A Whisper of Smoke - Paperback

by Angela Hoke (Author)

In 1960s Kentucky, Susanna Braden's caught between protecting her younger siblings from her mother's perniciousness and other lurking dangers, and battling the growing love she feels for her best friend, Calvin. But when family secrets emerge that threaten to destroy her carefully cultivated illusion of safety and Calvin is deployed to Vietnam, Susanna is forced to reexamine the concepts of love, honor, and forgiveness - and it just may be the key to redemption for them all.

Four-time award winner A WHISPER OF SMOKE delivers a coming-of-age love story that is rich and deeply sensitive, and "reminds us how exciting, beautiful and painful growing up really is."

In 1960's Kentucky, Susanna is the responsible one in the family, always looking out for everyone else. But when secrets emerge that threaten to tear her family apart, Susanna's had enough and all she wants is to escape. She retreats to the sanctuary of the farm next door and her friendship with Calvin who, in her mind, represents everything she believes her family isn't -- true, honorable, good -- and she can't help but fall for him. But then Calvin deploys to Vietnam, in love with someone else and even more out of reach than ever.

In the meantime, things at home go from bad to worse, just as Susanna's sense of honor, and fault, are challenged by Calvin's experiences in war. Now, even as her love for Calvin threatens to destroy her, she finds herself at a crossroads - continue running away or face the awful truth, and it all boils down to a choice between fear and hope.

For fans of Sue Monk Kidd, Wally Lamb, Kristin Hannah and Nicholas Sparks, A WHISPER OF SMOKE is a "beautiful, heart-wrenching story" that will grab your heart and leave you breathless. Winner of the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Award for Women's Fiction, the 2015 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Women's Fiction, the 2014 Maggie Award for Excellence and the 2014 Heart of Denver Aspen Gold Award, and Finalist for the 2015 International Book Award.

TRIGGER WARNING: Mild depiction of childhood sexual abuse.

Author Biography

Angela has worked for twenty years in accounting, writing in her spare time. A Whisper of Smoke is her debut novel, and winner of the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Award, the 2014 GRW Maggie Award for Excellence, and the 2014 Heart of Denver Aspen Gold Award. Her short story, The Ceremony (inspired by a scene in this book), was a finalist in the New Millennium Writing Contest, and she studied craft at the Algonkian Writers' Conference. She lives in Nashville, TN with her family, one tiny dog and a bob-tailed cat.