South of Everything: A Novel

(Paperback)

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ForeWord Reviews IndieFab Book of the Year Editors Choice Award Independent Publisher Awards Bronze Best Regional Fiction South Winner of International Book Awards in Religious Fiction Category
Set in 1940s Germantown, Tennessee, South of Everything is a magical coming of age story about the daughter of a plantation-owning family, who, despite her privileged background, finds more in common with the help than her own family. She develops a special kinship with her parents servant Old Thomas, who introduces her to the mysterious Lolololo Treea magical, mystical tree with healing powers that she discovers is wiser than any teacher or parent or priest. Her connection with the Lolololo Tree opens her eyes to the religious and racial prejudice of her surroundings and readers will root for her to fight against injustice and follow her heart to meet her fate.

Reviews

When I was a young black girl I knew my place was on the other side of the track of limited opportunities. And then there was Missy Sara, that other girl, who was rebuked for her cosmopolitan imagination and urban dreams and was raised up in high cotton, separate and unequaled, asking questions that whites disregarded. Thats just the way it waswith her and for me. This story will take you south of everything. Deanie Parker, African America singer/songwriter and former president/CEO of the Soulsville Foundation South of Everything is a coming-of-age journey with poignant moments, distinct characters, and a powerful message about love in a time of harsh race relations. IndieReader, Starred Review In the hands of an adroit storyteller, magical realism has always been one of the most truthful and compelling forms of fiction. Here, Gonzales proves herself to be master of both the form and her material. A beautiful book. Phyllis Tickle, American author and lecturer, founding editor of the Religion Department of Publishers Weekly Audrey Taylor Gonzalez has written a magical tale about the realities of religious and racial prejudice, transformed by the author's compassion and depth of understanding of the flawed nature of humanity. Jimmy Santiago Baca, American Book Award and Pushcart Prize winning poet and novelist

Author Bio

Reverend Audrey Taylor Gonzalez was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1939. In the span of her long career, shes been a journalist, TV host, art gallery owner, racehorse breeder, mountain climber, world traveler, breast cancer survivor, and the first woman to be ordained to holy orders in the Southern Cone of South America at Uruguays Holy Trinity Cathedral in Montevideo. Shes a philanthropist, and mother and grandmother to her own children as well as many people in need that have crossed her path over the years. As a deacon at Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, Audrey received the prestigious Juvenile Court Judges Award for Outstanding Service in 2012 and 2014 and she was selected by the governor of Tennessee as a Commissioner on TCCY (Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth). She is the author of three books, the fictional memoir The Lolololo Tree and two collections of writings and homilies, Sermons and Such and The Shady Place. South of Everything is her first novel. Audrey resides in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information about the author, please visit: www.audreytaylorgonzalez.com.