Hello fellow strange pilgrims,
For the first time ever today in Strange Pilgrims we’re sharing an excerpt from a debut novel (or, really, any novel) and it’s one I’ve been waiting to read ever since I knew of its existence. Alongside that, the author, Kennedy Cole (who happens to be a lovely soul in every way), has also shared an essay reflecting on her work.
Go forth and read, friends (and listen thanks the the author voiceover above!).
Yours,
There Used to Be People Here | An Excerpt from Chapter Five
There was a time when driving thirty minutes into Juniper Valley would’ve been out of the question for Samuel Barkley. It was a section of land far from Wenton, Mississippi, perforated with sweeping lowlands and black bears and moonlike hills with forests that devoured anyone and everyone. The valley was, to all the colored people in the southern city, a death trap. There wasn’t any guarantee you could ever leave Juniper Valley alive.