What's the Novel About?

My beloved Creative Writing teacher from high school suggested that perhaps giving people a clue about the novel's storyline might make a little sense.  (She's smart, that Sherry.) The first chapter of the book was published as a short story in Glimmer Train, Issue #51 (I know, my name is spelled wrong.  Such is the life of a writer.  The day I got my first poem published in a poetry journal, I threw open the mailbox lid and feverishly scanned the Contents page, only to find my poem was credited to someone named "Mary Stephens."  I could have cried.)  Song of the Orange Moons is structured like Joy Luck Club, and unfolds as first person narratives in each girl's life-chapter.  So, better late than never, here's a short glimpse of the novel:

The title, Song of the Orange Moons, reflects the lyrical nature of three girls’ stories and alludes to the orange tree where pivotal decisions occur.  This mosaic of stories tracks the intertwined childhoods of two girls and that of their neighbor, a widowed woman.  In spite of their different cultural and economic backgrounds, the three main characters all share the delicate and self-conscious journey to womanhood.  Two young girls from Jewish and Christian families and their elderly widow next door try to find happiness in a seemingly cruel world.  All three search for love and meaning in a variety of places—a charismatic church, a Depression-era orphanage, a moonlit Savannah park,  an orthodox Jewish boarding school—and end up finding lasting strength in the power of their friendships. 

Okay, it doesn't tell much.  But I'll give you more as soon as I know what I can legally give you.  You can always order the Glimmer Train #51 back issue if you want to get a peek into these mysterious girls.