Kinfolk - by Sean Dietrich (Paperback)

About the Book

When a mysterious teenager shows up in Nub's life in rural Alabama, he learns that family, forgiveness, and kindness can be found in the most unlikely of places.

Book Synopsis

Sometimes it's the most unlikely meetings that give us life's greatest gifts.

1970s, Southern Alabama. Sixty-two-year-old Jeremiah Lewis Taylor, or "Nub," has spent his whole life listening to those he loves tell him he's no good--first his ex-wife, now his always-disapproving daughter. Sure, his escapades have made him, along with his cousin and perennial sidekick, Benny, just a smidge too familiar with small-town law enforcement, but he's never harmed anyone--except perhaps himself.

Nub never meant to change his ways, but when he and fifteen-year-old Waffle House waitress Minnie form an unlikely friendship, he realizes for the first time that there may be some good in him after all. Six-foot-five Minnie has been dealt a full deck of bad luck--her father is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence, her mother is dead and buried, and she has a Grand Ole Opry-worthy singing voice with no place to perform. Oh, and there's the small fact that she's unexpectedly pregnant, courtesy of a no-good high-school boy.

Gradually, Nub realizes the gift he's been given: a second chance to make a difference.

Beloved Southern writer Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of the South, once again brings people and places to life in this lyrical song-turned-story about found family, second chances, country music, and the poignant power of love and forgiveness.

• Heartwarming Southern fiction from Sean of the South
• Stand-alone novel
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs
• Also by Sean Dietrich: The Incredible Winston Browne, Stars of Alabama, and You Are My Sunshine

Review Quotes

Dietrich's latest gem combines his trademark wit and compassion. Using short, unadorned sentences, there is a timeless universality to the way in which he conjures ordinary people scarred by hardscrabble lives. His prose has a familiarity and gentle reverence for his cast members, allowing each their moment in the sun. Minnie's artistic coming-of-age is profound and uplifting, while Nub's life-changing decision puts him back in touch with his feelings and those of everyone around him. Reminiscent of his previous novels, and skillfully date-stamped in the early Seventies, Dietrich's keen observations of his native Alabama underscore a natural love of life-affirming storytelling.--Historical Novel Society

Kinfolk is the Southern story you've been waiting for.--Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Sean Dietrich has a lovely, seasoned voice that's anchored by his deep understanding of the charm and depth of the South. Kinfolk, the latest in his oeuvre, is a heartwarming and well-told tale with lyrical writing that's as rich as my mother's grits casserole. I'm left satisfied, uplifted, and perhaps a little homesick too.--Boo Walker, bestselling author of A Spanish Sunrise

Sean Dietrich is a master at creating Southern characters who are relatable in their brokenness, hope, and perseverance. Laugh-out-loud colloquialisms bring sincerity and realism to small-town life. Kinfolk spins both a heartbreaking and heartwarming tale about family, redemption, second chances, and the power of love that moves us all.--Jennifer Moorman, bestselling author of The Baker's Man