Marmalade and Murder: Tales of the South

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This is for the souls who stay up till 3am with cold coffee in one hand and a crinkled novel in the other with heavy eyelids. This is for those who love reading something inspiring, something creepy, and something that will have them bite their nails-even if they are freshly painted. If you like a country journey with life and death, pain and loss, twists and turns, love and fear…come ride along.

This book is for you.

Thank you.

 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Praying with the Devil: A Tale of Adolescence and Sin 4

Chapter 2: Death House 17

Chapter 3: Hard Toffee 26

Chapter 4: Biddy Valentine 45

Chapter 5: Ethel and Birdy 50

Praying with the Devil: A Tale of Adolescence and Sin

“Come on! You’re almost at the top!” yelled Jeremy. “I can’t! I’m coming down!” I managed to scream out. There I was, stuck in a 15 foot tree. I was almost at the top, but I was afraid. Death looked me straight into the face. I kissed him. He blushed. “Sissy!” all the boys yelled at me. My eyes became tsunamis instantly. As I tried to climb down my foot got tangled with a branch and I tumbled all the way down ending with a hard kiss to the gravel. I could feel my front tooth go though my lip. As I could feel the summer warm blood run down my mouth like the Niagara Falls I realized how weak I was. Legs covered in red blood and dirt, my face looked exactly the same. My strawberry blonde hair was in a tangled mess. My blue and white striped shirt was covered in dirt. My legs looked as if I tried to shave with sandpaper and broken glass. I was humiliated. “Addie, just look at you!” the boys called to me. “You’re a mess, go home loser!” And just like that I took off running home at the speed of light.

Maycomb, Alabama was like this. It was dense, rough, and opaque. I liked it here but I know it’s not the place for me. It fits me, but it doesn’t suit me.