East of Apple Glen

East of Apple Glen

Jonathan Heaslet
Faithful Press, 2025
ISBN 9781735720128

Softcover, 328 pp.
8.0 X 5.3 X 0.7 inches | 0.8 pounds

Nathan Sherwood's mother inexplicably has fallen off the roof of her house. His grandmother has died in her sleep. Two years out of college and starting a career in Washington, Nathan's efforts to leave behind the pain of growing up in Apple Glen, Ohio come to a stop. Not only must he return home to bury "Mom and Gram," he must also confront what he thought was his buried past.

Joined by childhood friend Robbye O'Malley, Nathan discovers that the deaths of his loved ones may not have been "an accident." A third death, the shooting of a church youth group leader by Apple Glen police, impels the pair to work together and look beneath the surface of their seemingly picturesque town. As Nathan and Robbye talk with people in search of answers, stories of alcohol, rape, payoffs, and paybacks emerge, while three names keep surfacing.

In dealing with the demons of his personal grief, the search for his father and confronting injustices in his hometown, Nathan discovers the truth about the present is connected to the truth about his past. But will he have the courage to reveal the truth? Or will he continue to be a victim?

Jonathan Heaslet holds degrees from the University of Iowa, University of North Carolina, and Eden Theological Seminary. He is author of Hawks Nest Chronicles—A Novel in Short Stories. Jonathan and his wife Linda live in North Carolina.