The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree

India Hayford

$39.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Kensington Publishing
29 April 2025

Historical fiction

Disguised by a name she found on a tombstone and accompanying a Vietnam vet she met in a graveyard, an unconventional young snake-handler who talks to the dead returns to the ghosts of her childhood home in 1967 Arkansas...

Readers of Delia Owens, Barbara Kingsolver, Kelly Mustian, and Quinn Connor will be captivated by this haunting Southern debut about found family, folk magic, the long shadow of trauma, the salvation of human connection, and the transcendent beauty of nature.

Disguised by a name she found on a tombstone and accompanying a Vietnam vet she met in a graveyard, an unconventional young snake-handler who talks to the dead returns to the ghosts of her childhood home in 1967 Arkansas...

Readers of Delia Owens, Barbara Kingsolver, Kelly Mustian, and Quinn Connor will be captivated by this haunting Southern debut about found family, folk magic, the long shadow of trauma, the salvation of human connection, and the transcendent beauty of nature.

Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she's wandered throughout the South, escaping a mental hospital in Alabama, working for a Louisiana circus, and dancing at a hoochy-kootch in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she's allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother's Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory.

She intends only to visit briefly - to pay respects to her buried loved ones and leave. But a chance meeting with a haunted young Vietnam vet reconnects her with the remnants of a family she thought long gone, and their union becomes a catalyst for change and salvation. An abused woman and her daughters develop the courage to fight back, a ghost finds the path away from life, and a sanctimonious predator becomes the prey. In the process, Genevieve must choose between her longing for meaningful connection after years as an outsider and her equally excruciating impulse to run.

Written by a naturalist and set on the land where her family roots stretch back two centuries, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a haunting story about letting go and the things we leave behind, the power of names, and the ties that bind. It is both harrowing and triumphant, a visceral Southern debut as otherworldly and beautiful as it is unflinching and wry.
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By: India Hayford
Imprint: Kensington Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9781496753120
ISBN 10: 1496753127
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

India Hayford is a naturalist, teacher, historical reenactor, artist, and author. The recipient of the Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award for best work informed by a relationship with the natural world, she is the author of two nonfiction books, a short story collection, and her debut novel, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree. She also writes The Howl, a quarterly wildlife newsletter with national distribution, and her articles have appeared in various regional and national publications, including Threads and Needle Arts. A member of Member of Wyoming Writers and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, she is a regular speaker at the Werner Wildlife Museum, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Embroiderers Guild of America, and local historical and arts organizations. She was born in Arkansas, where her family roots go back to the 1830s and her family tree farm still stands in Hempstead County. She now lives with her husband in Wyoming, but she returns every year to visit the hills, swamps, and pine forests of southwest Arkansas. Visit her online at IndiaHayford.com.

Reviews for The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree

"Praise for The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree ""Set in rural Arkansas in 1967, India Hayford's evocative and beautifully crafted tale is infused with magical realism and dark humor. This powerful narrative of belonging and the unexpected gifts and challenges of finding one’s place in the world is a mesmerizing read that will leave you pondering the interplay of fate and free will. It's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring quest for home."" —Susan Wiggs, # 1 New York Times bestselling author"