Sweet Chariots
by J.A. Lyons
Set in the coastal islands of South Carolina during the mid-fifties as the last vestiges of a dying culture fade into memory, Sweet Chariots follows Henry Jean Yuncie on his journey from boy to man.
Can Henry Jean break free from the grandmother who loves him too much, and a mother who hates his very existence..., not to mention the ghost of his beloved Aunt Matilda and the silky wardrobe she left behind?
Must he marry Mary Beth, his childhood companion and sweetheart, or can he sail to freedom across the endless marshes? Does freedom truly exist beyond Yuncie Island, or are all his dreams and desires simply the figments of an overactive young mind? Who can discern among love and hate, memories and ghosts beneath the Carolina moon?
When Gracie, only daughter of the Island’s absentee landlord arrives, Henry Jean must choose between devotion to Mary Beth and passion for Gracie, as all three careen towards tragedy. Tensions build as Henry Jean weaves among the forces pressing him to action, and peak when Mary Beth reveals a secret that threatens to destroy all their lives.
Now Henry Jean truly must choose his destiny as all paths lead to one fateful night... and no matter how he decides, everyone will suffer.
Sweet Chariots is an intense journey into a young man’s struggle towards manhood. Adult themes and situations including intense love, hate, death and gender identity are central to the story. Parental discretion is advised for young readers.
Free on Kindle Unlimited ... Also available in paperback
What they're saying ...
“It tears your heart out, then puts you back together. This is not only wonderful Southern writing, it is simply great literature.”
--Barbara Steiner, author of more than 70 published works
--- From Amazon reviews ---
"Once you start the journey, you soon find yourself swept up in the mystique of Yuncie Island, the fictional counterpart of a real sea island off the South Carolina coast."
" I was transported back to a different time in History. The mid-fifties in the deep South"
"Sweet Chariots is the one novel I give to transgender friends. J. A. Lyons’ unerring empathy for all his characters, and especially his sensitivity to the struggles of transgender identity, is for me the most remarkable and courageous dimension of this remarkable novel."
"Sweet Chariots grabs your interest from the first page!"