The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree - by India Hayford (Paperback)

About the Book

"Set in rural Arkansas in 1967, this evocative Southern novel, helmed by an unconventional and unforgettable heroine, draws readers into a visceral tale of secrets, desperate choices, and belonging. Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she's wandered throughout the South, working in a Louisiana circus and as a hootchy-kootch dancer in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she's allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother's Arkansas farmouse, a place hallowed in her memory. Disguised by years in exile and a name she found on a gravestone, Genevieve intends only to visit briefly and leave. But a chance meeting with a guilt-ridden young Vietnam veteran draws her into more unexpected connections. Her hard-won independence inspires an abused woman and her daughters to find their own path to empowerment, and a hypocritical preacher is brought to a long-deserved reckoning. With undertones of magicla realism and dark humor, here is a powerful story of discovering - and sometimes rediscovering - one's place in the world, and the unexpected challenges and gifts that present themselves along the way"--

Book Synopsis

Disguised by a name she found on a tombstone and accompanying a Vietnam vet she met in a graveyard, an unconventional young snake-handler who talks to the dead returns to the ghosts of her childhood home in 1967 Arkansas...

Readers of Delia Owens, Barbara Kingsolver, Kelly Mustian, and Quinn Connor will be captivated by this haunting Southern debut about found family, folk magic, the long shadow of trauma, the salvation of human connection, and the transcendent beauty of nature.

"India Hayford's riveting debut is an exploration of tangled familial bonds, loss, love and the redemption of fierce womanhood. Captivating storytelling that is utterly unforgettable." --Kim Michele Richardson, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series

Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she's wandered throughout the South, escaping a mental hospital in Alabama, working for a Louisiana circus, and dancing at a hoochy-kootch in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she's allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother's Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory.

She intends only to visit briefly - to pay respects to her buried loved ones and leave. But a chance meeting with a haunted young Vietnam vet reconnects her with the remnants of a family she thought long gone, and their union becomes a catalyst for change and salvation. An abused woman and her daughters develop the courage to fight back, a ghost finds the path away from life, and a sanctimonious predator becomes the prey. In the process, Genevieve must choose between her longing for meaningful connection after years as an outsider and her equally excruciating impulse to run.

Written by a naturalist and set on the land where her family roots stretch back two centuries, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a haunting story about letting go and the things we leave behind, the power of names, and the ties that bind. It is both harrowing and triumphant, a visceral Southern debut as otherworldly and beautiful as it is unflinching and wry.

*A Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection*

Review Quotes

Praise for The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree

"Set in rural Arkansas in 1967, India Hayford's evocative and beautifully crafted tale is infused with magical realism and dark humor. This powerful narrative of belonging and the unexpected gifts and challenges of finding one's place in the world is a mesmerizing read that will leave you pondering the interplay of fate and free will. It's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring quest for home." --Susan Wiggs, # 1 New York Times bestselling author

"Gives you everything you want in a Southern gothic novel, served up in a fresh, nervy new voice in this wonderful debut. I didn't want the story to end, but when I came to it, the ending was especially rich and satisfying. Don't miss this one." --Elizabeth Hardinger, author of All The Forgivenesses

"India Hayford's riveting debut is an exploration of tangled familial bonds, loss, love and the redemption of fierce womanhood. Captivating storytelling that is utterly unforgettable."
--Kim Michele Richardson, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series

"The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a spellbinding journey through the heart of the South, where magic whispers in the rustling leaves and redemption hangs heavy in the air. The story's richly drawn characters linger long after the last page is turned. A haunting, vivid tale of resilience and self-discovery that proves home is not just a place but a state of being we carry within us."
--Amanda Skenandore, author of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

"India Hayford is an intrepid writer whose appealing prose immediately engages as she sets her characters on worthy, but treacherous paths toward their individual redemption. Bursting with offbeat, colorful personalities, beguiling pastimes and unsung heroes, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a rousing story of good over evil, brought to life with skill and heart." --Donna Everhart, author of The Saints of Swallow Hill

About the Author

India Hayford is a naturalist, teacher, historical reenactor, artist, and author. The recipient of the Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award for best work informed by a relationship with the natural world, she is the author of two nonfiction books, a short story collection, and her debut novel, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree. She also writes The Howl, a quarterly wildlife newsletter with national distribution, and her articles have appeared in various regional and national publications, including Threads and Needle Arts. A member of Member of Wyoming Writers and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, she is a regular speaker at the Werner Wildlife Museum, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Embroiderers Guild of America, and local historical and arts organizations. She was born in Arkansas, where her family roots go back to the 1830s and her family tree farm still stands in Hempstead County. She now lives with her husband in Wyoming, but she returns every year to visit the hills, swamps, and pine forests of southwest Arkansas. Visit her online at IndiaHayford.com.