August brings books about child smugglers and murderous mothers. To submit a first line, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

The Tribal Case by Theresa Janson

“There is peace in not forcing something that by nature will have a force of its own.”

The Big Yank by J.P. Sexton

“I became a smuggler when I was nine.”

Chant of a Million Women by Shirani Rajapakse

“They come to this place every day to touch you.”

Crossing Zero by Dale Brandon

“Danny Fagan never killed anyone on an empty stomach.”

The Bone Field by Leonard Krishtalka

“When the phone rang, Harry Przewalski was stapled to the wall.”

Suffering Ends When Awakening Begins by Jewel Hart

“Even now, more than forty years after the fact, I still have a hard time believing that my mother tried to murder my sisters and me.”