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The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace
Barefoot strangers crashing a beloved cat’s funeral leads to horrified pearl clutching, wacky adventures, and blossoming friendships in Megan Okonsky’s hilariously irreverent debut.
Tombstone, Texas, has never seen anything like the barefoot travelers who barrel in one afternoon, looking like they just stepped out of the seventies. They appear right in the middle of Pinky Elizabeth Swear’s eulogy for her beloved rescue cat, Sweet Potato Grace (may she rest in eternal peace and abundance of goat cheese). To be honest, Pinky is relieved at the interruption. She’d planned to use the second half of her eulogy to come out of the closet. Now, she doesn’t have to.
Are the newcomers a circus troupe? Revolutionaries? A sinister cult? While the town grows suspicious and rumor mills churn, Pinky finds herself drawn to the charisma of the barefoot strangers. Perhaps, she starts to think, the wrath of Tombstone is a thing worth risking in order to be true to oneself.
Tombstone, Texas, has never seen anything like the barefoot travelers who barrel in one afternoon, looking like they just stepped out of the seventies. They appear right in the middle of Pinky Elizabeth Swear’s eulogy for her beloved rescue cat, Sweet Potato Grace (may she rest in eternal peace and abundance of goat cheese). To be honest, Pinky is relieved at the interruption. She’d planned to use the second half of her eulogy to come out of the closet. Now, she doesn’t have to.
Are the newcomers a circus troupe? Revolutionaries? A sinister cult? While the town grows suspicious and rumor mills churn, Pinky finds herself drawn to the charisma of the barefoot strangers. Perhaps, she starts to think, the wrath of Tombstone is a thing worth risking in order to be true to oneself.
- GenresFiction
280 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2025
12 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 20, 2024
I wrote this, so…
August 17, 2025
Thank you to Feliza at Lanternfish Press for an ARC of this book!
Probably my favorite book of 2025, definitely one of the favorite books of all time. A closeted young woman takes the opportunity to come out to her family in the eulogy she’s written for her dead cat- only to be interrupted during the funeral by a van full of loving, free-spirited strangers. Her life then changes forever. A story about angst, joy, love, and breaking free of the confines of small-town thinking. I loved it entirely and you will too.
Probably my favorite book of 2025, definitely one of the favorite books of all time. A closeted young woman takes the opportunity to come out to her family in the eulogy she’s written for her dead cat- only to be interrupted during the funeral by a van full of loving, free-spirited strangers. Her life then changes forever. A story about angst, joy, love, and breaking free of the confines of small-town thinking. I loved it entirely and you will too.
April 7, 2025
I absolutely loved The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace! Pinky Swear, the main character, is such a relatable and heartfelt figure—her journey of coming out in a small, tight-knit community is beautifully told. The story is filled with warmth, honesty, and growth, as Pinky learns to embrace her true self and find acceptance. The writing has this quiet, lyrical quality that really pulls you into the world. It’s full of those tender moments that make you feel like you're walking alongside Pinky as she discovers who she really is. If you’re looking for a story about love, identity, and finding your place, this one is a must-read!
August 29, 2025
I laughed! I cried! I deeply missed my dog! I truly loved this book. This is a wonderful story about grief, seeking acceptance, found family, and being yourself. Pinky is a refreshing character. This was a joyful reading experience. Highly recommend!
August 15, 2025
The moment I saw the title for The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace, I knew I was going to have to read it. I love novels that take me to unexpected places—and there's a lot that's unexpected in this book.
Our narrator is Pinky Swear (yep, that's her real name), raised in a small Texas town, with all that implies, went off to college, then COVID—so it was back to that little town again. Pinky's life has been all planned out for her. She'll follow in her mother's footsteps and run the family store, Swear It's, have children and raise them.
But—Pinky's a lesbian. She loves her mother. She also knows that the only way she's going to get to be who she is if she leaves Swear It's behind her. And she's still deciding. Is staying with her family worth giving up on any hope for love or a relationship that will be accepted by her mother? Even if that miracle happens, she's certain it won't be accepted by the community.
At the book's opening, Pinky is preparing for the funeral of her cat, Sweet Potato Grace. She's thinking about coming out at the end of her eulogy, but isn't sure she'll be able to do it. That question becomes irrelevant when a van carrying six barefoot free spirits pulls up alongside the park where the funeral is being held. This "invasion" stops everything.
You can probably predict some of what follows—
- the town is appalled by people. who. are. not. like. them.
- Pinky befriends them and find herself "crushed out" on one of them: a woman named Mars
- rumors about the members of this new "cult" abound and get increasingly strange
What's wonderful is that, even though a reader can anticipate part of the novel's arc, I feel pretty sure that a reader cannot anticipate the way Pinky Swear (our narrator) is going to relate events. She's a mix of naivete, quirks, and an absolutely deadpan sense of humor.
I have one caveat: The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace is a charming read, but it's a charming read for someone who has embraced their own identity. The rumors and backbiting in the novel aren't something I would wish on someone who isn't yet out or who is still wrestling with real discomfort over the issue of who they are. But once that bridge is crossed The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace will prove a laugh-out-loud affirmation.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
Our narrator is Pinky Swear (yep, that's her real name), raised in a small Texas town, with all that implies, went off to college, then COVID—so it was back to that little town again. Pinky's life has been all planned out for her. She'll follow in her mother's footsteps and run the family store, Swear It's, have children and raise them.
But—Pinky's a lesbian. She loves her mother. She also knows that the only way she's going to get to be who she is if she leaves Swear It's behind her. And she's still deciding. Is staying with her family worth giving up on any hope for love or a relationship that will be accepted by her mother? Even if that miracle happens, she's certain it won't be accepted by the community.
At the book's opening, Pinky is preparing for the funeral of her cat, Sweet Potato Grace. She's thinking about coming out at the end of her eulogy, but isn't sure she'll be able to do it. That question becomes irrelevant when a van carrying six barefoot free spirits pulls up alongside the park where the funeral is being held. This "invasion" stops everything.
You can probably predict some of what follows—
- the town is appalled by people. who. are. not. like. them.
- Pinky befriends them and find herself "crushed out" on one of them: a woman named Mars
- rumors about the members of this new "cult" abound and get increasingly strange
What's wonderful is that, even though a reader can anticipate part of the novel's arc, I feel pretty sure that a reader cannot anticipate the way Pinky Swear (our narrator) is going to relate events. She's a mix of naivete, quirks, and an absolutely deadpan sense of humor.
I have one caveat: The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace is a charming read, but it's a charming read for someone who has embraced their own identity. The rumors and backbiting in the novel aren't something I would wish on someone who isn't yet out or who is still wrestling with real discomfort over the issue of who they are. But once that bridge is crossed The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace will prove a laugh-out-loud affirmation.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
October 2, 2025
Supporting local Austin authors 🙌🏼 Read this book if you love: Quirky characters, small town Texas humor, and possible cat-worshipping queer cults :) ”The view outside of the window square is much more beautiful than the view into your phone square”.
October 10, 2025
I’ve never read a book with better voice, this was so special 🐈
April 2, 2025
"People in small towns can be wary of strangers," she said, "but you know there's no need for it. Everyone's just a bunch of limbs and fears."
well this just charmed me to hell!! Barefoot Followers is a strangers-come-to-town story with a big, beating heart—it's about the danger and harm of intolerance, the eternal quest for selfhood, and the beauty of finding true community, even if it looks different than expected. it's poignant, it's silly, it's heartful, it's riotously funny; I'm already hungry for Megan's next book. Megan I will be waiting!! chop chop get to work!!
well this just charmed me to hell!! Barefoot Followers is a strangers-come-to-town story with a big, beating heart—it's about the danger and harm of intolerance, the eternal quest for selfhood, and the beauty of finding true community, even if it looks different than expected. it's poignant, it's silly, it's heartful, it's riotously funny; I'm already hungry for Megan's next book. Megan I will be waiting!! chop chop get to work!!
January 22, 2026
⭐⭐⭐.5
Pinky Elizabeth Swear left college when Covid forced her home—and hasn’t managed to go back. Now she’s being groomed by her Mama to take over the family store, Swear-Its. Mama inherited it from Nene and kept it running while raising Pinky and her sister, Ashley, alone. Pinky doesn’t want the store, and she doesn’t want Tombstone. But she doesn’t say that out loud. She keeps that—and other parts of herself—quiet.
At the funeral for her beloved cat, Sweet Potato Grace, Pinky decides she’s finally going to come out. She believes “sympathy would give way to grace,” and she’s going to need a lot of grace if her family and friends are going to accept her. Tombstone is a small town where people are set in their ways. “I had been in the closet my whole life and my eyes were adjusted to the darkness. Or, I could take a step outside and look at the vast, overwhelming sky of possibility.”
But before she can say what she came to say, an orange Volkswagen van filled with hippie-looking young men and women pulls into the park. They start setting up a cookout, and suddenly everyone’s attention shifts. Pinky’s funeral attendants are openly hostile—whispering that they look like druggies. The moment is lost.
New people only come to Tombstone for two reasons: cheap land and a lack of government oversight. Others have tried (and failed) to bring something new—cafes, yoga studios, rock-climbing gyms—but nothing sticks. “It takes more than just one person to change a place when folks like everything to stay the same. Unless the call is coming from inside the house, the phone will keep on ringing.”
Pinky is drawn to the strangers anyway. Her friends insist they’re a cult. Her mom thinks they’re trouble. Pinky understands what the town won’t: different doesn’t automatically mean bad.
They’ve rented a nearby house—“six men, six women and zero shoe racks”—and they welcome Pinky with open arms. When Pinky tries to bridge her old world and her new one, her longtime friends stay committed to their assumptions. The newcomers, in contrast, are open in a way Tombstone isn’t. As Mars tells her, “People in small towns can be wary of strangers but you know there’s no need for it. Everyone’s just a bunch of limbs and fears.”
But the town moves beyond wariness into something uglier. Rumors metastasize into conspiracies, and soon things spin out of control. Pinky is forced to choose sides—and the book delivers a simple truth: when people show you who they are, believe them.
My one stumble: how and why the strangers ended up in Tombstone felt a bit far-fetched, and that’s where the story lost me. Still, Pinky is a strong enough character to keep the book anchored. Okonsky’s writing is crisp and witty, and I’m looking forward to what she does next.
Pinky Elizabeth Swear left college when Covid forced her home—and hasn’t managed to go back. Now she’s being groomed by her Mama to take over the family store, Swear-Its. Mama inherited it from Nene and kept it running while raising Pinky and her sister, Ashley, alone. Pinky doesn’t want the store, and she doesn’t want Tombstone. But she doesn’t say that out loud. She keeps that—and other parts of herself—quiet.
At the funeral for her beloved cat, Sweet Potato Grace, Pinky decides she’s finally going to come out. She believes “sympathy would give way to grace,” and she’s going to need a lot of grace if her family and friends are going to accept her. Tombstone is a small town where people are set in their ways. “I had been in the closet my whole life and my eyes were adjusted to the darkness. Or, I could take a step outside and look at the vast, overwhelming sky of possibility.”
But before she can say what she came to say, an orange Volkswagen van filled with hippie-looking young men and women pulls into the park. They start setting up a cookout, and suddenly everyone’s attention shifts. Pinky’s funeral attendants are openly hostile—whispering that they look like druggies. The moment is lost.
New people only come to Tombstone for two reasons: cheap land and a lack of government oversight. Others have tried (and failed) to bring something new—cafes, yoga studios, rock-climbing gyms—but nothing sticks. “It takes more than just one person to change a place when folks like everything to stay the same. Unless the call is coming from inside the house, the phone will keep on ringing.”
Pinky is drawn to the strangers anyway. Her friends insist they’re a cult. Her mom thinks they’re trouble. Pinky understands what the town won’t: different doesn’t automatically mean bad.
They’ve rented a nearby house—“six men, six women and zero shoe racks”—and they welcome Pinky with open arms. When Pinky tries to bridge her old world and her new one, her longtime friends stay committed to their assumptions. The newcomers, in contrast, are open in a way Tombstone isn’t. As Mars tells her, “People in small towns can be wary of strangers but you know there’s no need for it. Everyone’s just a bunch of limbs and fears.”
But the town moves beyond wariness into something uglier. Rumors metastasize into conspiracies, and soon things spin out of control. Pinky is forced to choose sides—and the book delivers a simple truth: when people show you who they are, believe them.
My one stumble: how and why the strangers ended up in Tombstone felt a bit far-fetched, and that’s where the story lost me. Still, Pinky is a strong enough character to keep the book anchored. Okonsky’s writing is crisp and witty, and I’m looking forward to what she does next.
September 6, 2025
I’d follow Sweet Potato Grace from one life to the next! 🐈 this book is so heartwarming and fun and yet it tackles deeper issues that plague small-town conservative America. The barefoot travelers are a fun, innocent group that just look and act a little different, but that’s enough for a town to turn on them, heightening the protagonist’s fear of what will happen if she comes out of the closet.
The writing is light and hilarious with unexpected twangy turns of phrase in every line. It sets the tone for topics that could otherwise feel dark into something hopeful and whimsical, mirroring the underlying current of queer joy that the travelers represent. They breathe life into a stuffy small Texas town, and yet some stubborn people would rather suffocate than change their minds.
I highly recommend this as a lighthearted, hopeful read for anyone who has ever felt social rules are worth breaking when they don’t include everyone. 🌈⛅️🐈
The writing is light and hilarious with unexpected twangy turns of phrase in every line. It sets the tone for topics that could otherwise feel dark into something hopeful and whimsical, mirroring the underlying current of queer joy that the travelers represent. They breathe life into a stuffy small Texas town, and yet some stubborn people would rather suffocate than change their minds.
I highly recommend this as a lighthearted, hopeful read for anyone who has ever felt social rules are worth breaking when they don’t include everyone. 🌈⛅️🐈
July 25, 2025
This was great. I expected it to be goofier, given the main character named Pinky Swear and the kooky start with the barefoot travelers showing up at a cat's funeral, but most of it was a serious portrayal of being gay in small-town Texas in 2022, until it turns magical realist in a twist at the end. I loved Pinky, and the book was both fun and reflective.
September 11, 2025
Overall Rating: 5 stars
The characters in this cute, hilarious, and surprisingly tender story were so original and brought in some sage life advice for any and all types of people that are going through the human experience of grieving and trying to find and express yourself.
Characters: 5 stars
The setting of a small, rural, Texas town takes on the characteristics of its societal norms and becomes another character in its own way.
Setting: 4 stars
While at first, this could be seen as a slice of life type narrative, we slowly see certain nuances that indicate that there is something else going on with the Barefoot Followers. Pinky’s coming out story is more than enough on its own, but the something else that was added was really enjoyable to me.
Plot: 5 stars
Pinky has to make the decision to remain stuck behind societal norms or to use the power of a found family to follow her heart. The Barefoot Followers are so unique and highlight the juxtaposition of being yourself while being in a place where you don’t belong.
Themes: 5 stars
This story about an adult that is still learning how to be true to themselves in a world that may not like who or what that means hits home.
Emotional Impact: 5 stars
Pinky and her story of learning to embrace queer joy will be one that sticks with me for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down.
Personal Enjoyment: 5 stars
The characters in this cute, hilarious, and surprisingly tender story were so original and brought in some sage life advice for any and all types of people that are going through the human experience of grieving and trying to find and express yourself.
Characters: 5 stars
The setting of a small, rural, Texas town takes on the characteristics of its societal norms and becomes another character in its own way.
Setting: 4 stars
While at first, this could be seen as a slice of life type narrative, we slowly see certain nuances that indicate that there is something else going on with the Barefoot Followers. Pinky’s coming out story is more than enough on its own, but the something else that was added was really enjoyable to me.
Plot: 5 stars
Pinky has to make the decision to remain stuck behind societal norms or to use the power of a found family to follow her heart. The Barefoot Followers are so unique and highlight the juxtaposition of being yourself while being in a place where you don’t belong.
Themes: 5 stars
This story about an adult that is still learning how to be true to themselves in a world that may not like who or what that means hits home.
Emotional Impact: 5 stars
Pinky and her story of learning to embrace queer joy will be one that sticks with me for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down.
Personal Enjoyment: 5 stars
March 24, 2025
A great read! Funny, touching, relevant, and a little crazy. Love the names in the book.
May 21, 2025
Megan Okonsky is a wonderful writer. This was my kind of southern fiction.
July 9, 2025
i loved this! A look into small, small town life in texas, and what happens when someone comes in to shake up the status quo. A fun, queer read with a unique narrator and plot.
August 23, 2025
A woman outgrows her small Texas town so she can finally live her truth. I loved this book. It hurt my heart and I was rooting for Pinky the whole time. That last line! ❤️
September 4, 2025
Megan’s witty humor was a perfect touch in this story about grief and finding yourself. Each character is intentionally written with depth - you really feel like you get to know them.
November 16, 2025
Really fun romp, I can’t wait to share this book!
November 21, 2025
a funny, clever, sweet, and well put-together novel :,)
December 26, 2025
Bought this book last month at the Austin Book Festival after being given a very convincing 30-second pitch on all the reasons why I would enjoy it. Such a heartwarming and fun read!
January 2, 2026
I picked this book up on a whim at the library. This was a nice light and inspiring story. I love the little twists and the open ending.
January 3, 2026
Lots of fun!! The prose has a lot of character
January 9, 2026
A silly story (the author’s words) that reminds us about the power of kindness and the freedom that comes with being brave enough to dream. And there’s a sassy cat!
June 15, 2025
A celebration of dancing, grass under the feet, freedom found in individuality, and the accidental/intentional queer tendency to start some drama. A lovely read, and I can't wait for more!
(Congrats, Megan!)
(Congrats, Megan!)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews