Oh my Lord! Did Roy’s eyelashes flutter? Did his chest rise under that bloody jacket?
My eyes ache to see what’s truth in the waning light, and I press my knuckles to my mouth. What if this is a nasty trick? It’d be like Roy Tupkin to smear deer blood on his coat, then pop up and laugh like a crazy man. Billy would be in on it. He always does what Roy Tupkin says without a thought of his own. I don’t understand that kind of unnatural loyalty. But sometimes I think Roy needs Billy more than the other way round.
I inch toward the trailer door and keep my eyes on Roy. “What you say happened?”
When Billy don’t say, I look at him for the first time. His face looks loony and dopey. He’s grinning, for heaven’s sake! He steps toward me and reaches out his hand.
He touches me!
He drags his stubby finger down my throat where my heartbeat thuds in the hollow.
My legs want to fold under me when his hand grazes my collarbone and slides over the rise of my breast.
Billy leans in and whispers, “I done it for you.”
He done what for me? Killed Roy? Roy thought Billy was a nobody. Billy’s crazy is what he is.
He walks away, chuckling, and I shudder, watching his weasel body head down the path he’ll walk to my door tomorrow. I look down at my dead husband who looks small. I look at this tin can of a trailer that don’t look bad in the dusky light. I straighten my back, lift my chin, and call out in a strong, strange voice I claim as mine.
“Hey, Billy.”
He turns.
“Why don’t you take Roy’s moonshine? He won’t be needing it now.”
Reading Group Guide
1. Life in 1970 Appalachia (and fictional Baines Creek) was undeniably hard and harsh. What did the novel tell you about that historic time and place that you expected? What did you learn that surprised you?
2. Sadie Blue was the principal character in the book, with her story told in three chapters. Did you root for her from the start? What were her key moments of growth? Who were her mentors and supporters? What did they do that helped her grow a stronger backbone?
3. In what ways were Sadie Blue and her grandmother, Gladys Hicks, and Sadie and her mother, Carly, alike? In what ways were they different?
4. Gladys and Marris were best friends. Who needed the other the most? Who gave the greatest purpose to their relationship?
5. Did you think Gladys was oblivious to her mean behavior? Why did she feel entitled to that mean behavior? How do you think she would have described herself?
6. Who were the most lovable or admirable characters? What made them that way? What were their strengths and weaknesses? In what ways were they important to Sadie’s salvation?
7. Preacher Eli Perkins never quite believed he was good enough for his job. How did that quality make you feel about him? How do you think he performed his job?
8. Three characters that are hard to love are Prudence Perkins, Roy Tupkin, and Billy Barnhill. Did you find any reasons to empathize with them? What were the pivotal moments in their past that shaped their personalities? How do you think you would have fared if you were born into their families and stations of life?
9. When Kate Shaw arrived in Baines Creek, she expected to be doing the teaching. What were the things she learned instead?
10. Birdie’s Books of Truths: What insights did they give you into life in Appalachia and the gifts Birdie possessed?
11. What role did Tattler Swann play in the book? Was he a good spokesman for Jerome Biddle? If so, why?
12. This book is written in first person, present tense. Did that choice by the author make the story more intimate? If so, in what ways?
13. Which characters were most capable of loving? In what ways did they demonstrate that?
14. A number of murders were committed in the book. Do you think any of them were justified? If so, which ones and why?
A Conversation with the Author
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always loved pretty words and sentiments, and I got much pleasure writing letters to friends getting married, struggling through a hard time, or celebrating a landmark. Some of those letters were framed by the recipients, so I knew I had a penchant for heartfelt prose that mattered to people. I was well into my fifties when a friend encouraged me to write a book of short stories, and my initial response was Does the world really need another book? But his encouragement and support planted a seed that grew roots. The first stories I wrote were about my mom, Lucy, and her life on a tobacco farm in the 1930s. She was one of fifteen children living in an unpainted house without running water or electricity. She and I found a special bond talking about her childhood, which she thought no one cared to remember. I didn’t know that in a few months Lucy would die of cancer and I would be left with grief and amazing fodder from those conversations. When the stories tugged at me to do more, I knew I wanted to write them.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I am a picky reader. I look for a great story written exceptionally well, with the prose highly polished and the deadweight removed from the story line. Because I have a particular love for the southern voice, some of my top choices are obvious: Harper Lee, Rick Bragg, Barbara Kingsolver, Robert Morgan, and Ron Rash rush to the head of the line. Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides was as compelling a read as I’ve ever had. Even today the images of those sincere, flawed characters Mr. Conroy put to paper burn bright. A more recent book that was a marvelous surprise on all fronts (except it isn’t southern) was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Who would have guessed that Death as the narrator could be so sympathetic and compassionate? Or that a book’s format could be so original?
Where did your idea for the book come from, and why is it set in Appalachia?
The inception of this book began in 2011 with a writing contest that had a cap of 1,500 words and an opening prompt of I struggle to my feet. From the moment the prompt fell on my page, Sadie appeared in my mind as a complete person and personality, from her slight form and pale skin, to her mountain voice and her birth in Appalachia. Why? That’s a mystery I can’t explain. Maybe the Appalachia I heard about in my youth resonated in the pain painted in the opening five words. My initial task was to tell Sadie’s story in only a few pages. I often wondered what the rest of the story was. Now I know.