Absence: A Southern Gothic Novel

JAMES GREENE, a seasoned peanut farmer, wrestles with two distinct natures: the physical Nature of Earth, and his own spiritual Nature as a man. His struggle necessitates choices, some not always virtuous. When a flood, and then a drought, threaten to destroy his farm, the choices he makes to save his family legacy begin to destroy it, as well as those he loves..James's family has farmed near the Chattahoochee River for three generations. A Vietnam veteran, he is seen by his artist wife, Katy, as strong as steel. His commendable son, William, sees his father as an upright man, almost a king, while his disappointing daughter, Cecilia, wants only to get away from him. But James sees himself as a man who will stoop low enough to get what he wants. And he does just that, causing his life as a farmer, father, and man, to fall apart. And yet, in this intricate, layered, and surprising-to-the end novel, love, forgiveness and redemption remain within reach.ABSENCE is a mystery, in the deepest sense of the word, about marriage, about fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and brothers and sisters; all backed into corners and making decisions that will affect them all.