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.
About The Author
Cindy Morgan is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter and author. Her debut novel, The Year of Jubilee, was nominated for a Christy Award in General Fiction and an Audie Award for its audiobook performance. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Songwriter of the Year honor and the 2024 Hollywood Independent Music Award for her single "Jubilee," featuring Tommy Sims, from the companion soundtrack The Sounds of Jubilee.
Morgan is a two-time Grammy nominee and a fourteen-time Dove Award winner—including the 2023 Inspirational Album of the Year for her work as a producer. She also received a 2024 Music in Media Award nomination for Documentary Song of the Year for "Pain Has a Purpose." With twenty-one number-one radio singles, she has written songs for an extensive list of artists, including Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Sierra Hull, Sandra McCracken, India.Arie, Rachael Lampa, Rascal Flatts, Echosmith, Ricky Skaggs, Glen Campbell, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, and many others.
Morgan is the cocreator of the charitable Hymns for Hunger Tour with longtime collaborator Andrew Greer, raising awareness and support for hunger relief organizations worldwide. For the past decade, she has partnered with Operation Song, which pairs professional songwriters with veterans navigating PTSD to help them process their stories through music. Most recently, Morgan has collaborated with City Gate and Hope in the Gate, writing songs that give voice to the stories of unhoused individuals across America. She also recently hosted her first annual songwriting intensive, The Troubadour Storyteller's Retreat, alongside her daughters, Cova Gentry and Savannah Shepherd, who are also writers.
Morgan is married to Jonathan, an attorney and songwriter.
For more information visit cindymorganmusic.com.
My Review
A story that read like I was watching a movie. We begin in the 1950's Kentucky, with a sixteen year old girl, living with a very strict family. She is a very pretty girl with a mane of red hair, and she doesn't look anything like her parents.
The story has a lot packed into it, a cold murder case, missing girls, a current murder, and a carnival.
The journey has a lot going on to get answers, and things are not always easy. A Christian read, that really shows some of the dark sides of life! We spend a lot of time at the Circus, aka Carnival, and get to know these folks, life sure isn't easy, and I found out things I never knew.
I loved the epilogue in this read, and the good vs evil theme. Also all along rooting for Charlie!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale, and was not required to give a positive review.
When chronic pain invaded Carolyn Dale Newell’s life, it didn’t just attack her body—it attacked her faith.
Carolyn Dale Newell is a bestselling and award-winning Christian author, certified speaker, andcontributor to iBelieve.com. Despite living with chronic pain, she empowers women to break free from emotional strongholds and embrace lives transformed by faith. She resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband and their two loyal Black Labrador Retrievers.
In 1830s Cornwall, Grace Bayly faces unimaginable events that threaten the survival of her family. Her father and half of her large family are an ocean away and her mother and remaining siblings are poised to follow. As hardships close in, hopes of a new beginning grow distant. She must summon fortitude borne of love and sacrifice to hold her family together. Amid the unyielding grip of loss and grief, Grace steels herself to persist as she faces the ultimate challenge that threatens to break her.
Jane’s love of God and family permeates her life, including her passion to share stories rooted in genealogy and history. She weaves the theme of family into the fabric of her historical fiction and dives deep, by writing about true events and people.
Just because your cousin jumps from a train in the wilderness doesn’t mean you should too.
Susan Count writes for the joy and entertainment of young readers. She is an Amazon best-selling, award-winning author of the Dream Horse Adventures Series, Dream Pony Riders Series, and Texas Boys Adventures.
The recipe for joy? A grateful heart and helping hands!
Fay A. Klingler is an accomplished author and illustrator known for her award-winning work in both creative and technical writing. Her literary contributions span a wide range of subjects, with a particular focus on empowering women, promoting effective grandparenting, and guiding individuals through betrayal recovery. In addition to her inspirational works for adults, Fay is also recognized for her captivating children’s books, weaving together heartwarming stories that spark imagination and impart valuable life lessons. Her insights and expertise have made her a sought-after motivational speaker.
Ever made apple juice by pressing apples through an old wooden apple press? One of my favorite scenes in The Secret Sauce came about because it happened to me in real life—swallowing a fly! I was just a young teenager helping a neighbor press apples for juice. I opened my mouth and in flew a fly. Just like Harper in the story, I coughed and coughed to expel the insect, but instead I swallowed it! I’m the one taking this picture at my neighbor’s home.
To celebrate her tour, Fay is giving away the grand prize of an eBook copy of the book!!
Do you find yourself overcome while living in the darkness of loss? Do you wonder if it will ever end . . . or if you will even survive?
Octogenarian Ladonna Shanks has published two other books of personal essays: Tidbits and Pearls: A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God, A Cascade Award finalist, and Sermons from a Soapbox. My Grief Shared was also a finalist in the Cascade Awards Contest. She strives in all she does to honor God and encourage others.
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