The Little Bird
by Ashby Jones
GENRE: Historical fiction
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/29/2024
DESCRIPTION:
In 1964, Shane McCauley witnessed the murder of Jesse, his best friend and surrogate brother, by Sergeant Talley, a drunken white police officer. Devastated by the news that the court declared Talley innocent, Shane joined the Marine Corps to escape his grief. Nearly 8 years later, Shane returns to his hometown to avenge Jesse’s death by killing Talley.
Meanwhile, Suzanne de Ville is also back in Meridien for the anniversary of her father’s death. Her father, a lawyer, took his own life shortly after failing to convict Jesse’s killer. Apart from her grief over her father’s death, Suzanne also carries her guilt of an unforgivable deed she has done. So she is back with a mission: to uncover the truth behind her father’s failure and then follow in his final footsteps.
When Shane and Suzanne finally meet, their connection is instant. But neither is aware of the other’s plans. As their bond deepens, they are torn between redemption and the possibility of love and forgiveness.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ashby Jones has been writing historical novels for 30 years. Jones has degrees in Literature and Clinical Psychology, and Creative Writing at UCLA under the guidance of Leonardo Bercovici. Jones previously published "The Angel’s Lamp" in 2017, which was well-received and reviewed by the Irish Times. Jones’s passion is writing literary fiction that attempts to understand mankind’s never-ending battles with irony, tragedy, blatant contradiction and the anomalies of love. Such is the focus of "The Crossing." He studied under such notables as William Hoffman, a best-selling author, and years later at UCLA under Leonardo Bercovici, a highly regarded screenwriter.
REVIEWS:
"'The Little Bird' tells an imaginative, wistful story of an eccentric young woman and her steadfast lover, navigating a relationship while confronting the relentless demons from a conflicted past. The free-spirited, haunted and risk-taking Suzanne, leaves a lasting impression." — Jeanne M. Harrington, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emerita, University of Nebraska at Omaha
"Novelist Ashby Jones gives us a story of haunting and haunted power, at once intimate and mythic, immediate and fantastical, with heroes ready to sacrifice life itself as they risk redemption." — David Groff, author of "Live in Suspense"
COMPARATIVE FILM/BOOK:
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee. A Long Petal of the Sea - Isabel Allende. Angle of Repose - Wallace Stegner
CASTING:
Jenna Ortega (Suzanne). John Francis Daley (Shane) Anthony Hopkins (Talley)
PRIMARY VENUES/LOCATIONS WITHIN THE BOOK:
Southern Virginia
BOOK EXCERPT:
Download an Excerpt
Enter your name and email address to download an excerpt of this book.