P. Shaun Neal's novel Mama's Song is lyrical and bracing, as rich as the dark soil that nurtures the tobacco crop Colby must somehow bring in after his father's death, or risk losing the family farm. Neal conjures a large cast of fully-realized characters, damaged and humane and true to life, set down in a time and place where kinship and a jagged faith in the Lord and in the next harvest mean everything, where want and thankfulness are as familiar as a favorite bible verse and even the young must acknowledge the hushed dominion of death. Mama's Song will pull you in from the first page, as secrets meant to stay buried as deep as a coffin slowly rise, conspiring to bring Colby's story to its gripping climax. Beautifully written and highly recommended. ↵
David T. Miller, author of Chicago Heights↵