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.
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