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Description edit
Honored as General Fiction winner in the 2012 Eric Hoffer Awards, Blood Clay tells the story of Tracey Gaines, who has moved to rural Saul County, North Carolina, to escape the wreckage of a divorce and becomes a teacher at an alternative school. She devotes herself to renovating an old... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Tracey Gaines: A divorced teacher from "up North" moves to rural North Carolina in search of a new start.
- Dave Fordham: A devoted teacher, he has been wounded physically and spiritually.
- Artis Pennell: An attractive man who's moved back to the home place with his son, Jim.
- Lakesha Sipe: The apple-cheeked neighbor child who's attacked early in the novel.
Setting & Locations edit
Piedmont North Carolina, in tobacco-growing Saul County.
- A.O. Miller Alternative School: Tracey and Dave are both teachers at this school, where students with a variety of problems are assigned.
- Taberville: The small town near where Tracey has bought a farmhouse.
- Saul County Courthouse: Location of the deposition and trial.
- Burnt Cabin Road: Where Tracey lives.
First Sentence edit
The dark, her grandmother used to reassure her, was gentle.
Themes & Symbolism edit
- tobacco: Tradition and contemporary reality come into conflict.A plant that is beautiful but deadly.
- Graves and Tombs: The past is hidden but still affects the present.
- Houses/Homes: Old houses are renovated, but still shelter ghosts, while former farms are graded to allow the construction of massive new settlements that do not provide community.
- Strangers and newcomers: People are trying to find a true home and community, whether they are new residents or those returning to a former home, but it's never easy to claim a place of your own.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Valerie Nieman (Author)
Awards edit
- Eric Hoffer Book Award (May 2012: General Fiction)
- Montaigne Medal Finalist (2012: General Fiction)
- Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Award (Finalist, 2012: Fiction)
- John Gardner Fiction Book Award - Binghamton University (Finalist, 2012: Fiction)
Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Valerie Nieman: author's webpage
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