The Killing of Jefferies Flats: Death Throes of a Small Town and Its People (Ardent Writer Press)

In The Killing of Jefferies Flat, author Sophia Bogart gives a fascinating description of rural Tennessee in Post World War II, where Southern charm is simply a facade for the raging emotions of a small town.

The hard-working citizens of Jefferies Flats, a tiny community in a valley of East Tennessee, live simple lives and the end of World War II brings them hope for peace and prosperity. The return of their native sons is a time for celebration and renewal, but simple lives do not mean that life is simple. Instead, the casual indiscretions of two who stayed behind will taint the return of these young veterans of battle.

J.T. Briley and Clara McGuire are secretly having an affair while Arlo McGuire is fighting in Europe. Upon his return, Arlo discovers his wife's infidelity and flies into a rage that will devastate the two families and send shockwaves throughout the valley.

The most innocent by-stander in this tragedy is Eldon Boyette, J.T.'s teenage grandson. He shoulders the weight of the family scandal while struggling to keep his father sober. His only solace is with Laura Mae, the new girl in town, who has troubles of her own to bear.

The difference between renewal and chaos is a delicate balance from which the small town may never recover.