“I found it very cinematic. I couldn’t put it down.”—Jane Seymour, Emmy- and Golden Globe Award–winning actress and best-selling author
“What Happened in Beulah is a wonderful book—funny, sharp, and poignant. It’s a story designed for all of us, of all ages and all wisdoms. It points to the necessity of recovery. It’s a novel of ghosts present and ghosts past, with alcoholics and dreamers and preachers and small-town grifters all coming together in one place—the everywhere of guilt and consequence, the kudzu of our lives.”—Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin
“Welcome to Beulah, Tennessee. With a keen eye and a sharp southern vernacular, Barrett Childress Owens, the different and disillusioned fifteen-year-old heroine of Christy Cashman’s new book, will give you an unsentimental tour through childhood loss, teenage angst, and generational mystery. Don’t miss it!”—Martha Sweezy, PhD, author of Internal Family Systems Therapy for Shame and Guilt
“From the evocative beginning, shrouded in fog both real and dreamt, the small town of Beulah slowly reveals its secrets to, and about, an extraordinary and compelling young woman named Barrett. This is a vividly realized and deeply authentic character with a compelling mystery on her hands as she peers into the lives of others while also finding her own. Her story, and the story of what this town truly holds, kept me turning pages to the last moment. Not to be missed.”—David Rocklin, author of The Luminist, The Night Language, and The Electric Love Song of Fleischl Berger
“In Beulah, it’s hard to be different—and for Barrett, it’s nearly impossible. As she navigates family struggles, a mother battling addiction, and the arrival of a mysterious newcomer, Barrett searches for where she truly belongs. Written with heart and humor, this moving coming-of-age story captures life in the shadows of the Smoky Mountains.”—Leslie Zemeckis, documentary filmmaker, actress, and author of Feuding Fan Dancers
“Like kudzu winding through the South, the secrets in Beulah entwine families, communities, and generations. Christy Cashman has crafted a haunting, beautifully told gem of a novel.”—Sally Taylor, singer-songwriter and founder of Consenses
“I never saw the twist coming. Cashman captures the voice of a teenage girl with remarkable authenticity while bringing the world of Beulah vividly to life. A haunting and unforgettable read.”—Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch, co-CEO and cofounder of 44 Blue Productions, LLC
“What Happened in Beulah is a warm, funny, and deeply engaging novel. Christy Cashman has a tremendous ear and a remarkable gift for capturing young characters with authenticity and heart. Filled with keen observations and sharp wit, this is a novel that lingers long after the final page.”—Adrienne Brodeur, author of Wild Game and Little Monsters
“Christy Scott Cashman has created a vivid and haunting world that readers won’t want to leave. Rich with atmosphere, mystery, and heart, What Happened in Beulah has all the ingredients of the next great adaptation.”—Ben Mezrich, New York Times best-selling author of The Accidental Billionaires and The Antisocial Network
“Wow, Christy did it again! What Happened in Beulah speaks to that part of all of us that has wondered if we truly belong—and to the truths we spend a lifetime trying to understand. Set in the Smoky Mountains in 1986, with Dollywood opening, small-town secrets, family struggles, and budding romance, Christy captures all the magic, hope, uncertainty, and heartbreak of growing up. Gripping, beautifully told, and unforgettable—I can already see it on the screen.”—Shannon Pastuszak, media executive, publisher, and founder of The Newbury Cup
“Christy Scott Cashman brings 1980s Tennessee vividly to life, but it’s Barrett who stays with you. I felt like I knew her—the lost soul searching for answers, identity, and where she belongs. This is a haunting story of family, longing, heartbreak, and the choices that shape us.”—Alex Vlachos, talent acquisition executive
“From the first page of the prologue to the last page of the book, What Happened in Beulah is a gripping page-turner about life in a small town—what happens in the open and what happens behind closed doors. You won’t want to put it down.”—Judith Laster, director of the Woods Hole Film Festival
“After taking a deep dive into the misty and foreboding Appalachian Mountain world of young Barrett Chilldress Owens, a person cannot help but be immersed in that classic predicament of ‘kid at the mercy of the adults who may or may not be role models.’ Barrett must discover strength and resources to navigate the unfair world that is hers—and she does, with spunk and extraordinary character. A must-read for young adults and even old ones!”—Ellen Scott, librarian at Riverside Drive Charter School
Description
A teenage girl uncovers the dark secrets of her Smoky Mountain town while searching for a missing classmate in this gripping coming-of-age mystery perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.
Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Beulah has always seemed steady—rooted in tradition, shaped by generations, and slow to change. But in 1986, the ground has shifted, and no one feels that more than fifteen-year-old Barrett Childress Owens. Between her parents’ unraveling marriage and a school full of kids she can’t connect with, she feels invisible in her own hometown.
When Lacy Gunderson, the captivating new girl everyone is curious about, suddenly vanishes, the town’s calm surface fractures. Search parties comb the woods. A police investigation begins. Rumors multiply. Families close ranks. And Barrett begins to sense how much the adults around her choose not to say. As Beulah clings to its usual rituals—including the annual Miss Kudzu pageant, which has shaped local girlhood for decades—Barrett is forced to navigate a community where loss lingers in the air and secrets are carefully kept. Her journey through the uncertainty reshapes her understanding of friendships, family, and the complex place she calls home.
A rich coming-of-age story with a pulse of mystery and a budding romance, What Happened in Beulah explores the fault lines of a small town and the courage it takes to face the truths people would rather bury.