Stars of Alabama [eBook - NC Digital Library] : A Novel by Sean of the South

In this heartfelt tale about enduring hope amid the suffering of the Great Depression, Sean Dietrich#8212;also known as Sean of the South#8212;weaves together a tale featuring a cast of characters ranging from a child preacher, a teenage healer, and two migrant workers who give everything they have for their chosen family. When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant during the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. She is arrested while trying to steal food and loses her baby in the forest, turning her whole world upside down. She's even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power to heal, making her a sought-after local legend. Meanwhile, middle-aged migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby abandoned in the woods and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men continue their search for work and soon pair up with a poverty-stricken widow, plus her two children, and the misfit family begins taking care of each other. As survival brings this chosen family together, a young boy finds himself without a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher, is on the run from his abusive tent-revival pastor father with thousands of stolen dollars#8212;and the only thing he's sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination. In a sweeping saga with a looming second world war, these stories intertwine in surprising ways, reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars. Stand-alone Southern historical fiction set during the Great Depression Book length: approximately 98,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs Also by Sean Dietrich: The Incredible Winston Browne. Sean Dietrich--also known as Sean of the South--weaves together a humorous and heartfelt tale about the dignity of humanity and the value of enduring hope. One child preacher traveling across the plains. One young woman with a mysterious touch. Two old friends, their baby, and their bloodhound. And all the stars that shine above them. When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant amid the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. And when she loses her baby in the forest, her whole world turns upside down. She's even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power that makes her both beautiful and terrifying--and something of a local legend. Meanwhile, migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men soon pair up with a widow and her two children, and the misfit family finds its way in fits and starts toward taking care of each other. As survival brings one family together, a young boy finds himself with nary a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher with a prodigy's memory, is on the run with thousands of stolen dollars--and the only thing he's sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination. As the years pass and a world war looms, these stories intertwine in surprising ways, reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars. Praise for Stars of Alabama: "Sean Dietrich has given us an absolute treasure of a novel . . . Dietrich is an author who understands the hidden landscape of a soul; his voice both clear and authentic. The separate storylines are vivid and distinct yet they also move inexorably closer to each other in a world both cruel and beautiful. Healing and hope come alive in these characters, allowing it to come alive in us." --Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis "Sean Dietrich--you already love him. Prepare to love him even more for giving you this story--Stars of Alabama--the characters, human and canine, that will sew themselves to your very heart." --Jill Conner Browne, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Potato Queens series "Sean Dietrich has woven together a rich tapestry of characters--some charming, some heartbreaking, all of them inspiring. Stars of Alabama is mesmerizing, a siren's call that holds the reader in a world softly Southern, full of broken lives and the good souls who pick up the pieces and put them back together into a brilliant, wondrous new mosaic full of hope." --Dana Chamblee Carpenter, award-winning author of the Bohemian Trilogy Stand-alone historical novel set in the twentieth century Book length: approximately 98,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs In this heartfelt tale about enduring hope amid the suffering of the Great Depression, Sean Dietrich—also known as Sean of the South—weaves together a tale featuring a cast of characters ranging from a child preacher, a teenage healer, and two migrant workers who give everything they have for their chosen family. When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant during the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. She is arrested while trying to steal food and loses her baby in the forest, turning her whole world upside down. She's even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power to heal, making her a sought-after local legend. Meanwhile, middle-aged migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby abandoned in the woods and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men continue their search for work and soon pair up with a poverty-stricken widow, plus her two children, and the misfit family begins taking care of each other. As survival brings this chosen family together, a young boy finds himself without a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher, is on the run from his abusive tent-revival pastor father with thousands of stolen dollars—and the only thing he's sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination. In a sweeping saga with a looming second world war, these stories intertwine in surprising ways, reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars. Stand-alone Southern historical fiction set during the Great Depression Book length: approximately 98,000 words Includes an audio sample of Sean Dietrich's novel The Incredible Winston Browne With a voice both humorous and heartfelt, Sean Dietrichalso known as Sean of the Southweaves together a tale about the dignity of humanity and the value of enduring hope. One child preacher traveling across the plains. One young woman with a mysterious touch. Two old friends, their baby, and their bloodhound. And all the stars that shine above them. When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant amid the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. And when she loses her baby in the forest, her whole world turns upside down. Shes even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power that makes her both beautiful and terrifyingand something of a local legend. Meanwhile, migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men soon pair up with a widow and her two children, and the misfit family finds its way in fits and starts toward taking care of each other. As survival brings one family together, a young boy finds himself with nary a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher with a prodigys memory, is on the run with thousands of stolen dollarsand the only thing hes sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination. As the years pass and a world war looms, these stories intertwine in surprising ways, reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars. From Sean Dietrich-also known as Sean of the South-comes a poignant tale of the stars that shine all around us ... 'f only we're willing to look. When she becomes pregnant at fifteen, Marigold is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. And when she loses her baby in the forest, her whole world turns upside down. She's even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power that makes her both beautiful and terrifying-and something of a local legend. Meanwhile, migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men soon pair up with a widow and her two children, and the untraditional family finds their way in fits and starts toward taking care of each other. As survival brings one family together, a young boy finds himself with nary a friend to his name amid the dust storms still raging across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher with a prodigy's memory, is on the run with thousands of stolen dollars-and the only thing he's sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination. As the years pass and a world war looms, their stories intertwine in surprising ways. With a voice both humorous and heartfelt, Sean Dietrich weaves together a tale about the dignity of humanity and the value of enduring hope-reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars From Sean Dietrich-also known as Sean of the South-comes a poignant tale of the stars that shine all around us . . . if only we're willing to look.When she becomes pregnant at fifteen, Marigold is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. And when she loses her baby in the forest, her whole world turns upside down. She's even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power that makes her both beautiful and terrifying-and something of a local legend.Meanwhile, migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men soon pair up with a widow and her two children, and the untraditional family finds their way in fits and starts toward taking care of each other.As survival brings one family together, a young boy finds himself with nary a friend to his name amid the dust storms still raging across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher with a prodigy's memory, is on the run with thousands of stolen dollars-and the only thing he's sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination.As the years pass and a world war looms, their stories intertwine in surprising ways. With a voice both humorous and heartfelt, Sean Dietrich weaves together a tale about the dignity of humanity and the value of enduring hope-reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars "When two Depression-era migrant workers, Paul and Vern, find an abandoned baby in the woods, they take it upon themselves to care for the mysterious child. When fifteen-year-old Marigold, reviled by her family after an unwanted pregnancy, loses her baby in the forest, her whole world is painted black. She's still fraught with despair when she discovers what seems to be a miraculous power within her. Coot, a child preacher on the Kansas plains, escapes the outfit that's been handling him--and takes the collection plate full of money with him. As the years pass, these stories intertwine in surprising ways--proving how ugly circumstances can produce beautiful people"-- Provided by publisher