Beloved author Sheila Williams beautifully captures the bittersweet humor and vivid adventures of women who survive the worst life can toss at them and fight back to claim their right to be free, to be themselves, and to live on.
The courage to change doesn't come easy. When Opal Sullivan walks out on an abusive husband after 15 years, she has only her dreams in her pocket. Her new beginning starts in Appalachian River country, where she sees a bit of herself in a graceful but dilapidated house. Like Opal, the house is worn-out and somewhat beaten up, but it still stands proudly and deserves a second chance.
So Opal opens her doors - and her heart - to a parade of unforgettable characters. There's sassy Bette Smith with her cantaloupe-colored hair and four-inch heels; short-tempered Gloria and her devilish son, Troy; the mysterious Dana, who dresses in black and keeps exclusively nocturnal hours; a dog named Bear who is afraid of his own shadow; and Jack, who doesn't mind hanging out with an OBBWA (old black broad with an attitude). It is Jack who helps Opal understand a funny thing about life: You can't move forward if you keep looking back.
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"I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Sheila Williams, and intend to read more of her stories. I love her goal of writing about women who survive bad times and have the courage to fight back and reclaim their lives. I like the line "You can't move forward if you keep looking back"" — Bj (5 out of 5 stars)
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Sheila Williams, and intend to read more of her stories. I love her goal of writing about women who survive bad times and have the courage to fight back and reclaim their lives. I like the line "You can't move forward if you keep looking back""
" Novel set in Louisville. The author lives in Newport, KY. Saw her interviewed on KET. Nothing phenomenal, but I enjoyed this as a nice little slice of Southern Lit. Good story line with lots of interesting characters. "
" What an empowered woman. This would make a great chick flick. Excellent beach or vacation read. :) "
" Good book about an abused woman's journey to recovery. "
" The Shade of My Own Tree was the first book I read by Shelia Williams and it's one of my favs. Love the plot and the way it dealt with love self-esteem and domestic violence. "
" The cast of eccentric, but very real characters make this a great read. "
" Great book about aabused woman and her recovery. Very accurate. "
" This was a good book, I like dv. Could have been a little more dv and less S&M.... Hahaha. "
Sheila Williams is the author of six books, including Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, the basis for the Netflix film Juanita. She is the librettist for the opera Fierce, commissioned by The Cincinnati Opera, with music by William Menefield, which premiered in July, 2022.
Patricia R. Floyd has narrated dozens of audiobooks throughout her career, including Denise Nicholas’ Freshwater Road and Ellease Southerland’s Let the Lion Eat Straw. Balanced with her audiobook work, she has directed several plays at Stamford Theatre Works. She has won five AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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