Gullah Secrets
Page 25
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Appalachia, 1941. Thirteen-year-old Louisa May "Wildflower" McAllister's heart still aches for her father. A year after her dad's tragic sawmill accident, she relies on her strength of spirit and her heightened intuition to deal with a critical mother and cope with the aftermath.
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But when she's targeted by the town's teenage bully, she may need more than her "secret sense" to survive.
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Despite these hardships, Wildflower has a resilience that is forged with humor, a love of the land, and an endless supply of questions to God.
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But after an affront to her father's memory, she lets her anger get the better of her and unwittingly triggers a series of traumatic events that will change her life forever.
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Will Wildflower fall to another tragedy or will her faith in her family and herself be enough to carry her through?
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With prose as lush and colorful as the American south, The Secret Sense of Wildflower is powerful and poignant, brimming with energy and angst, humor and hope.
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Enjoy southern fiction at its best today!
Get The Secret Sense of Wildflower here.
Praise for The Secret Sense of Wildflower
“Louisa May immerses us in her world with astute observations and wonderfully turned phrases, with nary a cliché to be found. She could be an adolescent Scout Finch, had Scout’s father died unexpectedly and her life taken a bad turn...By necessity, Louisa May grows up quickly, but by her secret sense, she also under-stands forgiveness. A quietly powerful story, at times harrowing but ultimately a joy to read." – Kirkus Reviews
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“A soulful narrative to keep the reader emotionally charged and invested. The Secret Sense of Wildflower is eloquent and moving tale chock-filled with themes of inner strength, family and love." – Maya Fleischmann, indiereader.com
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“I’ve never read a story as dramatically understated that sings so powerfully and honestly about the sense of life that stands in tribute to bravery as Susan Gabriel’s The Secret Sense of Wildflower…When fiction sings, we must applaud.” – T. T. Thomas, author of A Delicate Refusal
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“The story is powerful, very powerful. Excellent visuals, good drama. I raced to get to the conclusion...but didn’t really want to read the last few pages because then it would be over! I look forward to Gabriel’s next offering.” – Nancy Purcell, Author
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“Just finished this with tears streaming down my face. Beautifully written with memorable characters who show resilience in the face of tragedy. I couldn’t put this down and will seek Susan Gabriel’s other works. This is truly one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time.” – A.C.
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“An interesting story enhanced by great writing, this book was a page turner. It captures life in the Tennessee mountains truthfully but not harshly. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.” – E. Jones
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“I don’t even know how to tell you what I love about this book --- the incredible narrator? The heartbreaking and inspiring storyline? The messages about hope, wisdom, family and strength? All of those!! Everything about it!” – K. Peck
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“Lovely, soul stirring novel. I absolutely could not put it down! Beautifully descriptive, evocative story told in the voice of Wildflower, a young girl of the mountains, set in a wild yet beautiful 1940’s mountain town, holds you captive from the start. I had to wait to write my review, as I was crying too hard to see!” – V.C.
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“I write novels, too, but this writer is fantastic. The story is authentic and gripping. Her voice through the child, Wildflower, is captivating. This story would make a great movie. I love stories that portray life changing tragedy and pain coupled with power of the human spirit to survive and continue to love and forgive. Bravo! Susan. Please write more and more.” –Judi D.
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“This is a wonderful story that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer.” –T.B. Markinson
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“I was pretty blown away by how good this book is. I didn’t read it with any expectations, hadn’t heard anything about it really, so when I read it, I realized from page one that it is a well written, powerful book.” – Quixotic Magpie
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“If you liked Little Women or if you love historical fiction and coming-of-age novels, this is the book for you. Definitely add The Secret Sense of Wildflower to your TBR pile; you won’t regret it.” – PandaReads
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“Bottom line: A great story about a strong character!”
– Meg, A Bookish Affair
Get The Secret Sense of Wildflower here.
Acknowledgments
Gullah Secrets came into being because the readers of Temple Secrets asked for more from the characters they had grown to love—Old Sally, Queenie, Rose and Violet. Thankfully, I loved these characters, too, and was happy to spend more time with them and continue their story. So, first of all, thank you to my endearing readers. A writer is nothing without her readers.
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Of great help to me on Gullah Secrets was my daughter, Krista Lunsford, whose love of history and research talents made her the perfect person to gather information on Gullah spells and traditions. Anything you found interesting in this book is surely a result of her input. Also, of monumental importance to my writing life is my business manager, Anne Alexander, who skillfully completes all the marketing and technical things that are so absolutely foreign to my writer skill set. And if that isn’t enough, she also talks me down from the cliff when my confidence wanes.
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The first readers of this book were incredibly helpful in offering their feedback: Nancy Purcell, Cheryl Groeneveld, Susan Burnside and Maureen McGough. Susan Burnside also does an amazing job as project manager for the audiobook versions of all my books. Thanks to Laura Dragonette for her excellent copy editing and Lizzie Gardiner, who created the wonderful cover.
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Gratitude to all of these members of my writing team who have been an enormous help in getting Gullah Secrets out into the world and into the hands of readers.
About the Author
Susan Gabriel is an Amazon & Nook #1 bestselling author who lives in the mountains of North Carolina. Her novel, The Secret Sense of Wildflower, earned a starred review (“for books of remarkable merit”) from Kirkus Reviews and was selected as one of their Best Books of 2012.
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She is also the author of Temple Secrets, Trueluck Summer, Lily’s Song, Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories and other books Discover more about Susan at SusanGabriel.com.
Books by Susan Gabriel
Fiction
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Temple Secrets
Gullah Secrets (sequel to Temple Secrets)
The Secret Sense of Wildflower
(a Best Book of 2012 – Kirkus Reviews)
Lily’s Song (sequel to The Secret Sense of Wildflower)
Trueluck Summer
Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories
Seeking Sara Summers
Circle of the Ancestors
Quentin & the Cave Boy
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Nonfiction
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Fearless Writing for Women:
Extreme Encouragement & Writing Inspiration
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