Marked By Fire — Joyce Carol Thomas

She has grown up--Abyssinia Jackson has--under a vast Oklahoma sky shaded with pecan trees and dotted by endless rows of cotton. She has the gift of song, a storyteller's talent, the love of her parents, and the affection and pride of her community.

Then a tornado hits and drives Abby's family apart. A deranged neighbor targets her for a campaign of vengeful terror. And a physical assault all but breaks her will.