The Promise of Jesse Woods

Recipient of Christianity Today's 2017 Book Award of Merit, 2017 Christy Award Winner

The summer of 1972 was pivotal in Matt Plumley's childhood. While his beloved Pirates battle for back-to-back World Series titles, Matt's family moves from Pittsburgh to Dogwood, West Virginia. A fish out of water, Matt forges a fast bond with two unlikely friends: Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed-race boy, and Jesse Woods, a tough-as-nails girl with a sister on her hip and no dad in sight. As the trio traipses the hills and hollers, Matt begins to fall for Jesse, and their promises to each other draw him deeper into her terrifying reality.

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What Readers Are Saying . . .

  • "Fabry has written a nail-biter with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers riveted."

    LIBRARY JOURNAL on Not in the Heart

  • "I haven't read anything so riveting and unforgettable since Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Fabry has penned a remarkable love story, one that's filled with sacrifice, hope, and forgiveness!"

    NOVEL REVIEWS on June Bug

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    Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author

  • "[The Promise of Jesse Woods] is a well-crafted novel with sympathetic characters, gently woven themes, and evocative descriptions."

    Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the Sensible Shoes series

  • "Fabry is a talented writer with a lilting flow to his words."

    CROSSWALK.COM on Almost Heaven

  • "A mesmerizing tale . . . [Almost Heaven] will surprise readers in the best possible way; plot twists unfold and unexpected character transformations occur throughout this tender story."

    PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  • "A fresh voice in Christian fiction . . . [Fabry] brings his trademark rich character development to this story, which delves into weighty issues like judgment, contentment, giftedness, and society's outcasts."

    EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION on Every Waking Moment

  • "An evocative novel . . . Fabry weaves the events of the past and present into a finely layered story exploring the relationships of faith, forgiveness and family in the midst of healing from pain buried deep in the past."

    PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Under a Cloudless Sky

  • "A character-driven tale of dignity and compassion for those who seem to have lost importance to society . . . this thought-provoking read challenges the prevailing cultural calculations of the value of a person's life."

    PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Every Waking Moment

  • "A powerful story of faith and the material things people hold dear. . . . This is Fabry's best yet."

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