Stars of Alabama
A Novel by Sean of the South
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4.4 • 66 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
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 DepressionBook length: approximately 98,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubsAlso by Sean Dietrich: The Incredible Winston Browne
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set during the Dust Bowl, this pleasing, ambitious epic from Dietrich (Sean of the South) brings together unlikely allies all escaping dire situations. In rural Alabama, 15-year-old Marigold is arrested for stealing food she was hoping to feed Maggie, her infant daughter that she left in the woods while robbing the general store. While laying shingles, migrant workers Paul and Vern discover the abandoned girl, who they take under their care. Meanwhile, in a parallel plot, a revivalist preacher travels the Midwest with his son Coot and a disgruntled group of followers. One night, Coot and follower Blake run away with Coot's father's money and head for Blake's hometown of Mobile, Ala. While Paul, Vern, and the baby travel to find work, they meet a mother and two kids who are trekking across country as well, looking for a place to settle. Marigold, constantly thinking of the baby she lost, discovers that she has a magical gift of healing. Coot, as he is approaching Alabama, realizes his remarkable gifts of memory and the power of his preaching. As the dust swells and WWII looms, the characters intersect in unusual, surprising ways. Though filled with preachers declaring judgment and prophecies of the end-time, Dietrich's hopeful tale illuminates the small rays of faith that shine even in dark times.
Customer Reviews
Warm & wonderful read. Love the characters and how the story weaves together.
This is a wonderful book full of well developed characters. The story weaves together to come to an ending that warms the heart.