A charming and engrossing novel for fans of Southern fiction and the recent hit memoir Hillbilly Elegy about a lush and storied coal-mining town—and the good people who live there—in danger of being destroyed for the sake of profit. Will the truth about the town's past be its final undoing or its saving grace?

1933. In the mining town of Beulah Mountain, West Virginia, two young girls form an unbreakable bond against the lush Appalachian landscape, coal dust and old hymns filling their lungs and hearts. Despite the polarizing forces of their fathers—one a mine owner, one a disgruntled miner—Ruby and Bean thrive under the tender care of Bean's mama, blissfully unaware of the rising conflict in town and the coming tragedy that will tear them apart forever.

2004. Hollis Beasley is taking his last stand. Neighbors up and down the hollow have sold their land to Coleman Coal and Energy, but Hollis is determined to hold on to his family legacy on Beulah Mountain. Standing in his way is Buddy Coleman, an upstart mining executive who hopes to revitalize the dying town by increasing coal production and opening the Company Store Museum. He'll pay homage to the past—even the massacre of 1933—while positioning the company for growth at all costs.

What surprises them all is how their stories will intersect with a feisty octogenarian living hundreds of miles away. When Ruby Handley Freeman's grown children threaten her independence, she takes a stand of her own and disappears, propelling her on a journey to face a decades-old secret that will change everything for her and those she meets.

What Readers Are Saying . . .

  • "Precise details of places and experiences immediately set you in the story, and the complex, likable characters give June Bug the enduring quality of a classic."

    TITLETRAKK.COM

  • ""Writing in his trademark lyrical style, Fabry spins a poignant tale about our society's invisible seniors and the woman and man who see their potential."

    BOOKLIST on Every Waking Moment

  • "Dogwood will captivate you from cover to cover."

    READERVIEWS.COM

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

    LIBRARY JOURNAL on Not in the Heart

  • "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

  • "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

  • "Once the story starts cooking, [Dogwood] is difficult to put down, what with Fabry's surprising plot resolution and themes of forgiveness, sacrificial love, and suffering."

    PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  • "Few authors can weave such unique stories with such perfect language. . . . Fabry is an artist with words. All I can say is: Read his novels."

    EXAMINER.COM on June Bug

  • "A conflicted, memorable main character. . . . While the mystery at its core is compelling, it's Wiley's inner conflict that's truly engrossing. Down to its final pages, [Not in the Heart] is a gripping read."

    CROSSWALK.COM

  • "In this edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense, all of the characters ring true."

    BOOKLIST on Borders of the Heart

  • "This absorbing novel should further boost Fabry's reputation as one of the most talented authors in Christian fiction."

    CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES on Not in the Heart