This historical fiction novel is based on the true story of a 1920s felony conviction in Appalachia. Life is hard for Ruby, growing up in poverty on the wrong side of the mountain on her grandfather's rural farm in eastern Tennessee, where the sun didn’t shine. In her search for an easier life and belonging, Ruby accepts the local schoolteacher’s job offer to work at the school, enabling her to escape from her childhood troubles. She makes a life with the schoolteacher, but her heart seeks something more.

Leon, a former farmhand on her grandfather’s farm, darts in and out of Ruby’s life on his way toward a life of crime in the hilly woods of their homeland. He entices Ruby to join him, offering all that would make her life whole.

Ruby makes a series of poor decisions, causing her life to tumble into an unexpected outcome, separating her from everything of her past.

This debut novel takes place in the early 1900s, where the setting and mountain community become other characters in the story. Based on a real-life tale of the author’s grandmother, the reader gets immersed in Ruby’s choices as she searches for worthiness and belonging. Was the pursuit worth the risk of losing her family? After suffering hardship and loss, will Ruby find the courage, resilience, and honest relationships to allow herself to be loved?

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