By: Kimberly Brock
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
ISBN: 9781400234226
Publisher: Harper Muse
HarperCollins Focus
Publication Date: 10/01/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars + (ARC)
COVER REVEAL
Inspired by the little-known history of Cumberland Island, The Fabled Earth is a sweeping story of family lore and the power of finding your own voice as Southern mythology and personal reckoning collide with a changing world.
1932. Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia is a strange place to encounter the opulence of the Gilded Age, but the last vestiges of the famed philanthropic Carnegie family still take up brief seasonal residence in their grand mansions there. This year's party at Plum Orchard is a lively group: young men from some of America's finest families come to experience the area's hunting beside a local guide; a beautiful debutante expecting to be engaged by the week's end, and a promising female artist who believes she has meaningful ties to her wealthy hosts. But when temptations arise and passions flare, an evening of revelry and storytelling goes horribly awry. Lives are both lost and ruined.
1959. Reclusive painter Cleo Woodbine has lived alone for decades on Kingdom Come, a tiny strip of land once occupied by the servants for the great houses on nearby Cumberland. When she is visited by the man who saved her life nearly thirty years earlier, a tempest is unleashed as the stories of the past gather and begin to regain their strength. Frances Flood is a folklorist come to Cumberland Island seeking the source of a legend - and also information about her mother, who was among the guests at a long-ago hunting party. Audrey Howell, briefly a newlywed and now newly widowed, is running a local inn. When she develops an eerie double exposure photograph, some believe she's raised a ghost--someone who hasn't been seen since that fateful night in 1932.
As a once-in-a-century storm threatens the natural landscape and shifting tides reveal what Cumberland Island has hidden all along, two timelines and the perspectives of three women intersect to illuminate the life-changing power of finding truth in a folktale.
The Fabled Earth:
Is great for book clubs with its included discussion questions
Makes a great gift for readers of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen
Features a gentle thread of no spice, clean romance
Available in all formats from your local bookstore at BOOKSHOP.ORG, AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, BOOKS-A-MILLION, & wherever books are sold.
About the Author
Kimberly Brock is the bestselling author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Townsend Prize for Fiction, and The River Witch, recipient of the Georgia Author of the Year Award. She is the founder of Tinderbox Writers Workshop and has served as a guest lecturer for many regional and national writing workshops including at the Pat Conroy Literary Center.
A native of North Georgia, she now lives near Atlanta. WEBSITE
Photo credit: Claire Brock Photography
Exceptional Authors. Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
Interview with, bestselling Author
Kimberly Brock
THE FABLED EARTH
Welcome to the first October 2024 #AuthorElevatorSeries! Joining us for the first time is a personal and fan favorite— special guest bestselling author Kimberly Brock, with her fourth highly anticipated novel, THE FABLED EARTH.
Join us as Kimberly shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes exclusives from the book and up-close and personal fun moments from this talented author!
Welcome, Kimberly!
Behind the Book
Q. Give us your best ELEVATOR PITCH for THE FABLED EARTH?
KB: Set on the wild coast of Cumberland Island, Georgia, The Fabled Earth is told in dual storylines involving three women. In 1959, a reclusive artist, a folklorist and a widowed innkeeper become immersed in the fallout from tragic events that occurred on the island in 1932 after a night of storytelling ends badly. As the coastal community awaits an impending “storm of the century” and witnesses the burning of Dungeness mansion, the women must decide if they believe truth may be found in a local folktale and if, in fact, all stories are ghost stories.
Q. DESCRIBE your novel in three words or less.
KB: Melancholic, earthy fabulism.
Q. INSPIRATION: The spark that ignited the novel (or series). Where were you when the idea came to you?
KB: My husband and I were visiting Cumberland Island, Georgia, for our 25th wedding anniversary, a place I had long wanted to see, and as we pulled alongside the island’s shore aboard the ferry, watching the wild maritime forest and the moss hanging in the ancient oaks, I thought of the secret wedding of JFK Jr. that had taken place on the island, only to be followed a few years later by the tragic plan crash that resulted in the couple’s death. I remembered the wedding well because it took place only a few months after our wedding and because we learned that it had taken place in our home state of Georgia along with the rest of the world, something that was delightful to us. But in that moment, I realized that it would have also been the summer of their 25th wedding anniversary. Their story had followed me here and become intertwined with my own in unexpected and secret ways. A chill ran over my skin at the bittersweet thought and I gazed at the place with its long, wild history, and I couldn’t imagine anywhere on earth so full of ghost stories. I knew then that that was what I wanted to write about, the stories that haunt us.
Q. SETTING: Tell us more about the book setting and why you selected it.
KB: Cumberland Island very much feels like a place out of time. It’s at once evergreen and unchanged but also evokes a shimmering sense that it might disappear at any given moment, as you realize it was only ever a dream or hallucination. If I were trying to imagine a place where all stories originate, a sort of strange kingdom of imagination, where the air is thick with memory and the tides run both ways, I might imagine Cumberland. How could I have selected anywhere else to set a novel about the essence of stories?
Q. SERIES: Please tell us if there will be more books in a series.
KB: No, this novel is a stand-alone. I don’t write series but I do recognize that the themes in my novels always carry forward. Certainly, expect to read more from me about family, history, mystery and the things of this world that are often unseen.
Q. ADAPTATION: For fun, do you have any cast of stars in mind for any of your leading roles for movie or TV series?
KB: I typically try to match the sort of image I have in my imagination for my characters with an actor, but usually only after the book is finished. I like to make a Pinterest board of images for this, along with setting and atmosphere. You can see the one for The Fabled Earth here.
Q. WRITING: Do you have a favorite chapter or scene in the novel you enjoyed writing the most?
KB: I really enjoyed writing the scenes with young Cleo and Joanna Burton. I also enjoyed Ellis Piedmont’s dialogue. Ellis and Joanna came to me in quick flashes that were very distinct and almost complete from the first drafts of their scenes.
Q. TAKEAWAY: What important message, theme, or takeaway would you like readers to be left with when reading your book?
KB: Our stories, the fact that we have the ability to reflect on the past and to dream of the future, is what allows us to be empathetic and to find courage to act for the sake of others. Our stories are the greatest assurance that in this life, we’re not alone.
Q. TOPICS: Name 1-3 topics or themes addressed in the novel?
KB: Lost youth, race and class prejudice, the power of stories to connect us across space and time.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
KB: A dual timeline set in the Blue Ridge mountains about estranged and eccentric sisters, a crime of passion from their youth that ruined their lives, and an unexpected second chance that comes decades later, with an impossible choice.
Fascinating! Thank you, Kimberly. I love the Blue Ridge mountains and this one also sounds intriguing. Cannot wait. Readers, continue reading below for more up close and personal with Kimberly!
Behind the Author
BIRTH STATE? or (Country)
Georgia
CURRENT STATE?
Georgia
ZODIAC SIGN?
Capricorn
FAVORITE THING ABOUT WHERE YOU RESIDE?
I love the coastal parts of the state but also the Appalachian foothills where I grew up.
FAVORITE FLOWER?
Peony
FAVORITE COLOR?
Turquoise
FAVORITE KITCHEN/COOKING/HOME/GARDEN PRODUCT OR TIP
Start your pound cake in a cold oven.
FAVORITE FOOD/DRINK?
Seafood
MORNING/NIGHT PERSON?
Night
DOG/CAT LOVER?
Dog
FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC?
Americana
FAVORITE SONG OR ARTIST?
Brandi Carlile
IF YOU WERE STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR ALONE WITH ONE CELEBRITY, AUTHOR, OR CHARACTER— WHO WOULD IT BE? (Male or Female)
Meryl Streep
FAVORITE HOLIDAY OR SEASON?
Autumn
FAVORITE READING FORMAT?
Hardcover
MOST MEMORABLE PLACE YOU HAVE TRAVELED?
Ireland
IF YOU WERE GRANTED 3 MONTHS OF UNINTERRUPTED WRITING TIME—WHERE WOULD IT BE?
A Nostalgic House on a saltwater marsh
WHEN YOU RECEIVE A SPARK OF INSPIRATION FOR A BOOK:
Make a few quick notes on a pad or device.
YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO WRITE?
At home, after dark
IF YOU COULD ELIMINATE ONE THING FROM YOUR DAILY LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Anxiety
HOW DO YOU RELAX?
Music
DESCRIBE ONE THING ON YOUR DESK, CURRENTLY?
Coffee
WHICH DO YOU ENJOY WRITING MORE: DIALOGUE OR INTERNAL THOUGHTS?
Internal thoughts
DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE WRITING?
Yes, but only instrumental
YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM? (Or would you prefer none of them)?
INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT?
Introvert
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS OR LESS?
Stubborn and intuitive
IF YOU COULD CURE ONE DISEASE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Type 1 Diabetes
ICE CREAM: CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
Chocolate
LEADER OR FOLLOWER?
Leader
JEANS, LEGGINS, YOGA, JOGGERS, OR SWEATS?
Jeans
WINE, MIXED DRINK, BEER OR OTHER?
Guinness, Maker’s Mark or champagne
FIRST JOB?
Hallmark store
FIRST CAR?
Chevrolet Citation
COFFEE OR TEA?
Coffee
PEN OR PENCIL?
Pencil
FAVORITE WORD?
Peculiar
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE SOMEONE TO NARRATE YOUR LIFE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Holly Hunter
GO TO A PARTY, OR A QUIET EVENING AT HOME?
Home
AT WHAT AGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO BACK FOR A REDO?
Never
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?
Selfishness
DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE USING ONE WORD?
Rich
DID YOU ENJOY READING AS A CHILD?
Yes
HAVE YOU EVER CRIED AT A MOVIE?
Yes
TRAVELER OR HOMEBODY?
Homebody
AN AUTHOR (s) WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU?
Madeline Miller
SPONTANEITY OR STABILITY?
Stability
SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER TRY AGAIN?
Deep sea fishing
YOUR FIRST CELEBRITY CRUSH?
Lee Majors
SUNSHINE OR RAIN?
Rain
WHAT SOUND DO YOU LOVE?
Acoustic instruments
TRUTH OR DARE?
Truth
WHAT ARE YOU FREAKISHLY BAD AT?
Math.
A PET PEEVE?
Too many sounds at once can overstimulate and overwhelm me.
Thank you, Kimberly, for spending time with us today!
Praise
'Brock (The River Witch) delivers an evocative Southern yarn of long-held secrets. In summer 1932, Georgia’s Cumberland Island comes to life in 1932 with an annual party at the grand mansion owned by the philanthropist Carnegie family. Joanna Burton, a socialite from Asheville, N.C., is in town to attend the party with her fiancé, wealthy islander Ellis Piedmont, and her beauty and selfish airs fuel the jealousy and anger of local artist Cleo Woodbine, who’s in love with Ellis. By the end of the night, two boys have accidentally drowned, including Ellis. In chapters set in 1959 from Cleo’s point of view, shortly after Joanna has died from a stroke, Brock gradually reveals how the women’s rivalry contributed to the fatal accident. A parallel narrative follows Joanna’s daughter, Frances Flood, who returns to the island to learn more about her late mother’s life and retrieve her heirloom pearls. Brock’s insightful writing brings her characters to life, highlighting Cleo’s regret and Frances’s curiosity, and the pitch-perfect plotting will move readers quickly through the tale. It’s an adroit work of Southern fiction.'
~PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
‘THE FABLED EARTH is lush and vivid, with passages so beautiful they will break your heart and then turn around and mend it. The lines blur between magic and mystery, pulling you into a dreamy, immersive experience. It’s a tour de force of a novel. You can always tell a born storyteller when you read one. And Kimberly Brock is the real deal.’
~Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of OTHER BIRDS‘
‘Kimberly Brock’s THE FABLED EARTH is a brilliantly layered, unforgettable story of memory, myth, and found family. Off the coast of Georgia, on Cumberland Island, three separate women search for belonging in the wake of incomprehensible loss. Weaving a stunning Southern landscape, Gilded Age glamour, and the societal turmoil of the late 1950s, Brock takes readers on an epic journey that conjures the longing of forgotten youth while simultaneously reminding us of its dangers. I have never read a novel where the author’s love of storytelling shines more brightly than this one.’
~Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT
‘THE FABLED EARTH follows three women in 1952 who are trying to escape the ghosts of their pasts. Set in dual historical timelines, the novel flashes back to 1932 where the wild beauty of Cumberland Island is juxtaposed against the encroaching opulent wealth of the families of the Gilded Age. Soon, these two worlds collide tragically with the burning of Thomas Carnegie’s Dungeness Mansion. A magical read full of secrets, the writing is lush and full of lore and mystery. THE FABLED EARTH is as gorgeous, twisty, and tangled as Cumberland Island itself. Kimberly Brock has established herself as one of the most exciting voices in Southern literature today.’
~Constance Sayers, author of THE LADIES OF THE SECRET CIRCUS
‘With lyrical prose, finely rendered characters, and a dream-like setting, Kimberly Brock’s latest is a hauntingly beautiful tale. Brock is a master at crafting deeply moving stories combining Southern folklore, history and legend. THE FABLED EARTH is a must-read for those of us who love to be transported to another place and time and find companionship and comfort between the pages of a book.’
~Yvette Manessis Corporon, Senior Supervising Producer, EXTRA, and internationally bestselling author of WHERE THE WANDERING ENDS
‘Kimberly Brock’s THE FABLED EARTH is a compelling novel that will captivate readers who cherish richly woven tales of history, family secrets, and the mystical allure of the southern landscape. In this novel, Brock masterfully creates a narrative that is both enchanting and profoundly moving. Fans of the atmospheric storytelling found in Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, will be enthralled by Brock’s ability to evoke a sense of place and time. The Fabled Earth is more than a historical novel; it is a deep dive into the power of legends and the strength of women who seek the truth, no matter how buried it may be. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys the transformative power of storytelling.’
~Angela Jackson Brown, award winning author of HOMEWARD
‘THE FABLED EARTH is a book to savor on a long, redolent afternoon, with a glass of sweet tea and time to fully immerse yourself in the wondrous atmosphere of historic Cumberland Island. Kimberly Brock’s lush, lyrical prose is transportive, and her cast of colorful, memorable characters will entrance readers craving an authentically Southern story with a touch of melancholic, earthy fabulism. Spanning generations, this hypnotic tale delights with an exquisitely poignant reverance for the places and people of coastal Georgia. Highly, highly recommend!’
~Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of THE DEVIL AND MRS. DAVENPORT
Meet Kimberly on Tour!
My Review
Kimberly Brock, a master of Southern storytelling, returns with her latest masterpiece, THE FABLED EARTH, following the success of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare. Her unique storytelling style, blending Southern charm, historical fiction, mystery, and a touch of magic, will surely captivate readers.
From the striking front cover that evokes the Southern landscape to the picturesque haunted setting and the dual timelines that weave through the region's rich history—THE FABLED EARTH is a journey that will immerse readers in the unique culture and landscape of the South from beginning to end.
About...
Cumberland Island —Georgia Coast
1932. The Carnegie family comes seasonally to visit the island with the grand mansions, wealth, luxury, and America's finest families. Young men come to hunt. There are parties with debutantes hoping to be engaged to the next rich young man. A party at Plum Orchard turns deadly. A young heiress and a young female artist (her chaperone). By the end of the stay, two are dead.
1959. The reclusive artist, Cleo Woodbine has been a resident for decades on a tiny strip of land (Kingdom Come) once occupied by servants for the rich near Cumberland. She is visited by a man who saved her life 30 years earlier.
Frances Flood is a folklorist who visits Cumberland Island seeking the source of a legend—and information about her mother, who was among the guests at a long-ago hunting party.
Audrey Howell, a newlywed/now newly widowed, is running a local inn. When she develops an eerie double-exposure photograph, some believe a ghost—who hasn't been seen since that fateful night in 1932.
From the perspectives of three women and two timelines, their lives connect. A folktale meets reality when this rich, complex, and lyrical Southern tale unveils hidden truths of the past.
My thoughts...
EXCEPTIONAL! Rich in history and character—Southern storytelling at its finest! Mesmerizing, exquisite and lyrical, infused with mystery and intrigue, Kimberly DAZZLES! Top Books of 2024.
THE FABLED EARTH is an evocative, rich tapestry of Southern folklore and mythology. Brock weaves a hauntingly beautiful, all-encompassing narrative, as is the Southern landscape itself, making it a must-read for fans of these themes.
Brock captivates in this lush, rich, fully immersive, enthralling magical tale as the characters come alive on the page with their depth and complexity.
Come and meet the characters and strong women who survived the storms in Kimberly Brock's latest masterpiece, full of mystery, twists, and intrigue. THE FABLED EARTH is a perfect selection for book clubs and further discussions. Topics: race, class, prejudice, and the power of stories.
Audiobook...
The audiobook, narrated by the dazzling Cassandra Campbell (a favorite), is a must-listen! Brock and Campbell are a perfect match! Her voice, a favorite among many, was perfect for the three women, and I highly recommend it for an enhanced reading experience.
Recs...
Cleverly crafted and beautifully written—for fans of the author and those who enjoy works of Sarah Addison Allen, Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, Delia Owens, and Patti Callahan Henry.
Q&A Interview...
Sign up for my newsletter for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A ride with Kimberly, where we delve behind THE FABLED EARTH and explore the mind of this multi-talented author. Don't miss this exciting opportunity on Oct 1.
Special thanks to HarperCollins Focus and Harper Muse for an advanced digital review copy (e-book) and listening copy (audio) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 1, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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