Today for Friday Fiction I am reviewing The Dogwood Gospel by Cindy Mogan
Book Description:
A talented young trick rider finds unexpected community in a traveling carnival, only to discover secrets in the shadow of the Big Top.
Kentucky, 1954. Sixteen-year-old Charlie has no memory of being abandoned as a toddler—only the life she’s known with Mama Rose and Papa Arlo, the rigidly devout couple who raised her as their own. But when Papa Arlo’s rules begin pressing tighter by the day, and Mama Rose reveals a long-buried secret, Charlie realizes the truth of her past lies elsewhere. So she runs.
Disguised as a boy and dreaming of a future beyond the hills, Charlie follows the Ohio River to the Southland Carnival, where her fiery red curls and daring trick riding skills catch the owner’s eye, and Charlie is transformed into a featured act. As “The Irish Princess,” she soars beneath the Big Top, thrilling crowds and finding family among the carnival’s kindhearted misfits and wounded souls.
Back in the hills of rural Kentucky, police chief Curtis Cates has his hands full with the disappearance of three local girls when he receives the call that Charlie has gone missing. As he begins investigating, the evidence leads in a shocking direction, calling to mind an unsolved murder that has haunted him for thirteen years. When the trail takes him to the Southland Carnival, Charlie’s hard-won freedom collides with the secrets she fled, forcing both of them to face truths that have waited too long to be told.
Award-winning singer-songwriter Cindy Morgan, author of “mesmerizing” and “atmospheric” (Historical Novel Society) Southern fiction, delivers a coming-of-age story threaded with mystery and heart that’s perfect for fans of Donna Everhart and Ellen Marie Wiseman.
-Standalone Southern women’s fiction in the vein of Kim Michele Richardson and Lisa Wingate
-Captivating historical fiction set in the 1950s that’s perfect for book clubs
-Features a horse-riding heroine, a cold-case mystery, and themes of adoption, forgiveness, belonging, and found family
-Includes discussion questions
Book Review:
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
This is the first book I have read by Cindy Morgan and it won’t be my last. This is my top read so far of this year. As others mentioned it’s hard to put in a category. It is historical but also includes a cold case, coming to age and a mystery that goes threads through the whole book.
The book starts with a murder. This murder will take 13 years to solve. In a small country town in Kentucky called Hurt this murder takes place. Police chief Curtis Cates who at the time was just a deputy is called to this murder and it will haunt him for the next 13 years.
Just prior to the murder a salesman came across the scene and saves the child Charlie and takes her to a family to raise. The book then jumps forward 13 years where Charlie is now 16 living with adoptive parents and struggling. Her father is strict and also abusive in many ways. When he tried to make her do something she runs away and eventually joins the circus.
The running away leads to police chief Curtis Cates investigating her going missing which leads to other missing teens. The circus seems to be a common link.
This story covers some deep issues but at the same time there is a lot of lighter moments. The book reads so well and I didn’t want to put it down. I read it in 2 days and enjoyed it. I love Charlie’s spirit and love the Circus elements. But the darker sides while real and need to be exposed may bother readers who struggle with any form of abuse and the darker side of life. There are positive messages in this book, and the faith element is real.
There is so much I would like to say about the book, but I don’t want to give anything away. I could see this book as a Cold Case miniseries as it has all the elements. While it does cover some heavy subjects, I am so glad I got to read this book. As mentioned, it is my number one read of the year.