437 Results with the "Historical Fiction" genre


    • Chapter 22: Without a Song Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 22: Without a Song begins with the weight of closure bearing heavily on Moshe’s shoulders. Packing up the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store proved more painful than he anticipated, triggering memories long buried. Discovering the butter barrel that Chona once used to calm him, now filled with toys for neighborhood children, forced him to confront not only her absence but the gaping silence left behind. Moshe, overwhelmed by emotion, broke down quietly while Nate and Addie respectfully kept their…
    • Chapter 21: The Marble Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 21: The Marble begins as Dodo’s world turns inside out. Thrust from a cozy space behind Miss Chona’s store into the chaos of Ward C-1 at Pennhurst, the shift felt like plunging into an abyss. The smell, the noise, and the blur of drug-induced disorientation stripped him of control, leaving only confusion and pain. His body, once full of energy, lay trapped in traction. Though terrifying, the restraint spared him from further injury and gave his limbs time to heal. The mental toll, however, was…
    • Chapter 20: The Antes House Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 20: The Antes House begins with an annual tradition drenched in irony and contradiction. What appeared to be a grand celebration of local heritage was, at its core, a parade of contradictions—where brass instruments blared for a forgotten composer and flags fluttered over a building more often used as a back-alley dive than a historical monument. The John Antes Historical Society and Pottstown's city council observed Memorial Day with feigned reverence and theatrical rituals, while residents…
    • Chapter 19: The Lowgods Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 19: The Lowgods begins on a storm-soaked night, with Fatty gripping the wheel of his rickety Packard, leading Paper and Big Soap through thick sheets of rain toward Hemlock Row. The journey is not simply about distance, but about crossing into a realm that few dare to visit—a secluded cluster of dwellings hidden just outside Pottstown and untouched by time. Here, the Lowgods reside—descendants of a southern legacy that diverged from the upward trajectory pursued by neighboring Black…
    • Chapter 18: The Hot Dog Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 18: The Hot Dog begins with Chona, one week after her assault, drifting between dreams and a painful reality. She lies in her hospital bed, barely tethered to the world, as fragments of a prayer from her childhood, Barukh She’amar, float through her consciousness like shimmering motes of light. These prayerful echoes remind her of Sabbath mornings beside her father, the comfort of ritual, and the warmth of faith long held. Her parched lips and whispered desire for water elicit a quiet response,…
    • Chapter 17: The Bullfrog Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 17: The Bullfrog begins during a chaotic time for Ahavat Achim synagogue on Chicken Hill. The community is facing not only emotional strain from Chona’s critical illness but also unexpected complications with their mikvah. When a massive bullfrog is discovered splashing in the sacred bath, it startles the congregants and sparks fresh controversy—especially for Mr. Hudson, a vocal new member from Buffalo who insists on a more lavish, professionally built mikvah, even offering a generous donation…
    • Chapter 16: The Visit Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 16: The Visit begins in a sterile hospital room in Reading, where Chona remains unconscious, her fragile state watched over by those closest to her. Though she cannot speak, her presence anchors Addie and Moshe, who trade brief but meaningful observations each morning. Addie insists she sees movement, slight signs of awareness, though doctors warn otherwise. Moshe, weary from his nighttime work at the theater and drained by grief, never questions her hope. His eyes remain locked on Chona’s face,…
    • Chapter 15: The Worm Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 15: The Worm opens with Fioria Carissimi, a woman not easily swayed by rumors, finding herself caught in a swirl of conflicting stories. The gossip that circulates through her local church group paints an unsettling picture—a Jewish woman and a deaf Black child entangled in a mysterious incident at a local store. Some claim the Jews tried to protect the child; others insist they called the police on him. These contradictions leave Fioria uneasy. Though she usually avoids town drama, this story…
    • Chapter 14: Differing Weights and Measures Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 14: Differing Weights and Measures begins at the edge of Pigs Alley, where Fatty, seated on a pile of scrap wood outside his jook joint, quietly surveys the night while wrestling with a growing concern. Inside, the laughter and lively tunes can't mask the unease he feels about Nate Timblin’s presence, a man whose silence speaks volumes. Nate’s quiet drinking masks a history few know in full—but Fatty remembers enough to sense the weight of danger simmering in that silence, especially with a…
    • Chapter 13: Cowboy Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 13: Cowboy begins with Moshe leaning against the railing of the outdoor pavilion overlooking the Ringing Rocks skating rink, his mind lost in thought. Despite the laughter of teenage skaters and the soft snowfall around him, he feels distant and detached, clutching an unlit cigar. The cold bite of the winter air seems to match the bitterness in his heart, as he reflects on the series of events that have led him here. The natural beauty of the landscape, the sound of the rocks ringing when struck by…
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