Margaret of Thibodaux: A Novel

Silver Medalist, IPPY Award: South - Regional Fiction--------------------------"Jo Taylor's Margaret of Thibodaux is a masterclass in quality fiction writing. At once humorous and deeply touching, elegantly plotted and rich in its construction of the characters, Taylor's novel is a stunning read by an author at the top of her craft." --Stephen Dudas, PhD in Literature, Reedsy Discovery". . . an intelligent and emotionally gratifying novel . . . that will tug at the heartstrings while also evoking smiles. Author Jo Taylor has written a wonderful book with broad appeal." --Book Review Directory". . . its blend of Southern Gothic elements and evocative prose makes for a haunting yet deeply human coming-of-age story. At its core, Taylor's fiction debut is a story about true friendship, accepting cultural differences, and the unpredictable ways grief shapes-and ultimately frees-us. -BookLifeSelf-focused and emotional fourteen-year-old Margaret can't imagine her deceased mama being erased from their home for good-or how her daddy could replace her with another woman. It will take coming to terms with her own humility and accountability as surprising truths come to light, and as unexpected events show her that life, and what she holds dear, can change in an instant.It is 1974, the last carefree, sultry Louisiana summer before high school begins when fourteen-year-old Margaret Thibodeaux's world collapses: her daddy asks hometown doctor Muriel to marry him. It's been six years since her mama mysteriously died, and Margaret is convinced that the closer Muriel gets, the less she'll receive bedside visits from her mother-and the more she will fade from their lives. Set on rejecting Muriel's kindnesses, Margaret grapples with everyone's delight over the engagement, including her two best friends, Honey and Robert, who think Muriel is nothing short of an angel. But when Margaret visits her mama's grave for the first time and finds a poem left there-not in her daddy's handwriting-the mystery of her mother's death escalates. It isn't until she befriends the local recluse, Jezebel, who has spiritual gifts akin to her own, that Margaret begins to unravel her assumptions, reconcile her grief, and discover a shocking revelation about her mama from across the veil. At once humorous and heartbreaking, Margaret of Thibodaux is a captivating Southern story of longing and self-discovery, told from the perspective of a feisty and determined yet vulnerable teenage girl as she learns that love and nurturing can come in the most unexpected packages.