Dahlonega
Literary Festival
An Annual Celebration of Readers, Writers, and Books
Vallorie Dean Wood
A surprising discovery exposes the duplicity between two women sixty years later, threatening to alter the direction of two families.Kings Mountain, North Carolina, 1948, Candace Parnell gives birth to her first child, a baby girl, while home alone with only her housekeeper Birdie Simmons. Candace’s husband, Dewitt is in England on business. Her happiness is short-lived. Candace doesn’t tell Dewitt about the baby girl. “Parnells only have first-born sons.” Candace can’t face Dewitt’s disappointment, so she tells a lie she cannot take back. Before Dewitt comes home, Candace must find the son he believes exists. Birdie provides an unwitting solution. Dewitt gets the son he wants. Candace Sinks into despair, her daughter lost forever. Twelve miles away in Shelby, Birdie has her own burden to bear. What happened that night no one can ever know.