by Leslie Farin
This month’s pick of the month from Andrea Peskind-Katz from GREAT THOUGHTS, GREAT READERS is The fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock.
What is The Fabled Earth About?
A Gilded Age mystery unfolds on Cumberland Island.
Sometimes the truth is found in a folktale. In 1932, Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia, was a strange place to find the opulence of the Gilded Age. However, the last of the famous Carnegie family still use their grand mansions as brief seasonal residences. A vibrant group gathers at the festivities at Plum Orchard this year. Among them are young men from prominent American families, a hopeful debutante seeking a proposal by the end of the week, and a talented female artist with a mysterious connection to the estate’s wealthy owners. While temptations arise and passions flare, hidden tensions surface. As the evening unfolds, the evening goes awry, shattering the illusion of harmony and leaving lives changed forever.
Fast forward to 1959. Cleo Woodbine, a solitary painter, lived in seclusion on Kingdom Come for decades. At one time, this small piece of land belonged to the servants of the grand estates on nearby Cumberland Island. When a man who saved her life nearly thirty years before returns, the past resurfaces with a vengeance. Cleo’s life becomes entangled with Frances Flood, a folklorist searching for the origins of a local legend. Frances also seeks information about her mother, a guest at a long-ago hunting party. Meanwhile, Audrey Howell, once briefly married and now a widowed innkeeper, discovers a haunting photograph with an eerie double exposure. Some believe the ghostly presence is linked to that tragic night in 1931.
This sweeping tale, inspired by the lesser-known history of the little-known Cumberland Island, explores the collision of Southern folklore and personal reckoning. As a once-in-a-century storm threatens the island’s natural beauty, two timelines converge, revealing hidden secrets. The perspectives of three women intersect, connecting a folktale to the truth and revealing concealed stories from Cumberland Island’s past.
About the Author: Kimberly Brock
Kimberly Brock is the award-winning author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare and The River Witch. She is the founder of Tinderbox Writers Workshop and has served as a guest lecturer for many regional and national writing workshops including at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. Visit her online at kimberlybrockbooks.com; Instagram: @kimberlydbrock; Facebook: @kimberlybrockauthor; Twitter: @kimberlydbrock
About Andrea Peskind Katz from Great Thoughts, Great Readers
Andrea Peskind Katz runs Great Thoughts, Great Readers, a Book Salon presented via her private FB group where approximately 5,000 prolific readers and authors interact. To quote Robert Frost, she created her “second act” career to “unite my avocation and my vocation”. After 20 years in high-pressure sales, Andrea retired to spend time doing what she loves best: hanging with her family and reading good books.
Leslie Farin is the Publisher and Founder of 50PlusToday. She is an experienced communications and marketing professional passionate about working with older adults and their families. She works with a team of writers to provide essential and cutting-edge information related to the 50Plus community.
