Long Gone, Come Home
by Monica Chenault-Kilgore
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Pub Date Jun 06 2023 | Archive Date Jun 18 2023
Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House
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Description
“A poignant and powerful debut novel… Monica Chenault-Kilgore has penned a sweeping, poetic story of love and family told through the eyes of a courageous and unforgettable heroine.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Our Last Days in Barcelona
Spanning from the joyous peak of the 1930s jazz era to the Great Depression and civil rights movement, Long Gone, Come Home weaves a poetic tale of love, life, and loss as one woman learns the true meaning of home.
Birdie Jennings dreams of a big life beyond her small town of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, beyond her mundane job tying tobacco leaves at Wrights Factory, beyond her position as the baby of the family. Her life changes when she meets Jimmy Walker, a smooth talker and dreamer. Jimmy makes big promises of a magical life filled with poetry, passion, and music, and Birdie is quickly swept off her feet. But some short years after they marry, Jimmy leaves for work and never returns, and Birdie is left behind with two toddlers and no explanation for her husband’s latest disappearance. With no support system, Birdie moves back home with her overbearing mother.
Just as she's settling into her new life, Birdie witnesses a gruesome murder and flees Mt. Sterling to avoid questioning. For the first time, Birdie is truly on her own. She travels to the big cities of Cincinnati and Chicago just as she dreamed, but with a new goal: find Jimmy and bring him home. Along the way, Birdie explores the bustling jazz scenes in the hottest nightclubs and backwoods juke joints. Finding her place among criminals and saints is tough, but Birdie is tougher, and she soon wonders if an independent life on her own terms is the better way forward.
Advance Praise
“A big-hearted story of perseverance, family, and ambition… In Birdie, Chenault-Kilgore has created an unforgettable heroine whose resilience and determination will resonate long after you finish reading.” —Bryn Turnbull, internationally bestselling author of The Last Grand Duchess
“A heart-filled tale about a young woman willing to sacrifice it all for love and family. Set against the background of the Great Depression and Jim Crow, Chenault-Kilgore’s debut tugs every emotion as Birdie fights to make a way out of no way.” —Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms
“A poignant and powerful debut novel… Monica Chenault-Kilgore has penned a sweeping, poetic story of love and family told through the eyes of a courageous and unforgettable heroine.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Our Last Days in Barcelona
“An extraordinary tale of resilience and determination… Long Gone, Come Home takes us on a journey of the 1930s jazz era and civil rights movement through the eyes of a tenacious and unforgettable heroine. Birdie’s enduring story is one of love, loss, family and survival… I was blown away by this powerful, heart-wrenching and ultimately hopeful debut!” —Eliza Knight, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop
“Nuanced and atmospheric, this is a story of people pursuing big dreams amid great injustice, and ultimately realizing the value of family and the enduring power of love.” —Kristin Beck, author of The Winter Orphans
“A remarkable story wonderfully told…with a wealth of captivating characters in a story about relationships, identity, struggles, and the heartbreak and joys of a Black woman and her family… Birdie is unforgettable—from page one, this complicated young woman grabs hold and doesn’t let go until the last sentence.” —Denny S. Bryce, bestselling author of Wild Women and the Blues
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781525804762 |
| PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Available on NetGalley
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