THE RELUCTANT VISIONARY

In Groover’s dramatic paranormal thriller, multiple members of a family grapple with strange and startling visions.

In modern-day Center Point, Texas, Jessica Atwood, a 29-year-old Black woman, lives on a failing farm with her brother and stepfather. She has haunting, dreamlike premonitions that make life even more difficult for her. Like those of her mother and grandmother, Jess’ visions are “hit-or-miss” in their ability to foretell future events. If they’re incorrect, the townsfolk could believe that Jess is mentally ill; if they’re true, then disastrous events may well come to pass. The spirited woman feels as if she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she vows to help as many people as she can with her burdensome gift. This is easier said than done, however—especially after Jess begins to experience terrible, urgent premonitions of young women being kidnapped in their town. As she endeavors to find peace and the strength to be a hero, Groover introduces an account of Anna Mae Cole, Jess’ grandmother, growing up in the mid-1960s with the same unique, frustrating powers. The author expertly weaves together the women’s dire struggles to do what’s right and also their trials and tribulations as they attempt to come into their own in the 1960s and in the present day. As Jess strives to keep her farm afloat while dealing with annoying neighbors and mysterious men interested in buying her property, Anna Mae navigates a broken family and finding and losing love. Strong themes of generational trauma, family bonds, and finding one’s truth coexist in a well-paced plot, and as readers connect with Jess’ or Anna Mae’s narratives, they’ll find themselves engaged by an intriguing mystery.

A smart supernatural tale that delves deeply into its main characters’ lives.