Omena author Donald Lystra’s latest novel, “Searching for Van Gogh,” was named one of 20 “Michigan Notable Books” for 2025 by the Library of Michigan.
Two of Lystra’s earlier works, a 2009 novel, “Season of Water and Ice,” and a 2013 story collection, “Something That Feels Like Truth,” were also honored with Michigan Notable Books recognition.
Set in Michigan in the fall of 1963, Lystra’s latest novel tells of a friendship between a young man and woman whose lives have both been shattered by recent tragedy. Critics have said the book effectively captures the turbulent politics and culture of the 1960s America. With action ranging from Grand Rapids into the northern reaches of the Upper Peninsula, “Searching for Van Gogh has been compared to classic coming- of-age stories suchas “Ordinary People” and “Catcher in the Rye.” Born in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Lystra began writing after working for many years as a consulting engineer. He has received creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the McDowell Colony, and his work has appeared in many literary journals widely praised for strong emotions captured in its simple understated prose.
