this book down and when I was finished, I felt a little better about the world." 
– Rebecca Johnson, Contributing Editor of Vogue

"Toppel uncovers layer upon layer of hidden desire and private despair in a prose that is as beautifully wrought
​as it is gut wrenching in what it reveals about ordinary people making sense of their tangential lives." 
– Andrew Krivak, author of The Signal Flame and The Bear


Available at Los Galesburg Press
​Amazon