October in the Earth: A Novel

In Depression-era Kentucky, Del Wensley, wife of a famous preacher, embarks on an impulsive and liberating journey after her husband's infidelity. She joins a transient community, finds a special friend in Louisa Trout, and learns the skills she needs to survive. However, their bonds threaten to break as they face desperate circumstances. Del must gather her strength and faith to carry on toward one unknown after another, making her life a fulfilling and exhilarating adventure.

Format: Hardback
Length: 331 pages
Publication date: 10 October 2023
Publisher: Amazon Publishing

In the depths of the Depression-era Kentucky, a defiant wife ventures on an impulsive and empowering journey in a captivating novel by the acclaimed author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow, and The Ragged Edge of Night. Del Wensley, the wife of the most renowned preacher in Harlan County, strives to maintain her position. However, her husband's infidelity thrusts an already strained marriage to the brink of collapse. Seeking her last vestige of self-respect, Del rebels against the rigid life she has known. As a coal train rumbles through the valley, her eyes are wide open to the unfamiliar and the freedom she craves. With a newfound sense of liberation, Del embarks on a thrilling adventure aboard the rails.

Traversing across America, Del becomes a part of a transient community of outcasts, where she forms a special bond with Louisa Trout. A nomadic single mother, Louisa imparts valuable lessons about life on the boxcars and promises to guide Del to a migrant enclave where she can acquire the skills necessary for survival. However, as they navigate their way forward amidst desperate circumstances, even the closest of bonds threatens to rupture.

Amidst the hardships of the Depression, Del must summon her resilience and faith. As she continues on a path of uncertainty, her life transforms into a fulfilling, sometimes perilous, and exhilarating journey. Despite the risks, she holds the reins of her destiny firmly in her hands.

Weight: 474g
Dimension: 149 x 223 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781662511080