Less the Horror than the Grace - Paperback

A modern retelling of the Medusa myth set in a snake-handling church in Tennessee in the summer of 1920 as they vote to ratify women's suffrage for the entire United States.

It's the summer of 1920 and the hollers of Tennessee are dripping with humidity and tension, the electricity in the air broken only by storms and, if you're lucky, a travelling revival. The most famous features a lady preacher-who bestows the power on her listeners to become greater than themselves, and to handle the most venomous snakes without fear, investing them with a spiritual power they've never known.

Miles away in Nashville, the state legislature is about to vote on Women's Suffrage. If it passes in Tennessee, it will become law of the land. If it fails, the measure is all but dead. It's clear the measure will pass or fail on the slimmest margin of votes and both sides are upping the ante by playing dirty.

Elsewhere in Nashville, Theo Hood graduates from seminary. The son of his denomination's founder, he secretly plots his own course to bring religion into the future by embracing science and the new psychology of Dr. Freud, framing theology which gives new importance to listening to women.

Because of his unconventional views, Theo is sent as a "participant observer" to the mountain hamlet of Parthenon because strange reports have been filtering in. His long journey through the woods and into the mountains is wound with confusion and strange sightings, on top of which, Theo arrives just in time to attend the funeral of the pastor he was supposed to observe-who was killed by a snake bite. The popular female revivalist becomes the new pastor.

Welcomed into the home of the mayor, who's also the local state legislator, Theo can't help but notice a strange pall over the town. He finds an unexpected kinship with Minerva, the pastor, who seems to have unusual powers. As Theo becomes immersed in the life of the citizens-falling in love with one of them-he is confused by what seems to be supernatural goings-on. And listening, actually listening, to the women shocks him more than anything.

During the final push of the country's most famous suffragettes-including the leader, Bernadette Shaw, who can see death in the future of many-Theo fights to find out what's really going on, is allowed into the fellowship of women and nearly dies for it, before finding an unexpected ally as the legislators ready to vote for women's suffrage face what Theo knows to be a supernatural battle.