This novel begins in the voice of the protagonist, Sadie Blue, desperate to leave her young husband, Roy Tupkin, and the North Carolina holler where they live. “Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective, and they all add new pieces to the puzzle of Roy’s dark soul, Sadie’s bittersweet hope, and Darlene’s mysterious disappearance. Part gothic, part romance, part heartbreaking Loretta Lynn ballad—Weiss’s tale is a beguiling, compelling read.” – Kirkus Reviews. “The author’s masterful use of language, including dialect unique to the area, builds another layer of connection between these characters while [Weiss] develops a greater sense of inner isolation and distance from those outside the community. Weiss’ novel is a great suggestion for fans of the Big Stone Gap books, by Adriana Trigiani, and the Mitford series, by Jan Karon.” – from the starred review from Booklist. The author, Leah Weiss, grew up in Eastern North Carolina and lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she served for twenty-four years as the executive assistant to the headmaster of an Episcopal School.
Napierville, Illinois: Landmark/Sourcebooks, 2017. 305 pages with A Conversation with the Author and a Reading Group Guide. Trade paperback