Lum has always been on the outside. At eight, she was diagnosed with what we now call an intersex condition and is told she can't expect to marry. Now, at thirty-three, she has no home of her own but is shuttled from one relative's house to another—valued for her skills, but never treated like a true member of the family. Everything is turned upside down, however, when the Blue Ridge Parkway is slated to come through her family's farmland. As people take sides in the fight, the community begins to tear apart—culminating in an act of violence and subsequent betrayal by opponents of the new road. However, the Parkway brings opportunities as well as loss.
Industry Reviews
"Lum is an engaging portrait of a village in the Virginia Blue Ridge during the Great Depression. Lum's courageous journey to selfhood is profound and moving, and a metaphor for the process of self-acceptance necessary for anyone who doesn't fit into traditional social norms."
—Lisa Alther, author of Kinfolks
"Libby Ware has written with a rich new southern voice and captured the dying art of storytelling in her debut novel."
—Ann Hite, author of the award-winning Ghost On Black Mountain and Georgia Author of the Year, 2011
" . . .a startlingly good debut novel."
—Atlanta Magazine
" . . . captivating . . . Ware writes with a charismatic Southern voice that will appeal to readers of Ron Rash, Lee Smith, and Wiley Cash. I read Lum from start to finish in one day and relished its fresh characters and take on history... Select if for your book club, and get ready for a rip-roaring discussion."
—Hungry for Good Books
" . . . a treat for those who appreciate character-centered historical fiction. Lum's courageous journey toward independence makes her a heroine worth fighting for, and readers will find themselves missing her company after the final page turns."
—Historical Novels Review
