Kinfolk
Format:Paperback
Publisher:HarperCollins Focus
Published:1st Feb '24
Should be back in stock very soon
Sometimes it’s the most unlikely meetings that give us life’s greatest gifts.
1970s, Southern Alabama. Sixty-two-year-old Jeremiah Lewis Taylor, or “Nub,” has spent his whole life listening to those he loves tell him he’s no good—first his ex-wife, now his always-disapproving daughter. Sure, his escapades have made him, along with his cousin and perennial sidekick, Benny, just a smidge too familiar with small-town law enforcement, but he’s never harmed anyone—except perhaps himself.
Nub never meant to change his ways, but when he and fifteen-year-old Waffle House waitress Minnie form an unlikely friendship, he realizes for the first time that there may be some good in him after all. Six-foot-five Minnie has been dealt a full deck of bad luck—her father is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence, her mother is dead and buried, and she has a Grand Ole Opry–worthy singing voice with no place to perform. Oh, and there’s the small fact that she’s unexpectedly pregnant, courtesy of a no-good high-school boy.
Gradually, Nub realizes the gift he’s been given: a second chance to make a difference.
Beloved Southern writer Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of the South, once again brings people and places to life in this lyrical song-turned-story about found family, second chances, country music, and the poignant power of love and forgiveness.
- Heartwarming Southern fiction from Sean of the South
- Stand-alone novel
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
- Also by Sean Dietrich: The Incredible Winston Browne, Stars of Alabama, and You Are My Sunshine <
Kinfolk is the Southern story you've been waiting for. * Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea *
Dietrich's latest gem combines his trademark wit and compassion. Using short, unadorned sentences, there is a timeless universality to the way in which he conjures ordinary people scarred by hardscrabble lives. His prose has a familiarity and gentle reverence for his cast members, allowing each their moment in the sun. Minnie's artistic coming-of-age is profound and uplifting, while Nub's life-changing decision puts him back in touch with his feelings and those of everyone around him. Reminiscent of his previous novels, and skillfully date-stamped in the early Seventies, Dietrich's keen observations of his native Alabama underscore a natural love of life-affirming storytelling. * Historical Novel Society *
Sean Dietrich has a lovely, seasoned voice that's anchored by his deep understanding of the charm and depth of the South. Kinfolk, the latest in his oeuvre, is a heartwarming and well-told tale with lyrical writing that's as rich as my mother's grits casserole. I'm left satisfied, uplifted, and perhaps a little homesick too. * Boo Walker, bestselling author of A Spanish Sunrise *
Sean Dietrich is a master at creating Southern characters who are relatable in their brokenness, hope, and perseverance. Laugh-out-loud colloquialisms bring sincerity and realism to small-town life. Kinfolk spins both a heartbreaking and heartwarming tale about family, redemption, second chances, and the power of love that moves us all. * Jennifer Moorman, bestselling author of The Baker’s Man *
ISBN: 9781400235636
Dimensions: 212mm x 141mm x 23mm
Weight: 362g
400 pages