Night Bird Calling

Gohlke (Secrets She Kept) delivers a gripping story about the trauma of domestic and church abuse set in 1941 Appalachia. Lilliana Grace Swope flees Philadelphia and her abusive husband and father, both leaders in their local congregation who use their positions to justify physical and emotional abuse, after her mother’s death. She heads to her great-aunt Hyacinth Belvidere’s home in tiny No Creek, N.C., and soon learns of Hyacinth’s health troubles and her plan to will Lilliana her estate. As Lilliana becomes part of the community, she sees the effects of racism, violence, gossip, and hidden sexual abuse; she also begins to stand up for herself, see herself as God sees her, and defend those hurt by racism and sexism by opening Hyacinth’s home and large library to all. But as Hyacinth becomes increasingly blind and frail, Lilliana’s husband shows up looking to position himself to profit from Lilliana’s inheritance, and Lilliana must find the courage to thwart his scheme to divorce her to keep control of the estate. Gohlke creates a cast readers will love, and the strong themes of the bonds of family forged outside one’s kin resonate. The author’s fans will love this. [em]Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency (Jan.) [/em]