<P>Essie is an octogenarian obituary writer for her family's small town newspaper, so when a young girl named Lenore is reported to be missing and perhaps whisked away by an itinerant aerial photographer -- she stumbles onto the story of her life. It could be a hoax -- or even the delusion of invented from the desperate imagination of a lonely, lovelorn woman. Whatever it is, the story of Lenore ignites a controversy that attracts reporters, curiosity-seekers and cult worshippers from all over the country. </P><P></P><P>The Coffins of Little Hope tells an energetic story of characters caught in the webs of myth, legend and deception, even as it explores the fragility of childhood, the strength of family, and the dramatic effects of pop culture on the way we shape our world.</P>