In these luminous interconnected stories, Susanne Davis crafts characters whose roots run deep into the land. A woman experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder finds her voice in communion with other women. A Mayflower descendant wrestles with the legacy of a controversial monument that honors his ancestor. A tattoo artist fights for the passionate dream of his art. A couple confronts the foundation of their marriage when faced with a terminal diagnosis.
THE APPOINTED HOUR shines a compassionate light on a changing rural America, spanning generations and locations by exploring the emotions that accompany life’s trials. The heart-wrenching challenges draw Davis’s characters together in feelings of love, loss, hope, and community, united throughout history by the place they call home.
These characters are distinctive and astonishing.
The Day
The Appointed Hour was over a decade in the making. As I wrote individual stories of characters who in one way or another reminded me of the people or place I call home, a larger cultural divide grew in our country, impressing upon me the importance of sharing these stories as a whole collection. I hope the book helps create greater understanding and connection to bridge that gap.
Many people define Connecticut by its wealth and proximity to New York. But there are rural people in the state, living on the land and trying to figure out how to live as their jobs disappear to distant cities and technological automation. Resilience is a trait of these characters and a quirky humor as they laugh at things I often think can’t possibly be funny! But the trait I admire most, the one that has left a deep groove in my heart, is their love for the land.
In their humble way, they aren’t much for talking about themselves (which is another reason I wrote the stories, to make sure their voices are heard and their lives not forgotten), but they speak in downright poetic ways about the land and its importance. Just ask them to describe the way the snow falls or a hawk flies. They care about the land more than they care about wrinkles appearing on their faces or gray hairs sprouting on their heads.
If I had some residual hesitation to speak about why these stories are so important to me, it evaporated when my brother Andrew was found dead on the land he loved. That event helped me personally to see my own appointed hour and not to hesitate upon the journey. The book is dedicated to him.
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