Scott Gould to Promote New Novel in Fountain Inn

This historical fiction novel draws inspiration from family stories related to the arrival of Halley’s Comet. The narrative is set in Northeast Alabama in May 1910, when panic grips the populace as the comet approaches. The plot follows four townsfolk in Fort Payne facing their last days. Charlie McCracken, a mail carrier, tends to an elderly Cherokee woman who survived the Trail of Tears. His aunt Zona holds baptisms for fearful residents, charging a quarter each, while Sheriff Tyus Wetley tries to maintain order in his town and marriage. Meanwhile, brothel madam Elva Shugart seeks redemption amid the chaos.

Gould explained that much of his story is rooted in personal family history. He cited a grandfather, Charlie Scott, who delivered mail in Sand Mountain, and noted that a local brothel was thriving in the days leading up to the comet's arrival.

To construct his narrative, Gould relied on a variety of sources, including articles from newspapers like the New York Times from that era. "I'm what you might call a lazy researcher," he admitted. "I would take little pieces of the truth and spin lies around it, and that’s where the book came from. I like the storytelling part of it that had its basis in history, but I can really expand it out and create my characters."

Gould will appear at M.Judson Booksellers' In Conversation series on October 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 109 N. Main St. in Fountain Inn. The event is free, and attendees can purchase copies of "Beneath a Fallen Sky." For further details, visit mjudsonbooks.com.