The Queen of Palmyra: A Novel (P.S.)

"The most powerful and also the most lyrical novel about race, racism, and denial in the American South since To Kill A Mockingbird ." —Lee Smith, New York Times– bestselling author of On Agate Hill "I need you to understand how ordinary it all was. . . ." In the turbulent southern summer of 1963, Millwood's white population steers clear of "Shake Rag," the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman with dark secrets and the town's "cake lady," whose backcountry bootleg runs lead further and further away from a brutal marriage, Florence attaches herself to her grandparents' longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen's courage and cunning. The more time Florence spends in Shake Rag, the more she recognizes how completely... “The most powerful and also the most lyrical novel about race, racism, and denial in the American South since To Kill A Mockingbird.” —Lee Smith, New York Times–bestsellingauthor of On Agate Hill“I need you to understand how ordinary it all was....”In the turbulent southern summer of 1963, Millwood's white population steers clear of “Shake Rag,” the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman with dark secrets and the town's “cake lady,” whose backcountry bootleg runs lead further and further away from a brutal marriage, Florence attaches herself to her grandparents'longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen's courage and cunning.The more time Florence spends in Shake Rag, the more she recognizes how completely race divides her town, and her story, far from ordinary, bears witness to the truth and brutality of her times—a truth brought to a shattering conclusion when Zenie's vibrant college-student niece, Eva Greene, arrives that fateful Mississippi summer.Minrose Gwin's The Queen of Palmyra is an unforgettable evocation of a time and a place in America—a nuanced, gripping story of race and identity.“The beauty of the prose, the strength of voice and the sheer force of circumstance will hold the reader spellbound from beginning to end.” —Jill McCorkle, New York Times–bestsellingauthor of The Going Away Shoes“Bold and brilliant.” —Sharon Oard Warner, author of Deep in the Heart“Affecting and disturbing.... thought-provoking.” —Publishers Weekly“Atmospheric.” —Booklist In the tradition of Harper Lee's classic comes this story of 11-year-old Florence Forrest, an only child growing up in the Jim Crow South, forced to accept unsavory truths about her family. Florence is, by all accounts, a happy, spirited girl. She doesn't understand why her father leaves each night with a mysterious box or why her mama drinks so much. What Florence knows are sultry days spent with her grandparents, being cared for by their maid, Zenie, on the colored side of town. Tension builds during the summer of 1963. Mama bakes cakes at all hours to scrape by. And Zenie's niece Eva is in town, selling insurance to the blacks and stepping on Mr. Forrest's toes. When Eva is brutally assaulted, all hell breaks loose: Mama crashes her car, Florence's grandfather dies, a woman is murdered, and Florence finally gets a look in Daddy's box. Florence sees things that summer that she won't understand for years to come: her mother's disappearance, her father's racism. Years later, she'll face the truth and how she was caught in the middle of it. The Queen of Palmyra is rich in both setting and characters. It's an affecting tale of a girl who is loved yet lost, trying to make sense of the world in a tumultuous time, finally forced to confront the sins of her father. "I need you to understand how ordinary it all was. . . ."In the turbulent southern summer of 1963, Millwood's white population steers clear of "Shake Rag," the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman with dark secrets and the town's "cake lady," whose backcountry bootleg runs lead further and further away from a brutal marriage, Florence attaches herself to her grandparents' longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen's courage and cunning.The more time Florence spends in Shake Rag, the more she recognizes how completely race divides her town, and her story, far from ordinary, bears witness to the truth and brutality of her times—a truth brought to a shattering conclusion when Zenie's vibrant college-student niece, Eva Greene, arrives that fateful Mississippi summer.Minrose Gwin's The Queen of Palmyra is an unforgettable evocation of a time and a place in America—a nuanced, gripping story of race and identity. “The most powerful and also the most lyrical novel about race, racism, and denial in the American South since To Kill a Mockingbird .” — Lee Smith, author of On Agate Hill “Exquisitely beautiful... The novel grips the reader from its first page and relentlessly drives us to its conclusion.” — William Ferris, author of Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues An atmospheric debut novel about growing up in the changing South in 1960s Mississippi in the tradition of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees and Kathryn Stockett’s The Help . In the words of Jill McCorkle ( Going Away Shoes ), “Minrose Gwin is an extremely gifted writer and The Queen of Palmyra is a brilliant and compelling novel.” "The most powerful and also the most lyrical novel about race, racism, and denial in the American South since To Kill a Mockingbird." #8212; Lee Smith, author of On Agate Hill "Exquisitely beautiful... The novel grips the reader from its first page and relentlessly drives us to its conclusion." #8212; William Ferris, author of Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues An atmospheric debut novel about growing up in the changing South in 1960s Mississippi in the tradition of Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees and Kathryn Stockett's The Help. In the words of Jill McCorkle (Going Away Shoes), "Minrose Gwin is an extremely gifted writer and The Queen of Palmyra is a brilliant and compelling novel." "Mississippi, 1963. Millwood's white population steers clear of 'Shake Rag, ' the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line to visit. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman and the town's 'cake lady, ' Florence attaches herself to her grandparents' longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen's courage and cunning. Florence begins to recognize how completely race divides her town--a truth brought to a shattering conclusion when Zenie's vibrant college-student niece, Eva Greene, arrives that fateful Mississippi summer"--Publisher's description An Atmospheric Debut Novel About Growing Up In The Changing South In 1960s Mississippi In The Tradition Of The Secret Life Of Bees And The Help--provided By Publisher. Minrose Gwin. Includes Bibliographical References.