Jewel

A "sweeping and beautifully written" (The New York Times Book Review) novel of how quickly a life can change; how, like lightning, an unforeseen event can set us on a course without reason or compass.

In the backwoods of Mississippi, a land of honeysuckle and grapevine, Jewel and her husband, Leston, are truly blessed; they have five fine children. When Brenda Kay is born in 1943, Jewel gives thanks for a healthy baby, last-born and most welcome.

In this story of a woman's devotion to the ch...