Heather Newton

Discover a fabulous new Western North Carolina author, Heather Newton, and her debut novel, Under the Mercy Trees (HarperCollins, paperback, $13.99, releases 1/1/11), which Tommy Hays calls “a sweet ache of a novel.” Martin Owenby has lost his way in life. Thirty years ago, he left his hometown of ... (more)Solace Fork in Western North Carolina to come to New York City, with dreams of becoming a famous writer and leaving the pain and shame of his turbulent past behind him. Now he barely scrapes by editing technical manuals, and his existence revolves around cheap Scotch and weekend flings. When Martin receives word that his older brother, Leon, has gone missing from the Owenbys’ farm, he must return to Solace Fork to help his family in their search. But going back means facing his past – a past filled with regrets, a past that includes Liza Barnard, the girl whose heart he broke; his family, who never understood him; and his best friend, who has faithfully kept the home fires burning in case Martin ever decided to return. As the mystery surrounding Leon’s disappearance deepens, so too do the weight and guilt of three decades’ worth of unresolved differences and unspoken feelings. Martin will learn the hard way that home isn’t a bad place to be. Under the Mercy Trees is a novel at once devastating and tender, and the Owenbys’ tale of family, love, and redemption is as soul-warming as it is sorrowful.