A young physician struggles to keep his moral footing as he defends himself at a negligence hearing and confronts his new boss about false Medicare billings. Shunned by associates, Dr. Diamond finds it difficult to forgive and forget, but a surprising invitation offers him a way back.

The title of Felman’s fourth novel recalls a proverb about making amends for wrongdoing, a task as difficult as putting feathers back into a pillow shaken from a rooftop. Previous works are “From the Ends of the Earth,” a fictional biography that describes waiting tables in the Catskills and driving cattle in Montana; “The Measure of Our Torment,” a medical mystery; and “A Better Man Than I,” a story about intolerance. Felman has also written “You Are Your Body’s Keeper: Don’t Become a Medical Mistake,” a handbook of practical medical advice.

Order information: www.sales@highcountrypublishers.com (portion of proceeds goes to UC Alumni Association), Internet booksellers, local bookstores.

Step into Bearcat game huddles, practices and locker rooms for the inside story about the UC team, courtesy of alumnus Michael Perry, sports editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer. In this, his first book, Perry treats readers to hundreds of anecdotes drawn from interviews with former Bearcat players, coaches, recruiters and staff.

“Tales” covers eight coaching eras, from John “Socko” Wiethe (1946-52) to the intense Bob Huggins, who took over the program in 1989. There’s coach Ed Badger hitchhiking through the snow to recruit a Pennsylvania player, and Tony Yates finding a future first-team all-Metro Conference star in a Mississippi marching band. Read what Oscar Robertson told Perry, as well as the comments of Kenyon Martin, 2000 National Player of the Year.

Order information: E-mail Bearcattales@AOL.com (signed, discounted copies), Amazon.com, UC Bookstore, local bookstores.

Newly arrived in America, Rica Heber is welcomed by Cincinnati’s German immigrant families in Wooden Shoe Hollow. Although she quickly settles into her new life, she is troubled by a secret that lies on the other side of the ocean.

While enjoying Pieper’s fiction, readers are treated to a taste of early 20th century life in a part of Cincinnati the late author knew well. The community’s nickname comes from the wooden shoes German farmers wore for fieldwork.

Originally published in 1951, this is a new, expanded version of Pieper’s historically significant book. Tolzmann has added a brief history of the area, original photographs, an index, a suggested reading list and footnotes that define terms, such as “Ein Prosit” (a toast) and “Yankees,” the term for English-speaking neighbors.

Order information: UC Bookstores, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Cincinnati Museum Center gift shop.

Former Cincinnati Post photographer Jack Klumpe shares some of his best work in this nostalgic look back at the “Big Red Machine.” There’s Pete Rose’s history-making hit that broke Ty Cobb’s record, as well as his 1964 Rookie of the Year pose. Readers see Tony Perez and his family being sworn in as U.S. citizens, Johnny Bench holding seven baseballs in one massive hand and manager Fred Hutchinson, ill with cancer, saying farewell to fans.

These and other memorable photos come from a collection of print work alumnus Klumpe has donated to the University of Cincinnati archives. His co-author, Kevin Grace, a prolific author of local history books, has targeted the Redlegs’ exploits from 1900 to '50 for his next sports volume.

Order information: UC Bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

Those who enjoy America’s majestic national parks will find Beckman’s slender book a wake-up call. All is not well in the realm of Smokey Bear.

Challenges to the parks’ survival come from many sources -- lightning, plant diseases, insect pests, water pollution and humans. People who are careful to pack up their litter and drown their campfires may not realize that they may harm the environment in other ways.

A former national park staff member, Beckman has done her homework. She provides easy-to-understand data, chapter notes and a glossary, and calls on readers to help preserve a balance between the rights of visitors and those of a park’s flora and fauna.

This is Beckman’s second nonfiction book. Her first, “Artists and Writers of the Harlem Renaissance,” is a collection of biographical profiles. Among the celebrities profiled are jazz pianist Duke Ellington, author Langston Hughes and entertainer Josephine Baker.

Order information: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Joseph-Beth Booksellers.