Root That Mountain, published in 2021, was my third published novel. 

Root That Mountain's synopsis:
Root That Mountain takes place in West Africa, set during the period just after the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone. Felix Laszlo’s father, a doctor working with Doctors Without Borders in Freetown, has been murdered by Revolutionary United Front rebels. Felix goes to Sierra Leone to retrieve his father’s body. In doing so, he comes to realize he knows less about his father than he thought. Compelled to try and truly understand the man, Felix returns to West Africa to learn about Sierra Leone, the civil war, and the trade in illicit “blood diamonds.” But with Issa Manzo, a renegade soldier from Niger, as his guide, Felix soon discovers that this investigation carries with it dark secrets and is far more than he bargained for.

"Evan Balkan's writing is transportive. At its heart, Root That Mountain is a story about an everyman, or, rather, an every-son, Felix, who takes on a leading role, traveling to West Africa to retrieve the body of his slain father. Against the backdrop of a war torn Sierra Leone, Balkan's remarkable book stretches across continents and reads as if it was lifted directly from John le Carré. I couldn't put it down." -- Cathy Alter, journalist and author.

Novel (middle grade), published 2018 by Amphorae Publishing.

Caroline Panski harbors one dream: to play ice hockey. But, as the neighborhood boys—and her mother—tell her: Boys play hockey; girls ice skate. But Caroline is not one to give up on anything easily. She navigates her little world with will and determination. But her little world is soon made much bigger by the fact that her father is fighting, and will eventually die, in Korea. Additionally, Caroline’s school is integrated and she develops a deep friendship with an African-American classmate, Joseph Wilson. It’s an unlikely alliance, and one that promises lessons in life for both of them. While trying out for a boys hockey team and, more importantly, through her burgeoning friendship with Joseph, Caroline learns firsthand about the limitations of race and gender in 1950s Baltimore. In the end, Caroline’s is a difficult and imperfect world, but one that allows for triumphs and moments of transcendence as well.

​"Caroline Panski defies the norms--and the odds--to be the fiercest girl on ice! Moving, relevant, and utterly engaging, Spitfire inspires us all to fight for what matters: friendship and love." -- Elissa Brent Weissman, author of numerous bestselling MG/YA books.