Floodmarks

by Dale Neal

In 1984, cub reporter George Flack hopes for his first big story at the Asheville Citizen-Times. Instead, he is assigned a cranky Miss Nellie Lusk, who demands a correction and apology after the newspaper mistakenly listed her among the dead in the devastating Flood of 1916.As George uncovers the truths behind her family' s losses and her recovery from a crippling case of polio, he is forced to confront the secrets he has long buried. Decades later, he returns to Asheville on the brink of Hurricane Helene, seeking reconciliation with both the town and his own past.Resonant and quietly haunting, this reflective novella evokes the small-town depth and tenderness of Allan Gurganus, exploring nostalgia, regret, and the fragile burdens of survivor' s guilt.

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 15, 2026

About the author

Dale Neal is the winner of the 2009 Novello Literary Award for his first novel, "Cow Across America."
He has an MFA in creative writing from Warren Wilson College, and he has published his short stories and essays in Arts & Letters, Carolina Quarterly, Crescent Review, Marlboro Review and elswhere.
One of the last surviving American journalists, he lives and works in Asheville with his wife, Cynthia, a veterinary technician student. When he's not at work on the next novel, he can be found out hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with his pet Lab, Pearl.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Intrepid reporters bear witness to the world's daily calamities, writing the first draft of history."

"Tell me of the hole that opened in your life and will never close until your own grave is covered."

In short, this is a very good read if you allow yourself to slow down and sit with it. Small town mountain vibes, wonderfully contrasting timelines, an interesting look into the past, and ideas that will stick with you.

I've waited a few days since reading this Novella to write this review, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. The setting is beautiful, and one close to my heart as I have fond memories of both the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. The spring rains and snowmelts in the Appalachian mountains are no joke, often turning roadways into rivers and washing them out, which makes this event, as well as Helene, stand out even more in my mind. The contrast of the three timelines, essentially two lifetimes and the place they meet in the middle, was quite interesting and thought provoking.

Yet, there was an semi-large inconsistency present, as well as decisions with the prose that either made it difficult for me to sink into the story at times, or pulled me right out. While the character work didn't feel exceptionally strong while reading, which I've found to be expected for a Novella that includes a larger cast, the main two characters as well as a handful of those in their orbit still have distinct forms in my mind.

My main issues with this story may be due to the fact that I was reading an advance copy, the headspace I was in while reading, or simply stylistic choices made by the author that didn't quite work for me. Or maybe they were stylistic choices that didn't work in the moment, but made me slow down more than I would have otherwise?

There are a couple places in which the prose seems to trip over itself. Again, this may well be a stylistic choice, but it kept me at a distance that was uncomfortable. I noticed it more at the beginning, though I recall a couple paragraphs near the end feeling similar, and always during the middle timeline. I found it especially jarring when set against snippets like this:

"It wasn't news that the sun went down every day, but it was still a wonder when you took the time to look."

And

"I seemed to be digging through time itself, the images marching backward through the years"

I also noticed one glaring inconsistency. At one point, George remarks that "As I read and researched, I realized that Miss Nellie's father wasn't the only victim." This is demonstrably false, as Nellie recounted two additional victims at the beginning of her story, and the paper printed a list of victims that included more than just Nellie and her father.

All that said, it's become obvious that I appreciate this Novella more as time goes on. If the issues I had are fixed in the final copy, I could see this being at least a 4.5 star read as it is sticking with me.

I believe Novellas in particular are challenging to write, especially with an ambitious premise that covers so much ground. The obvious and often tragic effects of climate change, the truly staggering changes in technology we have experienced in such a short time, and the ease in which we seem to become disconnected from one another stand out well here. For readers who connect with the story or characters, it's likely that these ideas will linger, and form bridges to other events and ideas in their lives.

I'd also never seen the word "mustachioed" before, and I adore learning new words, so I enjoyed that.

When I started writing this review, I had a feeling that I would land somewhere in the three star range, but upon reflection this is definitely a solid four star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve lived all but 6 months of my life in Asheville or within 40 miles from the city, and even worked at the Citizen-Times in my 20s. (advertising/art department) So I was eager to read this novella, curious to see descriptions of places I know, or knew, so well, and on that front I was not disappointed. It reads as a love letter of sorts to the Asheville of the recent past, before microbreweries and tourism and the housing market all skyrocketed. I found myself nodding along to the author’s description of places like Battery Park and The Captain’s Bookshelf and the trek across town through Pack Square. (and no, no young working person can afford to rent in Montford anymore, that’s for sure)

But the meat of the story, the relationship between young reporter George Flack and survivor of the 1916 flood, Nellie Lusk, grabbed me less. Maybe I was expecting too much from a short 114-page novella? Perhaps. While it danced around the edges of deeper connection between the two characters, there wasn’t as much depth as I was expecting from the description.

Being post-Helene, though, brings poignancy to the story. Two monumental flooding events about a century apart in the same mountains.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Floodmarks is a beautifully crafted, quietly haunting novella that explores memory, loss, guilt and the things we carry with us. Dale Neal takes the devastating Flood of 1916 and uses it as the starting point for a much more personal story about the way the past can continue to shape the present.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship between George, the inexperienced young reporter, and Nellie, the determined survivor who wants the newspaper to put right the wrong done to her so many years before. Their encounters have warmth and occasional humour, while George's gradual uncovering of Nellie's past gives the story a real poignancy.

The sense of place is wonderfully evoked, and there is plenty here to think about. However, I found the pace rather slow and, although I appreciated the writing and the themes, I never became completely absorbed in the story, or if I'm honest, the characters. It is a thoughtful and reflective novella, but ultimately it wasn't quite the book for me.

I'm glad I read it, and I can appreciate it, but I don't think I would seek out another book by the same author.