There was another South in the 1960s, one far removed from the
marches and bombings and turmoil in the streets that were broadcast
on the evening news. It was a place of inner turmoil, where
ordinary people struggled to right themselves on a social landscape
that was dramatically shifting beneath their feet. This is the
world of Valerie Fraser Luesse's stunning debut, Missing
Isaac.
It is 1965 when black field hand Isaac Reynolds goes missing from
the tiny, unassuming town of Glory, Alabama. The townspeople's
reactions range from concern to indifference, but one boy will stop
at nothing to find out what happened to his unlikely friend. White,
wealthy, and fatherless, young Pete McLean has nothing to gain and
everything to lose in his relentless search for Isaac. In the
process, he will discover much more than he bargained for. Before
it's all over, Pete--and the people he loves most--will have to
blur the hard lines of race, class, and religion. And what they
discover about themselves may change some of them forever.
Isaac believed in luck. But from Pete's point of view,
Isaac's luck had all run out.
When Pete McLean loses his father in the summer of 1962, his friend
Isaac is one of the few people he can lean on. Though their worlds
are as different as black and white, friendship knows no color. So
when Isaac suddenly goes missing, Pete is determined to find out
what happened--no matter what it costs him. His quest will lead him
into parts of town that he knows only through rumors and introduce
him to a girl who will change his life. What they discover together
will change the small Southern town of Glory,
Alabama--forever.
With vivid descriptions, palpable atmosphere, and unforgettable
characters, debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into
the rural South of the 1960s--a place where ordinary people
struggle to find their footing in a social landscape that is
shifting beneath their feet.
"Valerie Fraser Luesse's beautiful story reveals the human heart
that always beats beneath the headlines. In the process, she
movingly illuminates not only the spirit of a special region but
the soul of every human being who ever dared to care. Missing
Isaac will break--and then heal--your heart."--J. I.
Baker, journalist and author of The Empty
Glass
"Welcome debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse to the legions of
gifted Southern writers before her. Missing Isaac is the
first of what we hope will be many more tales from this talented
writer."--Nancy Dorman-Hickson, coauthor of Diplomacy and
Diamonds and a former editor for Progressive Farmer and
Southern Living magazines
"Valerie Luesse has an ear for dialogue, an eye for detail, and a
profound gift for storytelling. She breathes life into these
colorful Southern characters and this quirky Alabama town from the
first page."--Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern
Living magazine
Valerie Fraser Luesse is an award-winning writer and a
senior travel editor for Southern Living. Specializing in
stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse has
published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta,
Louisiana's Acadian Prairie, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
She lives in Alabama.
Valerie Fraser Luesse is an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she is currently a senior travel editor. Her work has been anthologized in the audio collection Southern Voices and in A Glimpse of Heaven, an essay collection featuring works by C. S. Lewis, Randy Alcorn, John Wesley, and others. As a freelance writer and editor, she was the lead writer for Southern Living 50 Years: A Celebration of People, Places, and Culture. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse has published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana's Acadian Prairie, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana won the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society. Luesse earned her bachelor's degree in English at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and her master's degree in English at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She grew up in Harpersville, Alabama, a rural community in Shelby County, and now lives in Birmingham.