Crossing the River — Fenton Johnson

A spirited Southern woman upends the insular world of her small Kentucky town in this acclaimed debut novel by “a storyteller of distinction” (Publishers Weekly).

Kentucky, 1944. Though she hails from a Fundamentalist Baptist family, there is nothing conventional about Martha Bragg Pickett Miracle. In her youth, she smoked cigarettes, rode motorcycles, and snuck across the Knob Fork River to buy beer from Catholics -- and fall in love with one. Twenty years later, Martha has settled into marriage. But deep down, she's just as rebellious as she ever was.

The arrival of a smooth-talking Yankee contractor leads Martha to turn her life upside down -- unaware that her son will follow suit. Both heartfelt and shrewdly humorous, this widely acclaimed first novel from author Fenton Johnson is an affecting look at one woman's reawakening and her son's coming of age in the American heartland.