Plantation mistress Amanda Satterfield’s intense grief over losing her daughter crosses the line into madness when she takes a newborn slave child as her own and names her Granada. Troubled by his wife’s disturbing mental state and concerned about a mysterious plague that is sweeping through the plantation’s slave population, Master Satterfield purchases Polly Shine, a slave woman known as a healer. But the master gets more than he bargained for when Polly’s sharp tongue and troubling predictions cause unrest throughout the plantation. Complicating matters further, Polly recognizes “the gift” in young Granada, and a domestic battle of wills ensues that raises tantalizing questions about who Polly Shine really is: a clever charlatan, a meddlesome witch, or a divine redeemer.

VIEW BOOK TRAILER (3 minutes)

Filled with strong, vivid female characters and inspired by true-life events, Odell brilliantly brings the
pre-Civil War South to life in this masterfully written novel, centered on a mysterious and charismatic
healer readers won’t soon forget.

CLICK HERE

Photos are of ex-slaves taken in the 1930′s by artists working for the WPA. The song is the spiritual, “Keep Your Lamp a Trimmed and a Burning” sung a capella by a former Mississippi slave, recorded in the 1930′s through the WPA.
Music and photos are archived in the Library of Congress, as are the photos.
This video was developed by award winning artist James Kuether

We’re thrilled to share the following advance praise for THE HEALING by Jonathan Odell

(On sale February 12, 2012; ISBN: 978-0-385-53467-3)

“Jonathan Odell has written a terrific novel that will take its place in the distinguished pantheon of Southern fiction. Like that showstopping work by Kathryn Stockett, The Healing is another Mississippi-born work of art and Odell’s Polly Shine is a character for the ages.” —Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides and South of Broad

“Jonathan Odell won me over with his fresh take on an 1860′s Mississippi plantation, and the connective power of story to heal body, mind and community. Long after closing the novel’s final pages, I’m still marveling about Polly Shine, an inventively subversive slave healer, and a character I won’t soon forget.” –Lalita Tademy, author of Cane River, an Oprah’s Book Club selection, and Red River 



“When the young slave Granada Satterfield reluctantly undertakes a quest to recover her own identity, she finds that she must begin by seeking the answers to two questions: Who are my people and what are their stories? Jonathan Odell’s compelling new novel The Healing is a lyrical parable, rich with historical detail and unflinching in the face of disturbing facts.”
—Valerie Martin, author of the Orange Prize winning novel Property

“Jonathan Odell gives voice to strong women at a time in history when their strength might have been their undoing. When Polly Shine’s fierce knowledge comes up against Granada’s stubborn resistance, the reader is held captive as the two attempt to resolve their conflict and Granada is made to face her destiny. This moving story is a must read for fans of historical fiction.”
—Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House



“The Healing is a moving cri de coeur for all those who yearn to be free, and for the wise women among us who understand that to subjugate one person is to subjugate all of humanity.” 
—Robin Oliveira, author of My Name if Mary Sutter

The cover to my upcoming novel, THE HEALING, has been released.

St. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, Nov. 6, 2010–Minnesotan Jonathan Odell has sold his second novel to Random House with publication scheduled for fall of 2011 or winter 2012. Odell’s debut novel, “The View From Delphi,”was published to good reviews in 2004. It’s the story of a white woman who works with black maids in Mississippi (Odell’s home state) who organize to register to vote. His new novel takes place on a slave plantation and his publisher will probably link it to the…Read the rest of Mary Ann Grossman’s article