SYNOPSISThe year is 1933. As the Great Depression wreaks havoc on the great plains, Dr. Carter Young, Ellen Young, and their twelve year old daughter Annie abandon the Oklahoma Dust Bowl for a fresh start in the Shenandoah Valley. Their new community harbors old wounds from the Civil War and strange undercurrents that defy reason or virtue. Annie is befriended by a mysterious boy soldier from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, an African American family (the Hills), and a grand old lady marked by scandal. All are hostage to the same horrendous secret locals have buried since Civil War times - a secret that ultimately draws Annie to its epicenter.Along the Red Dirt Road is a tale of deeply personal black and white history during the Great Depression - and how courage, perseverance, decency, friendship, and truth brought a closely held secret to light. It is about a reveal that helped to liberate a small southern town so many years ago. Along the Red Dirt Road is told as a flashback from around 2018. Expect an uplifting story packed with twists, turns, fascinating characters, and many emotions - plus a nice helping of hints and sub-plots for readers with hungry imaginations.
GENRE & AUDIENCEGood books don't always fit neatly into one category. Along the Red Dirt Road features key elements of Historical Fiction, Mystery Fiction, Mainstream Fiction, Family Saga, Southern History, Black History, and Women's Fiction - plus some features of Classic Literary Fiction and Young Adult Fiction. Three Roads Out (the sequel) also features key elements of Modern Fiction and Jewish History. Along the Red Dirt Road contains contains mildly colorful language and non-gratuitous violence, but no vulgarity or sexual content. The result is a wonderfully authentic and timely tale that speaks directly to people of many cultures and circumstances - with special relevance to baby boomers (m/f), mature teens, working adults, and socially conscious women of all ages. This book is not a romance novel.
MAIN SETTINGSShenandoah Valley, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina. Pennsylvania, Maryland, Oklahoma, Washington, D.C.
THEMES/SOCIAL RELEVANCE.Alalia syllabaris (stammering). American Civil War. Army of Northern Virginia. Authenticity. Boy soldiers. Bullying. Confederacy. Corruption. Courage. Decency. Dust Bowl. Elitism. Fear. Federal Army. Feeble Mindedness. Friendship. Generosity. Great Depression. Home Guard. Homicide. Honesty. Hope. Immunization. Inheritan