by Brad Watson
First published 2016
Jane Chisolm enters the world in early twentieth century rural Mississippi carrying a genital birth defect that will reshape her entire existence. In a time and place where women find purpose through marriage and motherhood, Jane faces a different path. The country doctor who delivers her becomes an unlikely friend and guide. A boy falls in love with her but circumstances force him away. Jane discovers her own strength amid the demanding rhythms of farm labor and the wild beauty of the natural world around her. Her body may deny her conventional roles, but her spirit refuses all limitations. She captivates those who know her with a magnetic presence that defies explanation. Free from others' expectations, Jane creates a life entirely her own. Brad Watson draws from his own family history to craft this portrait of a woman who transforms apparent disadvantage into unexpected power.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, biographical-fiction, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unconventional-heroine
Setting: Mississippi
Period: Early 20th Century
288 pages · Kindle Edition · W. W. Norton & Company