Almighty Whispers in Our Souls
Excepts and News of a novel in progress
Excepts and News of a novel in progress
Almighty Whispers in Our Souls is the tentative title to the novel I am
working on, which is the prequel to No Sensible People. Almighty
Whispers follows the marriage of the parents of Jennie Halifax; one of the
main narrators in No Sensible People. Currently, I am a little over 100
pages into a first draft.
Molly and Nate Halifax are in a mixed religious family. Molly is a catholic farm
girl raised by strict parents,Sean and Evelyn McMillen. She has one younger
sister, Lucy. Nate is a the son of a single mother, Jean Halifax who worked at
the local grocery store. His father left when he was a toddler. He was an only
child but developed a strong friendship with Denny Ferguson who was in his
Sunday School class at Holy Cross Lutheran where Nate still attends despite
his wife remaining faithful to her church, St. Anne's Catholic where she
attends with their daughter.
Almighty Whispers confronts some of the religious conflicts that the young
couple faces, and challenges as young parents. They were married right out
of high school. It also reaches out to Denny Ferguson's family. Molly and Nate
remain close to both Denny and his mother, Dorothy.
Life becomes different than expected for this young couple, as both Lucy and
Molly's parents leave town and Nate takes over the farm amidst accusations
that there might be a chance that he will one day leave and abandon his
family like his own father did. It is noted that Molly has always been religious,
but those around her begin to wonder if she sometimes her ideas or faith,
justice, and penance go beyond what the Catholic Church demands.
working on, which is the prequel to No Sensible People. Almighty
Whispers follows the marriage of the parents of Jennie Halifax; one of the
main narrators in No Sensible People. Currently, I am a little over 100
pages into a first draft.
Molly and Nate Halifax are in a mixed religious family. Molly is a catholic farm
girl raised by strict parents,Sean and Evelyn McMillen. She has one younger
sister, Lucy. Nate is a the son of a single mother, Jean Halifax who worked at
the local grocery store. His father left when he was a toddler. He was an only
child but developed a strong friendship with Denny Ferguson who was in his
Sunday School class at Holy Cross Lutheran where Nate still attends despite
his wife remaining faithful to her church, St. Anne's Catholic where she
attends with their daughter.
Almighty Whispers confronts some of the religious conflicts that the young
couple faces, and challenges as young parents. They were married right out
of high school. It also reaches out to Denny Ferguson's family. Molly and Nate
remain close to both Denny and his mother, Dorothy.
Life becomes different than expected for this young couple, as both Lucy and
Molly's parents leave town and Nate takes over the farm amidst accusations
that there might be a chance that he will one day leave and abandon his
family like his own father did. It is noted that Molly has always been religious,
but those around her begin to wonder if she sometimes her ideas or faith,
justice, and penance go beyond what the Catholic Church demands.
| Excerpt from Chapter I Almighty Whispers in Our Souls |
Nathaniel walked in with Lucy, who immediately headed upstairs to pack. "She understands
fine, Mrs. McMillen," he said. He turned to my Daddy, who was staring into a cup of coffee,
"Sir," he said. "If you have a minute my wife and I would like to speak to you."
Nate and I had gone over as much of the meeting as we could imagine. We decided it
would be best if Nate took charge, and I retreated into a supportive role.
Nate had a way of getting inside Daddy's head that I never would've thought of, despite
Daddy's Lutheran/Catholic prejudices Nate realized that there had been many similarities in
their rearing that might soften him into a proposal.
Both of their fathers had left when they were young, before they had a chance to know
them.
"Your father was a bum," Daddy said. "My father was a soldier."
Nate didn't argue. "Point taken," he said. "My father was a bum, fortunately he didn't stick
around long enough to teach me to become one. But your father stuck you with this place,
instilled in you a sense of Patriotism and loyalty to your family, qualities I admire, Sir."
"Don't be a suck up," Daddy said. "Get to the point."
"The point is you never wanted this land, you were stuck with it. Your brothers betrayed
your family, much like my father did mine."
"Like your mother did too," Daddy reminded.
"My mother moved on when I was grown. You have every right to do the same."
"I have another daughter," he said.
"Whom we'll gladly care for, as long as she needs us."
"How do I know you're not going to run my family legacy into the ground? What do you
know about farming?"
"Only what I've seen you do, Sir, and what I've helped Molly with the last few years. I know
I have a lot to learn. I'll have to work hard, hire help when I need it."
Daddy laughed. "Hire help with what? The Halifax family fortune?"
Nate started to get up. He had a look in his eye as if he was going to lunge at Daddy. I
wouldn't have blamed him, but I knew it could blow everything.
"There's something else, Daddy," I said. "We're having a baby."
I could see Daddy doing the math in his head. He looked at Nathaniel. "You son of a
bitch," he said.
"He's my husband," I told him. "We were married, in the Church. Before God."
"Congratulations, Sweetheart," my Mama said. It surprised me. It was the closest she'd
ever come to taking my side. Daddy looked at her.
"She's defending her husband, Sean, the way God intended. And she's carrying our
grandchild."
Daddy went into the refrigerator to grab a beer. He looked at Nate from behind the door.
"You want one?"
Nate shook his head. Daddy shrugged and sat back at the table. "You're willing to work
for this?"
"Absolutely."
"I could use some help this summer," he said. "I'll hire you as a farm hand, pay you
accordingly. We'll talk again after the harvest."
"Thank you, Daddy," I said.
I had to hire someone," he said. "Which reminds me, I have work to do."
fine, Mrs. McMillen," he said. He turned to my Daddy, who was staring into a cup of coffee,
"Sir," he said. "If you have a minute my wife and I would like to speak to you."
Nate and I had gone over as much of the meeting as we could imagine. We decided it
would be best if Nate took charge, and I retreated into a supportive role.
Nate had a way of getting inside Daddy's head that I never would've thought of, despite
Daddy's Lutheran/Catholic prejudices Nate realized that there had been many similarities in
their rearing that might soften him into a proposal.
Both of their fathers had left when they were young, before they had a chance to know
them.
"Your father was a bum," Daddy said. "My father was a soldier."
Nate didn't argue. "Point taken," he said. "My father was a bum, fortunately he didn't stick
around long enough to teach me to become one. But your father stuck you with this place,
instilled in you a sense of Patriotism and loyalty to your family, qualities I admire, Sir."
"Don't be a suck up," Daddy said. "Get to the point."
"The point is you never wanted this land, you were stuck with it. Your brothers betrayed
your family, much like my father did mine."
"Like your mother did too," Daddy reminded.
"My mother moved on when I was grown. You have every right to do the same."
"I have another daughter," he said.
"Whom we'll gladly care for, as long as she needs us."
"How do I know you're not going to run my family legacy into the ground? What do you
know about farming?"
"Only what I've seen you do, Sir, and what I've helped Molly with the last few years. I know
I have a lot to learn. I'll have to work hard, hire help when I need it."
Daddy laughed. "Hire help with what? The Halifax family fortune?"
Nate started to get up. He had a look in his eye as if he was going to lunge at Daddy. I
wouldn't have blamed him, but I knew it could blow everything.
"There's something else, Daddy," I said. "We're having a baby."
I could see Daddy doing the math in his head. He looked at Nathaniel. "You son of a
bitch," he said.
"He's my husband," I told him. "We were married, in the Church. Before God."
"Congratulations, Sweetheart," my Mama said. It surprised me. It was the closest she'd
ever come to taking my side. Daddy looked at her.
"She's defending her husband, Sean, the way God intended. And she's carrying our
grandchild."
Daddy went into the refrigerator to grab a beer. He looked at Nate from behind the door.
"You want one?"
Nate shook his head. Daddy shrugged and sat back at the table. "You're willing to work
for this?"
"Absolutely."
"I could use some help this summer," he said. "I'll hire you as a farm hand, pay you
accordingly. We'll talk again after the harvest."
"Thank you, Daddy," I said.
I had to hire someone," he said. "Which reminds me, I have work to do."