Excerpt from If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

When Carly finishes, she throws the bone in the sink, wipes her fingers on the rag, and says soft-like, "Mama, don't jump all over me. I be gone by morning," and heads upstairs to her room, and I hear the door close. She won't say bout that belly up against her dress. Won't say bout the muddy mark on her cheek or knot on her forehead at the edge of her hair.

Otis Blue don't do that. Gotta be somebody else. Otis got a tender spot for Carly, and he loves her like a blind fool, though he's twelve years older. I never seen a man pu