Kinfolk, page 31
I started writing this book, but told nobody about this manuscript. Not even my wife. I worked on these sentences every day. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. Nobody knew what my book was about. Not even me.
Then, one day, out of a clear blue sky, my wife got a phone call. My wife nodded a lot during this call. She said a lot of uh-huhs. Then she hung up the phone. There were tears in her eyes.
“Do you know who that was on the phone?” she asked.
“The IRS?” I said.
“That was the Grand Ole Opry,” she explained. “They want you on their show.”
I nearly collapsed. The novel I began writing many years ago had somehow, through a grand mystery of the universe, come true. To me.
Later, when my editor, Laura Wheeler, asked what I wanted to title this book, I told her I didn’t have a title. She said, “Why don’t we call it Kinfolk?”
Months thereafter, Laura showed up to my Opry performance. She hugged me after the show and we both cried into each other’s shoulders. “You did it,” she said.
“No,” I said. “We did it.”
Here’s what the dictionary says about kinfolk.
Kinfolk: (in anthropological or formal use) a person’s blood relations, regarded collectively, or singularly in the American dialect. A member of one’s own family. One’s own flesh and blood, a blood relative. A loved one.
This book is for all those unfortunate enough to be my kinfolk. My loved ones.
Discussion Questions
Sean begins his story with the line, “This is the wrong way to begin a novel.” How do you like a novel to begin?
What character did you connect with the most and why?
Nub and Emily’s relationship is a complicated one. Did you find yourself more sympathetic to Nub or Emily? Why?
How did you feel about how Shug tried to protect Minnie? How Nub tried to protect her? Did you think their actions were justified?
Emily was bothered and hurt by Nub’s relationship with Minnie and struggled to make sense of why he would take care of Minnie when he had been so neglectful of her. Did you understand Emily’s conflicting feelings toward her father or did you wish she had more compassion for him?
What was your favorite moment between Nub and Benny? Between Nub and Minnie?
Did you feel satisfied by the resolution with Philip Deener or do you wish he had experienced more repercussions for his actions?
In what ways were Nub and Shug alike as fathers? Different?
What did you think of the dynamic between Loretta and Nub? What do think they truly felt about each other?
As Nub was dying, Emily told the medic that both she and Minnie were Nub’s daughters. What all do you think had occurred that led Emily to be able to make that statement? What do you imagine Minnie felt in that moment?
What did the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry symbolize in the story? What role did Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff play?
In the end, “Minnie had come to believe that life was not about finding miracles, or happiness, or success, or purpose, or about avoiding disappointment. It was about finding people.” Do you believe that is true? If so, how has it been true in your life? Or are you still searching for your people, your kinfolk?
Acknowledgments
And now I’d like to introduce the band. First, and foremostly, my wife, Jamie. The long-suffering, saintly woman who has, to my knowledge, never tried to suffocate me in my sleep. And to my agent Alex, without whom I would be surviving by enrollment in a government subsistence program.
To Amanda, my publisher, who took a chance on me and changed my life forever. To Laura, my editor, who has consistently prevented me from looking like Baalam’s ass. And Julie, who has edited every novel I’ve ever written, and probably will continue doing so until either I die or she dies—for her sake, I hope I go first. To Philip, my tour wrangler, who got me on the Grand Ole Opry, and fulfilled a childhood dream, and transformed a fool.
And to you who, for some reason, gives a dang about me. I don’t know why. But you don’t know how much I love you, and I fear you will never know the totality of my affection. So I’m saying it once more, in case you missed it. I love you.
About the Author
Photo by Sean Murphy
SEAN DIETRICH is a columnist, novelist, and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Reader’s Digest, Garden and Gun, and the Birmingham News, and his column appears in newspapers throughout the US. He has authored fifteen books, is the creator of the Sean of the South podcast, and makes appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.
* * *
Visit Sean online at seandietrich.com
Instagram: @seanofthesouth
Facebook: @seanofthesouth
Twitter: @seanofthesouth1
Praise for Sean Dietrich
“Kinfolk is the Southern story you’ve been waiting for. I absolutely loved this delightful and heart-wrenching story chock-full of both laughter and tears. In a small Alabama town where everyone knows your darkest secrets, and where the Grand Ole Opry is a balm to the soul, we meet a cast of endearing and quirky characters you won’t forget. Kinfolk is a page-turning delight with Dietrich’s trademark humor and heart-filled insight. In this wild ride we call life, Dietrich has a special view and one he shares with wit and kindness in turn. When a young girl working at Waffle House and a sixty-five-year-old man whose life is falling apart cross paths in Park, Alabama, no one in their world will ever be the same. Kinfolk is a novel about second chances, deep love, forgiveness, and the power of country music—all wrapped up in a lyrically told story.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
“Sean Dietrich has a lovely, seasoned voice that’s anchored by his deep understanding of the charm and depth of the South. Kinfolk, the latest in his oeuvre, is a heartwarming and well-told tale with lyrical writing that’s as rich as my mother’s grits casserole. I’m left satisfied, uplifted, and perhaps a little homesick too.”
—Boo Walker, bestselling author of A Spanish Sunrise
“Sean Dietrich is a master at creating Southern characters who are relatable in their brokenness, hope, and perseverance. Laugh-out-loud colloquialisms bring sincerity and realism to small-town life. Kinfolk spins both a heartbreaking and heartwarming tale about family, redemption, second chances, and the power of love that moves us all.”
—Jennifer Moorman, bestselling author of The Baker’s Man
“The legion of fans who have already discovered Sean of the South’s heartwarming southern stories will be raving about this knock-out novel, and readers new to his work will find this tale strikes every perfect note. With relatable characters, comedic relief, sensory-rich descriptions, a dose of romance, and a fast-paced plot that keeps the pages turning, Dietrich has hit a home run with this one . . . a victory that would surely make The Incredible Winston Browne proud.”
—New York Journal of Books for The Incredible Winston Browne
“Dietrich imbues plenty of Southern charm and colloquialisms in a read that will appeal to people of all genders, and especially to fans of small-town living. Readers who enjoy well-developed, realistic characters similar to those from Charles Martin and Lauren K. Denton will want to watch for more from this author.”
—Library Journal for The Incredible Winston Browne
“Dietrich meshes mystery and romance beautifully in this moral tale about one man set on using what is left of his life to enrich the lives of others. Dietrich’s fans will love this rip-roaring, dramatic inspirational.”
—Publishers Weekly for The Incredible Winston Browne
“This poignant novel is about people, life, community, family, friendship, love, the day-to-day, even the mundane . . . Baseball fans and non-fans alike will enjoy this sometimes humorous, occasionally heartbreaking story about all that we hold dear, which gives us a timely reminder that we need to live in the moment, or life can pass us by while we aren’t paying attention.”
—Historical Novel Society for The Incredible Winston Browne
“Sean Dietrich has written a home run of a novel with The Incredible Winston Browne. Every bit as wonderful as its title implies, it’s the story of Browne—a principled, baseball-loving sheriff—a precocious little girl in need of help, and the community that rallies around them. This warm, witty, tender novel celebrates the power of friendship and family to transform our lives. It left me nostalgic and hopeful, missing my grandfathers, and eager for baseball season to start again. I loved it.”
—Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia
“Sean’s writing is infused with the small-town South—you can smell the exhaust of the cars cruising down dusty back roads, and you can sense the warmth of the potluck meal on your plate. Make no mistake. [The Incredible Winston Browne] is a classic story, told by an expert storyteller.”
—Shawn Smucker, author of Light from Distant Stars
“Sean Dietrich has given us an absolute treasure of a novel. Moving, powerful, and dazzling, Stars of Alabama is a page-turning wonder of a story.”
—Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis
“Dietrich is a Southern Garrison Keillor. Fans of the latter and former will be pleased.”
—Library Journal for Stars of Alabama
“[Stars of Alabama] is a testament to inner strength, and the good that can come from even the worst beginnings . . . Historical fiction and mystery readers will find this to be a very satisfying book.”
—Booklist
“Sean Dietrich has woven together a rich tapestry of characters—some charming, some heartbreaking, all of them inspiring. Stars of Alabama is mesmerizing, a siren’s call that holds the reader in a world softly Southern, full of broken lives and the good souls who pick up the pieces and put them back together into a brilliant, wondrous new mosaic full of hope.”
—Dana Chamblee Carpenter, author of the Bohemian Trilogy
“Set during the Dust Bowl, this pleasing, ambitious epic from Dietrich brings together unlikely allies all escaping dire situations . . . Though filled with preachers declaring judgment and prophecies of the end-time, Dietrich’s hopeful tale illuminates the small rays of faith that shine even in dark times.”
—Publishers Weekly for Stars of Alabama
“Mysterious and dazzling.”
—Deep South for Stars of Alabama
“Sean Dietrich can spin a story.”
—Southern Living for Stars of Alabama
“A big-hearted novel.”
—Garden & Gun for Stars of Alabama
“Sean Dietrich’s Stars of Alabama is a beautiful novel, mesmerizing with its complex characters, lush settings, and lyrical language. It is, quite simply, Southern literature at its finest.”
—Southern Literary Review
Also by Sean Dietrich
Fiction
The Incredible Winston Browne
Stars of Alabama
Lyla
Caution: This Vehicle Makes Frequent Stops for Boiled Peanuts
The Other Side of the Bay
Small Towns, Labradors, Barbecue, Biscuits, Beer, and Bibles
Nonfiction
You Are My Sunshine
Will the Circle Be Unbroken?
The Absolute Worst Christmas of All Time
The South’s Okayest Writer
Sean of the South: On the Road
Sean of the South (Volume 1)
Sean of the South (Volume 2)
Sean of the South: Whistling Dixie
Copyright
Kinfolk
Copyright © 2023 by Sean Dietrich
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published by Harper Muse, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC.
Published in association with The Bindery Agency, www.TheBinderyAgency.com.
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by HarperCollins Focus LLC, nor does HarperCollins Focus LLC vouch for the content of these sites for the life of this book.
Cover design by Faceout Studio
Cover images © Shutterstock and Trevillion
Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2023 ISBN: 978-1-4002-3564-3
Print Edition ISBN: 978-1-4002-3563-6
Digital Audio Edition ISBN: 978-1-4002-3565-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Dietrich, Sean, 1982- author.
Title: Kinfolk / Sean Dietrich.
Description: [Nashville]: Harper Muse, 2023. | Summary: “When a mysterious teenager shows up in Nub's life in rural Alabama, he learns that family, forgiveness, and kindness can be found in the most unlikely of places”--Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023020837 (print) | LCCN 2023020838 (ebook) | ISBN 9781400235636 (paperback) | ISBN 9781400235643 (epub) | ISBN 9781400235650 (audio download)
Subjects: LCGFT: Novels.
Classification: LCC PS3604.I2254 K56 2023 (print) | LCC PS3604.I2254 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23/eng/20230605
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023020837
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023020838
Sean Dietrich, Kinfolk
