Holding on to Nothing by Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne

Holding on to Nothing is a novel about a couple who don’t have a heck of a lot, in terms of material goods, to hold on to. Lucy Kilgore hoped to leave her home town in East Tennessee right after high school, but when she got pregnant with the baby of Jeptha Taylor, who always wanted to stay, that option evaporated. "Shelburne's stunning debut novel is a long trip into small-town Tennessee. . .riveting, touching, heart-wrenching, tragic, and beautiful." ―Booklist. "Holding On To Nothing is a resonant song of the South, all whiskey, bluegrass, Dolly Parton, tobacco fields, and women who know better but still fall for the lowdown men whom they know will disappoint them. Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne writes with extraordinary love and compassion of the lives of her flawed characters; she shines a clear, calm light on their tragedies, their joys, and their hard-won redemptions." ―Lauren Groff. "Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne writes with a chafe and charm that makes you give a damn about these flaw