Chilhowee

Chilhowee is a contemporary southern novel set in East Tennessee. The main character, Beth Ledbetter, is an English professor who finds herself dealing with circumstances foreign to her chosen lifestyle. After the drowning deaths of her parents, she becomes something of a detective when she determines she must rescue her grandparents from exploitation and deal with a group of right-wing militia who, under her father's auspices are trying to establish a headquarters disguised as a boys' home. Her own professional and personal future are involved.

Family relationships, modern applications of Shakespeare, newspaper reporting, teaching, Alzheimer's disease, nursing homes, southern churches, good eating, nostalgia, bomb threats, friendships, and career choices all combine to make this many-faceted novel a good read.