The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush

by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Young Leonard Bush buries his lost leg and saves his whole East Tennessee town in this winsome and miracle-making novel.

When twelve-year-old Leonard Bush loses his leg in a freak accident, he decides to give his leg a proper burial in the hilltop cemetery of his East Tennessee town. This event somehow sets off a chain of miraculous and catastrophic events—upending the lives of Leonard’s rigidly God-fearing mother, June; his deeply conflicted father, Emmett; and his best friend, Azalea, and her mother, Rose, who is also the town prostitute. While the local Baptist minister passes judgment on events and promises dire consequences, the people of this small community on the banks of Big Sugar move together toward awakening.

Susan Gilmore’s love of storytelling flows naturally from her Tennessee roots. She’s the daughter of a revival preacher’s son, brought up on the land and streams that populate this novel that is, as Appalachian novelist Lee Smith says, a “homespun Pilgrim’s Progress.”

300 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Susan Gregg Gilmore's fourth novel, The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush (Blair), will be released August 25.

Although her artist mother bought Gilmore her first easel and box of paints when she was five, it was her father's love of family storytelling that captured her attention.

Gilmore knew at an early age that she wanted to write but was first drawn to journalism not fiction. While at the University of Virginia, she wrote for the student paper, The Cavalier Daily.

Later, while raising her three daughters, she joined the staff of The Chattanooga News Free Press as a features writer and columnist. After relocating to Southern California, she regularly freelanced for The Los Angeles Times and Christian Science Monitor.

Her first novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, was a USA TODAY and AMAZON bestseller and is rooted in summer vacations spent with her paternal grandmother and grandfather, a revival-bred preacher, who after church on Sundays, always took his granddaughters to the Dairy Queen.

Gilmore currently lives in Chattanooga with her husband, Dan.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, sad, and dark at times, but this is an uplifting story filled with heart. There are characters with all kinds of faith - faith in God for some, faith in those we love, faith in strangers, but most of all about faith in yourself when life is against you. It’s about loss and death, about closure , how to deal with the grief and anger. If you are twelve year old Leonard Bush, it’s about burying and holding a funeral for your amputated leg to help you move on. His desire opens up a can of worms in this small town in Tennessee as all the troubles of people in the town emerge. They want to move on like they believe Leonard has and bury their personal demons - hotel room keys of an adulterous man, a sling shot of a young boy who hurt his sister with it, a plea to God from a young girl to help her through some tough things too much to bear for twelve year old, a lighter one with a woman wanting to bury a Harlequin romance novel because it made her flirt with a man in front of his wife, and more.

Leonard is a kind boy and a character to remember, bearing his own difficulties who just wants to help people, as he worries about the sad circumstances of his friend Azalea and his parents troubled marriage . A good story reflecting on the ways we make ourselves whole again while bearing grief that breaks us by forgiving ourselves and others.

I received a copy of this book from Blair through Edelweiss.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Giveaway book. It's very well written with interesting characters.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Susan Gregg Gilmore writes a book, I read it. Leonard lives in rural Tennessee and has lost his lower leg to an infection. Just 12 years old, he may be wiser than some of the adults, but his gut tells him, he needs to have a funeral for his leg. Soon other folks are asking for help burying items that have caused them distress or led them to sin. Leonard's parents are having a hard time, blaming themselves for Leonard's misfortune, but his mamma believes it is all part of God's divine plan as well as her personal punishment. While reading, you can see the small town with all its characters and I became deeply invested in their outcomes, I cannot wait to see the author again in May!

[Cammy Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 year old Leonard loses his k
Lag and decides to give it a burial. This sets off a chain of event is his small southern town involving him, dad, Azaela, his best friend, and her mother,Rose.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that just wraps you up so completely in a different world you can smell the bleach and the hay.

[Jane]

Read on Kindle.
Forgot to add to Goodreads so going from poor memory. Got the rec from Southern Fest of Books.
The young boy loses his leg from an infection he got while fishing. He buries it in the cemetery with family, friends and church people. People start coming to him to bury things (sins and secrets). His mom believes in omens and bad luck. His dad is carrying the burden of thinking he caused his little sister’s death years ago. Things get worse then better between them. He has s young girl friend whose mom is the town whore. Sad story. His mom ends up taking care of the girl’s mom as she dies and they take her and the baby brother into their home at the end.

[Dot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely story, well-written with wonderful, believable characters - all with real-life problems, pains, and sometimes regrets. Thoroughly enjoyable. I will look for other books by Susan Gregg Gilmore in the future.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little gem of a book that begins with a funeral for a 12! Year old boys amputated leg. After that his town sees him as “special” and his calling begins. This has a lovely cast of characters and their storylines are mostly fulfilled. It’s a very nice, quick read.

[Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the characters in this

[Laura Junell · Rating 5 out of 5]

unexpected but a story of grief and joy

Simply a story of faith and strength to overcome the struggles of life & tragedy by forgiveness and love Amen

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet story about how some good can come from loss.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story, so true to the area and era.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this authors books. There is no “formula “ and each story is unique. So good.

[Margarete Lory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more 3 1/2, sweet story

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely story of humanity at its best and its worst.

[Molly Switzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautifully written, poignant, thought provoking story. My whole book club loved it!

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins with Leonard having a funeral for his leg that had to be amputated because of infection. People begin to believe that he can perform miracles.

[Rachel Lesler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, wholesome story about all the ways we try to bury our pain — literally and figuratively— and the quiet grace of letting go.

It’s always a pleasure to read Southern authors, and even better when they’re local. Thanks to the author for sharing an arc with me.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

got that great heart squeezy feeling when i read.
been thinking of june every time i clean my apartment.
i hope all the characters are well!!!! miss them ♥️