St. Croix River Valley, 1977. When Meg joins her Catholic alma mater’s parish staff, she soon finds herself fending off the menacing priest from prayer group. She keeps quiet on the advice of her gay brother who warns her the bishop is likely glad his priest goes after women, not men or boys. Who would believe her anyway?

A different kind of challenge looms when salt-of-the-earth Father Andy is assigned to the parish. Their friendship heats up. Meg knows the rules and is loath to add another sin to her family’s litany of taboos. Meanwhile, the priest from prayer group goes unchecked. Meg must confront the boys’ club of her Church, find a God she can trust, and reckon with her deepest desires.

Kirkus Reviews calls Casey’s debut novel a “heartfelt and well-orchestrated story of disillusioned faith and elusive hope.” Peopled with flawed characters finding their footing, and perhaps love, the world of Casey’s Candlewood is built on the mixed blessing of a tight-knit community.

For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Alice McDermott, Jennifer Haigh, and Jonathan Franzen.

Evelyn Ann Casey writes stories filled with grace and gumption. Her love of language and storytelling grew from her Chicago roots in a multi-ethnic neighborhood filled with Irish pubs, Sicilian cannoli, and Jewish delis. She worked in government relations in Milwaukee before managing outreach programs in healthcare at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When not exploring locales near and far with her husband, she attends music and theatre venues as often as possible and volunteers with community reading programs. Candlewood is her first novel. Visit Evelyn online at EvelynAnnCasey.com

Livestream: Evelyn Ann Casey in conversation with Christine DeSmet