A Listing Wind, Susan Hyde's richly detailed tale, was inspired by two real events - a well-known 1936 murder trial, and the poignant love story of her cousin and his wife. When Dr. Clayton Dade, fresh out of medical school, comes to Cooper, Texas, he has his uncle Foster to initiate him into the slower pace of the community, but Clay still questions his decision to begin a medical practice in the small town. It's his first brief encounter with Miss Frances Garner that convinces Clay he's made the right decision. Clay knows Frankie Garner is someone he wants to see again. When Uncle Foster suggests that he and Clay could do with some housekeeping help, the two men ask if Arley Mae Dodgen would be interested in a part-time cleaning job and she eagerly accepts. And with that, life in Cooper, Texas, is never quite the same. Thoughtfully crafted and beautifully executed, heartbreaking and uplifting, A Listing Wind is a stirring portrayal of lives both torn apart and intertwined.

Susan A. Hyde