Feral, North Carolina, 1965

by June Sylvester Saraceno

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Pub Date Sep 17 2019 | Archive Date Sep 17 2019

Southern Fried Karma | SFK Press

General Fiction (Adult)

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Description

Ten-year-old Willie Mae doesn’t just live near the town of Feral, she’s a bit feral herself. Smarting from her older brother’s recent preference for hanging out with boys his own age, and determined to uncover the secrets adults are clearly trying to keep from her, she spends her days eavesdropping or exploring on her bike. Raised in a fundamentalist Christian family, she has an uneasy relationship with God, while acknowledging that he has the cosmic upper hand. The tightening knot of gender chafes her. The imminent integration of public schools reveals a full spectrum of racism infecting everyone she knows. Willie is no Pollyanna. She can be a fire-starter, a bully, sometimes mean and manipulative, sometimes naive and well-intentioned. Ultimately, her curiosity about the secret world of adults will lead to discoveries about the brutality of her surroundings that will shake her to her core and leave a lasting impact.

Advance Praise

"Aside from a perfect title, June Sylvester Saraceno's slender forest fire of a book is full of delights. What a welcome fictional triumph from one of my favorite poets. I am only sad that there aren't a few hundred more pages!" — Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The House of Broken Angels, winner the American Academy of Arts and Letters Fiction Award

“Feral, North Carolina, 1965 is an impressive first novel, both as story and in its fine use of language to bring either a landscape, a face, or a room colorfully to life. “Willie,” June Sylvester Saraceno’s young narrator, introduces us to her beloved older brother Dare, parents, extended family, and a few hypocritical church ladies. Willie, a girl coming of age and struggling with gender identity, is an eavesdropper and questioner who wonders about God and church, slowly learns about dark family secrets and, finally, about the pain of race hatred sparked by school integration. Masterfully told, full of discovery and surprise, the novel is both enjoyable and rewarding.” — Peter Makuck

“June Sylvester Saraceno has created a character for the ages; Willie Mae Miller is curious, clear-eyed, hilarious, and a little bit feral, herself—on her trusty bike, she becomes the perfect tour guide to 1965’s North Carolina. I love this book with every bit of my heart.” — Gayle Brandeis

"Aside from a perfect title, June Sylvester Saraceno's slender forest fire of a book is full of delights. What a welcome fictional triumph from one of my favorite poets. I am only sad that there...