It is 1974, the last carefree, sultry Louisiana summer before high school begins when Margaret Thibodeaux’s world collapses: her daddy asks hometown doctor Muriel to marry him. It's been six years since her mama mysteriously died, and Margaret is convinced that the closer Muriel gets, the less she'll receive bedside visits from her mother—and the more she will fade from their lives. 

 

Set on rejecting Muriel’s kindnesses, Margaret grapples with everyone’s delight over the engagement, including her two best friends, Honey and Robert, who think Muriel is nothing short of an angel. But when Margaret visits her mama’s grave for the first time and finds a poem left there—not in her daddy’s handwriting—the mystery of her mother’s death escalates. It isn't until she befriends the local recluse, Jezebel, who has spiritual gifts akin to her own, that Margaret begins to unravel her assumptions, reconcile her grief, and discover a shocking revelation about her mama from across the veil.  

 

At once humorous and heartbreaking, Margaret of Thibodaux is a captivating Southern story of longing and self-discovery, told from the perspective of a feisty and determined yet vulnerable teenage girl as she learns that love and nurturing can come in the most unexpected packages.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Author: Jo Taylor

Publication Date: Winter 2025 (Buy button links to follow)