Sister Liberty

A procession of dunces, philosophers, and cultists strive to better themselves in the witty and outlandish launch to the Stables Family Chronicles from Hill (East of Denver). In 1885 near Sanvisa, France, Arthur Pascal Lestables murders the violent Henri Deplouc and is subsequently hanged. Deplouc’s widow, Euphémie, and Arthur’s widow, Annie, along with her 11-year-old son, Auguste, flee town together; hungry and destitute, they’re rescued by Sister Honora and her daughter, Pansy, American missionaries sent to France because the country is “notoriously immoral.” Known as Solemnites—kind but solemn people who whistle to express strong emotions—Honora and Pansy offer food and shelter to the trio, in hopes of eventually converting them. After boarding a New York–bound freighter ship (which is coincidentally carrying the Statue of Liberty), the group travels together to the Solemnites’ village in Indiana. The clash between the open-minded and science-embracing French guests and the conservative, religious Americans results in irreverent conversations on the nature of God, with Auguste spouting his beloved father’s philosophical rants. The search for a bothersome three-eared bear, Euphémie and Annie’s romantic relationship, and an emancipating All-Tent Revival round out the proceedings. As satiric as it is thought-provoking, this acerbic tale of enlightenment delights. (Self-published)