Orphaned at age eight, JoAnna Wilson was raised by her eccentric aunt in the bucolic southern community of Mt. Moriah. Now a twenty-six-year old would-be writer, JoAnna faces several crossroads: in her marriage, in her career, and in her faith.
JoAnna left home for Chicago in 1997 immediately following the murder of her best friend, Grace. Now she comes back to Mt. Moriah for the first time in four years to attend her aunt’s funeral—and realizes that she must confront both the profound sorrow she feels over Grace’s death and the mysterious guilt she carries. She must finally grieve.
A hauntingly sweet story of love and loss that alternates between JoAnna’s childhood in Mt. Moriah, her life in Chicago, and her present encounters upon returning home, Mt. Moriah’s Wake ponders deep questions: When we experience unspeakable tragedy, do we see ourselves as victim or survivor? Is it possible to regain happiness in the face of such? And how do we find our faith again, once it is lost?
As her past and present worlds collide, JoAnna grapples with these questions—and her journey moves toward an unexpected conclusion.
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“Carro sensitively chronicles JoAnna’s emotional struggle—upon Aunt Doro’s death, she returns home, and old demons barely silenced demand an audience…The author’s emotional astuteness and the depth of her characters remain impressive.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“An absolute must-read.”
— Nashville Lifestyles“Carro pulls off a thoughtful account of JoAnn losing and regaining her faith. This will charm and inspire.”
— Publishers Weekly“A captivating writer who immediately drew me into her compelling story of mystery, love, and resilience.”
— Andrea Jarrell, author of I’m the One Who Got AwayBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Melissa Norton Carro is the author of the novel Mt. Moriah’s Wake. She has edited textbooks and been a nonfiction ghostwriter as well as a copyeditor for Gannett Publishing. She received her Bachelor of Arts with honors from Vanderbilt University, where she works. She also is manager of her own business, Norton Carro Communications.
David Black is a former Fleet Street journalist and television documentary producer. He is also the author of a nonfiction book, Triad Takeover: A Terrifying Account of the Spread of Triad Crime in the West.