Porch Music

By Kathy Maresca

Description:

All sixteen-year-old Rose has is what she carries: a pillowcase of clothes, her boyfriend's unborn child, and a heart full of shame. In the face of 1952's strict moral code, Seminole matriarch Ma-Ki Ebbing embraces Rose. Ma-Ki, on the fringe of society, clings to her Native American traditions and secrets surrounding her husband's murder while her adult children unravel from social injustice.

When Ma-Ki's children were young, Burl Ebbing approached a wealthy, powerful man who had sexually abused his children. The villain shot Burl's heart right out of him. Twenty years later, Ma-Ki fears that her children will avenge their father's death and refuses to disclose the criminal's identity. The Ebbing women band together, marching through a chorus of grit and grind to unite a family once rendered powerless by a people who invaded their land. Will the tragic death of one of her daughters cause Ma-Ki to identify the villain and embrace Rose's newfound faith?

Book Takeaway:

One person, a girl who has nothing, learns about Jesus and invites Him into her heart. The light of Christ shines brightly through her, leading others to Him.

Awards:

Why the author wrote this book:

I wanted to preserve Old Florida, where my family and I grew up. Once upon a time it was unhurried, and colossal oak trees served as air conditioners. I wondered, growing up, why my mother's family was different. I didn't realize it was because of their Seminole ancestry.