2008 Anthony Award for Best Short Story (nominee)
2008 Edgar Award for Best Short Story (nominee)
UncleA Native American Gothic Psychological Drama
Some families inherit tradition.
Others inherit silence.
Fifteen-year-old Hvsotte has spent her entire life fearing one man: Leonard. A combat-era infantryman with a violent temper and a darkness no one in the family dares confront, Leonard rules their isolated Oklahoma home through intimidation, manipulation, and abuse.
Then, one afternoon along the river, everything changes.
A catastrophic injury leaves Leonard trapped inside his own body—unable to speak, walk, or defend himself. Overnight, the man who once terrorized Hvsotte becomes completely dependent on the girl he spent years tormenting.
As Hvsotte becomes his reluctant caregiver, old wounds refuse to stay buried. Every feeding, every shave, every quiet afternoon forces her to confront memories she'd rather forget. But when she uncovers pieces of Leonard's forgotten past, the line between monster and man begins to blur, leaving her to wrestle with an impossible question.
Set against the haunting landscape of rural Oklahoma and told through the unforgettable voice of a young Muscogee girl, Uncle is a dark Southern Gothic novel about trauma, memory, inherited violence, and the complicated weight of mercy.
For readers who appreciate emotionally complex literary fiction with unforgettable characters, Uncle explores how the past echoes across generations—and whether breaking a cycle always comes at a cost.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Some families inherit tradition.
Others inherit silence.
Fifteen-year-old Hvsotte has spent her entire life fearing one man: Leonard. A combat-era infantryman with a violent temper and a darkness no one in the family dares confront, Leonard rules their isolated Oklahoma home through intimidation, manipulation, and abuse.
Then, one afternoon along the river, everything changes.
A catastrophic injury leaves Leonard trapped inside his own body—unable to speak, walk, or defend himself. Overnight, the man who once terrorized Hvsotte becomes completely dependent on the girl he spent years tormenting.
As Hvsotte becomes his reluctant caregiver, old wounds refuse to stay buried. Every feeding, every shave, every quiet afternoon forces her to confront memories she'd rather forget. But when she uncovers pieces of Leonard's forgotten past, the line between monster and man begins to blur, leaving her to wrestle with an impossible question.
Set against the haunting landscape of rural Oklahoma and told through the unforgettable voice of a young Muscogee girl, Uncle is a dark Southern Gothic novel about trauma, memory, inherited violence, and the complicated weight of mercy.
For readers who appreciate emotionally complex literary fiction with unforgettable characters, Uncle explores how the past echoes across generations—and whether breaking a cycle always comes at a cost.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
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