Whisper of Smoke

In 1960's Kentucky, teenage Susanna loves her family, even if they are a bit eccentric. But when family secrets emerge that threaten Susanna and her siblings, it's a glimpse behind the curtain into a darker reality - one that Susanna isn't ready to face. Instead, she finds escape in the farm next-door and the companionship of her best friend Calvin, and for a while, it's enough - until her feelings for Calvin grow beyond friendship as she needs more from him than he may be able to give. And then he's gone, deployed to Vietnam and more out of reach than ever, and she's left alone to deal what she's been trying so hard to avoid. As a time when the nation is losing its innocence, Susanna's own innocence is falling away as she finds herself at a crossroads - she can continue to run away and risk repeating the mistakes of the past, or she can face the awful truth. And as she searches for redemption for the people she holds dear, it all boils down to a choice between fear and hope. A WHISPER OF SMOKE is a coming-of-age love story that is rich and deeply sensitive. Winner of the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Award, the 2014 Maggie Award for Excellence and the 2014 Heart of Denver Aspen Gold Award, and Finalist for the 2015 International Book Awards, it "reminds us of how exciting, beautiful and painful growing up really is." - Judge, Writers' Digest