Reading with Nell Joslin

Reading with Nell Joslin Wednesday, September 16 11:00 am – 11:45 am Location: Ashe County Public Library Join us for a reading with author Nell Joslin with time for audience Q&A. NELL JOSLIN Nell Joslin is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, the mother of three and the grandmother of five. Over the span of five decades, she has been a public-school teacher, medical librarian, freelance journalist, and attorney, and about 20 years ago she became serious about writing fiction. Although she has published short stories and memoir pieces in various literary magazines, Measure of Devotion is her first novel. She hopes it is not her last. https://measureofdevotion.com Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents’ wishes by enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord. In October 1863, devastating news arrives: Francis has been critically wounded near Chattanooga, Tennessee.Susannah embarks on a perilous journey to bring her son home, finding Francis delirious with fever and haunted by the horrors of battle. Their reunion is overshadowed by the conflicts at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, culminating in Francis being captured as a prisoner of war. As the war exacts its toll and tensions escalate between mother and son, Susannah confronts impossible choices amidst harrowing revelations from home. This gripping narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound impacts of war on family bonds, painting a vivid portrait of one woman’s relentless fight for survival and reconciliation in a time of unprecedented turmoil.