We head back to Tennessee next week, where I have several events set up, one of which is a book-signing at the Barnes and Noble in Murfreesboro on June 26.  But we’ll be back to Jekyll in September and October (book-signing at Hattie’s Bookstore in Brunswick on October 1) and then again after the first of the year. I’d love to hear from you.

I’m excited about launching the book there, because that is where some of the key events in the novel take place.  The description on the back of the book says “Almost to Eden is the captivating fictional narrative of an Irish immigrant, Maggie O’Brien, whose life intertwines with members of the historic Jekyll Island Club. Seeking a new Eden in America, she discovers that freedom and justice, even in the new world, do not always triumph over wealth and power. In the process of her journey, Maggie finds and loses the things she loves most, but courage and grace lead her toward a fulfillment she never thought to find.”

It has been exciting to work on this book, which draws on the research I have done for the past twenty years. It was inspired by a tombstone in the little du Bignon cemetery at the north end of Jekyll Island. I wanted to give a life to a young man who had lived only a short time. In the end, the book morphed into something more. It is a story about many kinds of love, among them a mother for her child. Every writer of fiction has had the experience of having the characters take over the story and lead the way. The book certainly went in directions I had not anticipated.  And Maggie O’Brien, my main character, found her life taking directions she had not foreseen.

The book is a part of my own love story with the Georgia coast.  I hope my readers will enjoy it and accept the invitation at the end to come to Jekyll and discover its magic.

For book club members:  There are questions to stimulate discussion in the back of the book.

Where to Buy

Many of your have contacted me about where you can get a copy of the new book.  You will be able to get a copy from your local bookseller as soon as the book is released, which will be in early May.  Or you can order an autographed copy through Twin Oaks Press at www.twinoakspress.com.   See also my web page on events.  I”m doing several signings and talks in the coastal area in May, in Tennessee in June and July , and in the Atlanta area in August.  You can, of course, also buy it online from places like Amazon or Barnes & Noble web site. In Murfreesboro it is already on the shelf at Hastings. And in the Jekyll-Brunswick area it is in stock at Jekyll Books, Hattie’s Books, G.J.Ford Bookshop, as well as at the Jekyll Island History Center and the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

“Almost to Eden is a sumptuous trip into the past and a deeply affecting exploration of how that past is forever a part of who we are. McCash weaves a tale of love and heartbreak out of the day-to-day struggle to live a life of decency and honor. Her writing reminds one of Colleen McCullough at her most rewarding. Almost to Eden could be this generation’s The Thorn Birds.”

–Brian Jay Corrigan, award-winning author of The Poet of Loch Ness

“June McCash…has done it again – this time in fiction.  She’s blended her love of history and storytelling into a heart-rending novel … a soul-stirring, spirit-moving saga that spans the Atlantic and three generations. Reading requirements – a hot mug of something and a box of hankies.”

–Stephen Doster, author of Voices from St. Simons and Lord Baltimore

“McCash’s evocative novel could well have been envisioned by Edith Wharton or Henry James. This “Upstairs Downstairs” tale weaves fact and fiction and the result is a delightful and moving read both for serious students of history as well as the casual reader.”

–Rick Hutto, author of  The Gilded Cage and Crowning Glory

“June McCash’s debut novel spins an intricate and compelling tale with unfolding events worthy of Dickens.”

–Darnell Arnoult, author of Sufficient Grace