First published 2020
In the hills and hollows of the Ozarks, lives intersect across generations and circumstances. A troubled teenager grapples with family secrets while an elderly native watches his community change around him. Transplants from the city struggle to find their place among people whose roots run deep in the rocky soil. Some characters wrestle with faith and doubt, others with ghosts both literal and metaphorical. A mother confronts her own breaking point while her neighbor finds unexpected peace. These interconnected stories move between moments of crisis and grace, exploring how people endure loss, seek forgiveness, and discover connection in a landscape that shapes everyone who calls it home. Wiegenstein captures the rhythm of rural life through spare, careful prose that reveals the complexity beneath seemingly simple surfaces.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, interconnected-stories
Setting: Ozarks
Period: 21st-century
176 pages · Paperback · Cornerpost Press