Grow Old and Don't Die
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Pub Date Sep 15 2026 | Archive Date Aug 13 2026
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Description
A gripping tale of generational conflict, corporate rapaciousness, and George Washington's musings on modern American life.
For over 150 years, Rosa and her son Wyeth have blended into the shadows of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, masking their immortality behind the cluttered shelves of a junk-filled thrift store. Their secret is the Eternal Spring—a life-giving fountain hidden within a mountainside cave—but their long lives have yielded more baggage than treasure. When Richie Scowl, the ruthless heir to a corporate energy empire, discovers their secret and moves to seize the spring, the family’s quiet existence is shattered. Forced out of hiding, they must confront the modern world and the ancient ghosts that have haunted them for over a century.
As the confrontation reaches a breaking point, the past collides violently with the present. Wyeth is forced to reckon with the guilt of a friend’s death while protecting the man’s imperiled daughter, all while forming a dangerous, uncharacteristic bond with Scowl’s own granddaughter, Pawpaw. Meanwhile, Rosa grapples with her own mortality from a hospital bed, revisiting a haunted love story in a castle now owned by a man obsessed with her legend. In a heated standoff at the entrance to the springs, Wyeth’s defensive walls are put to the ultimate test, forcing him to decide if their eternal secret is worth the cost of their souls.
Hovering above it all is George Washington, who once frequented Berkeley Springs and now narrates events from beyond the grave. From his vantage point, he observes the town and communes with the living through the Roman Baths, where past and present blur.
Inspired by a wealthy nineteenth century politician and whisky distiller who constructed a castle in a West Virginia hamlet to woo a much younger woman, Grow Old and Don’t Die stress tests the durability of friendship, the desire for power, and the ability to hold a grudge when pursued over periods far beyond the average human lifespan.
Advance Praise
“With its gripping story of intergenerational conflict and corporate rapaciousness, Grow Old and Don’t Die leaves the reader with an unforgettable and moving meditation on aging and mortality.”
~ Len Kruger, author of the novel Bad Questions, winner of the 2023 Washington Writers’ Publishing House Fiction Award
“Grow Old and Don’t Die sucked me into its dreamworld. With violence, theft, and the ghost of George Washington, I fell in love with this weird story and its weird characters.”
~ Denise Robbins, author of The Unmapping
"Grow Old and Don’t Die is a fun and wild ride, probing at life’s central question of how to keep it going.” ~ Michael Don, author of Partners and Strangers
"Lyrical, suspenseful, and richly imagined, this speculative tale explores the cost of eternal life and the fragile beauty of mortality. This haunting, wise, and wholly original novel lingers long after the final page.” ~ Clifford Garstang, author of The Last Bird of Paradise
Marketing Plan
MEDIA HOOKS
- America is turning 250. What would George Washington make of the state of the union? This book imagines that he’s been observing us all along, and he has thoughts.
- America’s oldest spa is located in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. George Washington was a frequent visitor. In the late nineteenth century, a rich politician named Samuel Taylor Suit built a castle on the hill above town to woo his young love interest, but their story ended tragically. This book explores a forgotten episode of American history and brings to life a West Virginia hamlet that should be on every tourist’s list.
- We’re living in an age of ever-increasing lifespans. How will the ability to live longer affect friendships, relationships, and even existential musings. Grow Old and Don’t Die probes these questions before future generations will live through them.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781950544646 |
| PRICE | $9.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 296 |