Set against the backdrop of the historic flooding of the Mississippi River, The Tilted World is an extraordinary tale of murder and moonshine, sandbagging and saboteurs, and a man and a woman who find unexpected love, from Tom Franklin, the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, and award-winning poet Beth Ann Fennelly.
The year is 1927. As rains swell … Fennelly.
The year is 1927. As rains swell the Mississippi, the mighty river threatens to burst its banks and engulf everything in its path, including federal revenue agent Ted Ingersoll and his partner, Ham Johnson. Arriving in the tiny hamlet of Hobnob, Mississippi, to investigate the disappearance of two fellow agents who’d been on the trail of a local bootlegger, they are astonished to find a baby boy abandoned in the middle of a crime scene.
Ingersoll, an orphan raised by nuns, is determined to find the infant a home, and his search leads him to Dixie Clay Holliver. A strong woman married too young to a philandering charmer, Dixie Clay has lost a child to illness and is powerless to resist this second chance at motherhood. From the moment they meet, Ingersoll and Dixie Clay are drawn to each other. He has no idea that she’s the best bootlegger in the county and may be connected to the agents’ disappearance. And while he seems kind and gentle, Dixie Clay knows full well that he is an enemy who can never be trusted.
When Ingersoll learns that a saboteur might be among them, planning a catastrophe along the river that would wreak havoc in Hobnob, he knows that he and Dixie Clay will face challenges and choices that they will be fortunate to survive. Written with extraordinary insight and tenderness, The Tilted World is that rarest of creations, a story of seemingly ordinary people who find hope and deliverance where they least expect it — in each other.
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Enjoyed learning the history. I always Appreciate strong female characters and caring men. The friendship between the revenuers was heartwarming.
I like his voice better when he does all of his own writing. This was ok, but I could hear too much of his coauthor, who – turns out – is his wife. Microcosm, much? (Sorry. Couldn’t help myself).
I found myself thinking about this book and its characters long after I finished it. For me, that’s the mark of a good book! Although I’m from Tennessee, I had no knowledge of this great flood.
Beth Ann Fennelly and Tom Franklin are a wife and husband team whose collaboration gives their work deeper insights into their characters.
I had enjoyed Franklin’s earlier book “Crooked Letter. ..”, and was hungry for more.
Tilted World is set in the same area, but in an earlier time. The characters are complex and realistic. The …
Great read on an actual event in history.
I was interested in this book because of the historical event setting. A little disappointed in the lack of depth of characters, the ending was a bit simplistic.
The characters are well written. Also good description of the times and how that led to hard decisions and ways of coping with a natural disaster that happened decades ago.
Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly’s The Tilted World is a peak into small town Mississippi circa 1927, and the town is in the midst of a crisis. Set against the backdrop of historic flooding and Prohibition, federal agents Ted Ingersoll and Ham Johnson arrive in fictional Hobnob, Mississippi, to investigate the disappearance of two fellow agents. …
This is one of my favorite books that I have read in several years. It’s a great story about a little known period in our national history. Fascinating.
This book was a nice surprise for the low price. Set against the backdrop of the Prohibition era south during a monumental flood, it weaves the story of a whiskey-peddling, cheating dandy, his neglected wife (who runs their still), a lonely Federal Revenue agent, and a foundling baby. Danger, suspense, betrayal, and murder with a side order of …
Great historical fiction about the days of prohibition with a monumental flood also in the mix!
Very good description of the devastation caused by flooding and believable characters in how they adapted to their drastic life change.
This is one of the better novels that I’ve read in the last few years. The book is such a beautiful blend of duty, grit, and love; and the sort of dogged resourcefulness that was the only way to get by in those days. Both authors have brought this spirit to life in this novel. You don’t want to miss this one!
History inducing thoughts.
I enjoyed the fact that this book was a look into prohibition with likeable characters. Some of the plot did not connect properly but I enjoyed the writing style immensely. I would have liked to have had a better understanding of why the levee was a point of conflict.
IS very satisfying read.
Easy read and good story
Ended better than it began. A slow go at them beginning. Interesting events and period in our history
Interesting historical story about the great flood of 1922.
Excellent book! I don’t generally like period pieces, but I crawled right into this time frame (Prohibition). Very descriptive writing and characters I liked.