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The Sound of Eventide
Two thriving, world-famous resorts. One shattering event. An unyielding aftermath.
November 1931. Folks in French Lick Springs, Indiana think Lucy Nash’s husband left in search of work. In truth, Abner hasn’t sent so much as a postcard since he slipped out of town almost two years ago. Lucy is as weary of living a masquerade as her children are tired of going without. She wants to tell him that love and forgiveness will greet him when he returns, but first she has to find him.
In a plot to pen the scoop of a lifetime, a reckless, big-city newshound sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, and he has the nerve to manipulate a hard-working Western Union telegraph operator into being his accomplice. If not for the innocent mistake that could jeopardize his job, Kevin McNary would tell the meddler to hit the road.
The blustering reporter has the power to stir up enough trouble to destroy reputations, deflate dreams, and trample fragile hope. His interference is as absurd as it is uncontainable, and every attempt to stop the snoop adds another layer of secrecy and makes matters worse.
At the Crossroads selections are stand-alone novels, each with unique characters and storylines.
November 1931. Folks in French Lick Springs, Indiana think Lucy Nash’s husband left in search of work. In truth, Abner hasn’t sent so much as a postcard since he slipped out of town almost two years ago. Lucy is as weary of living a masquerade as her children are tired of going without. She wants to tell him that love and forgiveness will greet him when he returns, but first she has to find him.
In a plot to pen the scoop of a lifetime, a reckless, big-city newshound sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, and he has the nerve to manipulate a hard-working Western Union telegraph operator into being his accomplice. If not for the innocent mistake that could jeopardize his job, Kevin McNary would tell the meddler to hit the road.
The blustering reporter has the power to stir up enough trouble to destroy reputations, deflate dreams, and trample fragile hope. His interference is as absurd as it is uncontainable, and every attempt to stop the snoop adds another layer of secrecy and makes matters worse.
At the Crossroads selections are stand-alone novels, each with unique characters and storylines.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2025
13 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Banfield
25 books13 followersValerie Banfield is a talespinner to the lost, the loved, and the found. She is the author of eighteen novels, including While I Count the Stars, winner of the Cascade Award. She loves to take little known tidbits from eras gone by and use them as the backdrop for imperfect but endearing characters who dangle between loss and hope as they wend their way through troubled times and circumstances. When she’s not writing, reading, or rummaging through newspaper archives, she’s probably walking the dog, weaving a basket, counting the stars, or savoring the majesty of an Indiana sunrise.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 12, 2025
Valerie Banfield is back with another standalone ‘slice of life’ story from the Great Depression era in Indiana, and I enjoyed meeting the characters of The Sound of Eventide just as much as I did the ones in On the Wings of the Morning. Lucy Nash and her children, Bonnie & Ben. Kevin McNary and his wife Nettie. Malcolm Harper and his quest for the next big news story. Each connected by one missing man – Lucy’s husband, Abner Nash, who left to find work and never returned. What happened to Abner is an underlying theme of this novel, yes, and provides the plot with an air of mystery that kept me invested in the outcome. But even more than that, this story is a profile of resiliency in tough times and dependence on the One who sees the big picture.
“She needed to muster enough faith to accept that the tiny pieces she could see and understand of her life’s story were not the whole of what the Good Father purposed for her and for her family.”
Lucy Nash is hands-down my favorite character in The Sound of Eventide, not only because of her diligent search for her husband and determination to make ends meet but also because of the steady grace with which she carries herself through it all. It’s easy to think sometimes that normal life just kinda stopped during the Great Depression, but Banfield reminded me through Lucy and her family – as well as Kevin and Nettie – that for a lot of people it looked much like it does for us when finances are really tight and job situations are uncertain. Banfield made it easy for me to place myself in their story and imagine how I would react in similar situations. Malcolm is a larger-than-life figure who barrels in and out of the narrative, and anytime he did I knew the story was in for an intriguing turn. Characters like him are always fun to follow through a novel, even if you might dread to see them coming in real life. Without his influence though, this story wouldn’t have been the same, and I think you’ll come to appreciate him as much as I did in the end.
(Fun bonus fact: the title of this book references the lyrics of an old hymn – Abide in Me – that the author quotes a couple of times in the story. It was also referenced in another book I read recently – In Tempest Winds – and I quoted it in my review of that novel. How cool that I’ve come across it twice recently after not really having known of it before. Such beautiful lyrics, too.)
Bottom Line: The Sound of Eventide by Valerie Banfield paints a mercy-filled portrait of the lives of regular people during the Great Depression, unlikely friends connected by the absence of another. The story covers compelling history, yes, but also delivers meaningful truth that applies just as much to us today as it did then. Relatable characters help us see ourselves in their struggles and their victories, and above all remind us that we can walk through anything – even the deepest darkness – if we abide with God, the Help of the helpless and the One who changes not. If you enjoy reading heartfelt historical fiction that brings to life new aspects of familiar eras and seamlessly weaves in faith, hope, and love, then you need to read The Sound of Eventide too!
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I read via Kindle Unlimited.)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
“She needed to muster enough faith to accept that the tiny pieces she could see and understand of her life’s story were not the whole of what the Good Father purposed for her and for her family.”
Lucy Nash is hands-down my favorite character in The Sound of Eventide, not only because of her diligent search for her husband and determination to make ends meet but also because of the steady grace with which she carries herself through it all. It’s easy to think sometimes that normal life just kinda stopped during the Great Depression, but Banfield reminded me through Lucy and her family – as well as Kevin and Nettie – that for a lot of people it looked much like it does for us when finances are really tight and job situations are uncertain. Banfield made it easy for me to place myself in their story and imagine how I would react in similar situations. Malcolm is a larger-than-life figure who barrels in and out of the narrative, and anytime he did I knew the story was in for an intriguing turn. Characters like him are always fun to follow through a novel, even if you might dread to see them coming in real life. Without his influence though, this story wouldn’t have been the same, and I think you’ll come to appreciate him as much as I did in the end.
(Fun bonus fact: the title of this book references the lyrics of an old hymn – Abide in Me – that the author quotes a couple of times in the story. It was also referenced in another book I read recently – In Tempest Winds – and I quoted it in my review of that novel. How cool that I’ve come across it twice recently after not really having known of it before. Such beautiful lyrics, too.)
Bottom Line: The Sound of Eventide by Valerie Banfield paints a mercy-filled portrait of the lives of regular people during the Great Depression, unlikely friends connected by the absence of another. The story covers compelling history, yes, but also delivers meaningful truth that applies just as much to us today as it did then. Relatable characters help us see ourselves in their struggles and their victories, and above all remind us that we can walk through anything – even the deepest darkness – if we abide with God, the Help of the helpless and the One who changes not. If you enjoy reading heartfelt historical fiction that brings to life new aspects of familiar eras and seamlessly weaves in faith, hope, and love, then you need to read The Sound of Eventide too!
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I read via Kindle Unlimited.)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
May 26, 2025
Valerie Banfield makes history come alive through her characters and fascinating historical tidbits woven seamlessly into her books. (I’ve read three of Banfield’s nineteen novels). Her research is impeccable. Even though I’ve stayed at the West Baden Springs resort in French Lick, Indiana, and was familiar with the history of the town’s two world-class resorts, through this book I embraced the town during the Great Depression. I was on edge when a brash, nosy reporter barges into the life of a hard-working wife and mother whose husband left the community in search of work. Suspense heightens through the flaws and stoic courage of Banfield’s characters. The book’s quiet strands of faith filled my heart.
March 30, 2025
Valerie Banfield is a brilliant writer and her research is by far the greatest. With two thriving, world-famous resorts, French Lick Springs and West Baden Indiana comes a story from November 1931. Everything changes in an instant in a time when everybody and everything is changed by the depression of our country. It is a story about the struggle to stay alive. The love and faith in this story makes it one that you will remember. It is that great.
April 1, 2025
What a good story! Well-developed characters, intricate and intertwining plots, and historical details wrap the reader into a warm, delightful novel-one that is not without hardship or trials or perseverance, but one that leaves a blessing in its wake. I love how Banfield brings the historical era to life and weaves faith throughout her book. A very good read!
May 30, 2025
A great read. You won’t be disappointed. A kindle unlimited.
August 12, 2025
This was a friend’s choice for our August 2025 book club meeting. Seven of us will travel to the historic French Lick resorts to discuss the book.
September 14, 2025
This was an interesting storyline, but a lot of editing could be done.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews