Stars of Alabama: A Novel by Sean of the South

In this heartfelt tale about enduring hope amid the suffering of the Great Depression, Sean Dietrich--also known as Sean of the South--weaves together a tale featuring a cast of characters ranging from a child preacher, a teenage healer, and two migrant workers who give everything they have for their chosen family.

When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant during the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. She is arrested while trying to steal food and loses her baby in the forest, turning her whole world upside down. She's even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power to heal, making her a sought-after local legend.

Meanwhile, middle-aged migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby abandoned in the woods and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men continue their search for work and soon pair up with a poverty-stricken widow, plus her two children, and the misfit family begins taking care of each other.

As survival brings this chosen family together, a young boy finds himself without a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher, is on the run from his abusive tent-revival pastor father with thousands of stolen dollars--and the only thing he's sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination.

In a sweeping saga with a looming second world war, these stories intertwine in surprising ways, reminding us that when the dust clears, we can still see the stars.

• Stand-alone Southern historical fiction set during the Great Depression
• Book length: approximately 98,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs
• Also by Sean Dietrich: The Incredible Winston Browne

Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Good Grit, the Tallahassee Democrat, South Magazine, The Bitter Southerner, Thom Magazine, the Birmingham News, and the Mobile Press Register. He has authored twelve books.

A mediocre sailor and fisherman, a biscuit connoisseur, and a barbecue competition judge when he's not writing, he spends much of his time aboard his fourteen-foot fishing boat (the SS Squirrel) along with his coonhound, Thelma Lou. Visit Sean online at seandietrich.com; Instagram: @seanofthesouth; Facebook: @seanofthesouth; Twitter @seanofthesouth1.