by Ron Rash
First published 2012
Laurel Shelton lives alone in a remote Appalachian cove that locals from Mars Hill consider cursed. They whisper she practices witchcraft. Her brother Hank has just returned from fighting in France during World War I. One day Laurel discovers Walter in the woods, nearly killed by yellow jacket stings. He carries only a silver flute and a note explaining he cannot speak and travels to New York. She brings him home and tends his wounds. As Walter recovers, he settles into cove life and wins Laurel's affection. For the first time, she experiences genuine happiness. But Walter conceals something that threatens their future together. Meanwhile, army recruiter Chauncey Feith spreads patriotic fever and suspicion throughout the county. The war nears its end, yet fear and hatred grow stronger. When Walter's secret emerges, Laurel faces a choice between love and survival in a community ready to destroy what it cannot understand.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Appalachian Cove, Mars Hill, New York
Period: World War I
255 pages · Hardcover · Ecco
Content warnings: violence