by Moore
First published 2021
Shelley arrives in Memphis from rural Wyoming in the 1960s, a white teenager thrust into a segregated city crackling with racial tension. The Memphis she encounters bears no resemblance to her Wyoming upbringing. As civil rights conflicts intensify around her, Shelley must navigate the rigid social boundaries that define her new home. Her choices put her at odds with the white community that expects her conformity. Instead, she finds acceptance in unexpected places, crossing lines that others refuse to cross. These decisions isolate her from one world while opening doors to another. Shelley's coming of age unfolds against the backdrop of a city torn apart by historical forces larger than any individual. Moore traces how a young woman discovers her own moral compass while straddling two communities in a divided South. This is the story of how Shelley's personal awakening mirrors the broader social upheaval of her time.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, personal-awakening
Setting: Memphis, Wyoming
Period: 1960s
288 pages · Perfect Paperback · Alchemy Media Publishing