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Harvest of Thorns: Grebey Creek Book One
Lincoln Stanley is the first black farmer in Saxon County. Will he be the last?Missouri, 1934. In the late-night shadows of a remote barn the Saxon County Knights are born. Levi Manning is their leader. The Knights are his ticket away from the family farm he has run into the ground. Levi convinces the Knights to move - immediately and forcefully.
Harvester Stanley, Lincoln's son, is privy to the Knights' plans. Though just fourteen, he uses wits and intelligence to stop the Knights in their tracks.
If only it could stay that way.
The Knights strike again, and within weeks innocent people are dead. Families, black and white, are left to pick up the pieces. Over the next sixty years no family is impacted more than Levi Manning's. His son, Earl, longs for the idyllic Grebey Island of his childhood, while grandson Chan never wants to see the place again. Both are good men, successful in their own rights, but forced time and again to face the consequences of a bloody past.
Find out what Amazon reviewers already Paul E. Wootten's debut book has been praised for its richly developed characters and locations. Start here and proceed through all of Paul's books. You'll encounter life lived through the eyes of characters from all walks of life. Their struggles are real, and you get to go along for the ride.
Harvester Stanley, Lincoln's son, is privy to the Knights' plans. Though just fourteen, he uses wits and intelligence to stop the Knights in their tracks.
If only it could stay that way.
The Knights strike again, and within weeks innocent people are dead. Families, black and white, are left to pick up the pieces. Over the next sixty years no family is impacted more than Levi Manning's. His son, Earl, longs for the idyllic Grebey Island of his childhood, while grandson Chan never wants to see the place again. Both are good men, successful in their own rights, but forced time and again to face the consequences of a bloody past.
Find out what Amazon reviewers already Paul E. Wootten's debut book has been praised for its richly developed characters and locations. Start here and proceed through all of Paul's books. You'll encounter life lived through the eyes of characters from all walks of life. Their struggles are real, and you get to go along for the ride.
540 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2016
18 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Paul E. Wootten
7 books4 followersHome is Galestown, Maryland. I was born there and it remains with me. My parents are farmers. My grandparents were farmers. My brother is a farmer. Everyone knew early on that I wasn't going to be a farmer. You have to be able to see to be a farmer. They plant straight rows, examine young plants for insects and disease, and deliver crops to market. I wasn't able to do any of that.
I was blind.
Well, not totally blind, like "blind like a bat" blind (Though you should know that bats aren't really blind). I was legally blind, the result of an eye disease called Scheie Syndrome. I could see faces and landscape, and could read just fine if I held the books close enough. Driving a pickup, tractor, combine or bean-picker, though? No chance. Those things cost lots of money and there was no way Dad was entrusting them to me. I always had bicycles, though, and when I was eleven I got a mini-bike for Christmas. Despite crashing into a hay elevator, slamming through a large wooden storage box, and almost hanging myself on fishing nets strung out to dry, I survived.
During high school, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. There were some good role models in Dorchester County. After four years at Western Kentucky University, I moved to Perryville, Missouri where I taught Marketing and Business classes for seven wonderful years. That area of Southeast Missouri serves as a backdrop for most of Harvest of Thorns, and folks in that area will recognize plenty of names and locations.
Unfortunately, my vision was deteriorating. The writing on my teacher notes was getting larger and the back of the class was pretty much impossible to see. A St. Louis ophthalmologist confirmed I was losing my sight.
But, he said, there was hope.
A cornea transplant. Still considered experimental in the 1980's, but as the doc said, "You don't have much to lose by trying."
And guess what? It worked!
Within a few months, my vision had improved dramatically. I could see things I never saw before, like leaves on a tree and blades of grass. Best of all, I was able to pass the driver's test. At age 28 I bought a red sports car and accumulated speeding tickets like candy.
Eventually, I slowed down. My career took a turn toward school leadership. Along the way, I accepted Jesus into my life. That happened while watching a famous TV evangelist one day when school was called off because of snow. I wish I could say it's been smooth sailing ever since. God never left me, though I sure pulled away from Him plenty of times. I fell short, stumbled, and fell, but discovered that His love for me never wavered. It's because of His love that my writing is aimed at solving real-world issues using Biblical truths. My books aren't always comfortable. They're pretty gritty, actually. People get hurt, even killed. Unkind things are said and situations sometimes reach the breaking point - just like real life. But also like real life, we serve a God who is bigger than our problems. I want that to shine through.
My wife Robin is the most upbeat, optimistic person I know. She and I split our time between Kansas City and Florida's Gulf Coast. We have four grown kids, Jill, Lynnea, Cody, and Alison, a son-in-law, Bryce, and daughter-in-law, Kelcy. In January, 2016, Jill and Bryce gave us our first grandchild, Fletcher Wade. You'll find his mug all over the place.
In 2011 I retired from the field of education. Since then, I've worked for the Kansas City Royals, who pay me to watch baseball and be nice to people. Along the way I've written freelance features on a variety of subjects for Royals Baseball Insider and a number of local and national publications. Harvest of Thorns is my first attempt at fiction. I hope you like it!
I was blind.
Well, not totally blind, like "blind like a bat" blind (Though you should know that bats aren't really blind). I was legally blind, the result of an eye disease called Scheie Syndrome. I could see faces and landscape, and could read just fine if I held the books close enough. Driving a pickup, tractor, combine or bean-picker, though? No chance. Those things cost lots of money and there was no way Dad was entrusting them to me. I always had bicycles, though, and when I was eleven I got a mini-bike for Christmas. Despite crashing into a hay elevator, slamming through a large wooden storage box, and almost hanging myself on fishing nets strung out to dry, I survived.
During high school, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. There were some good role models in Dorchester County. After four years at Western Kentucky University, I moved to Perryville, Missouri where I taught Marketing and Business classes for seven wonderful years. That area of Southeast Missouri serves as a backdrop for most of Harvest of Thorns, and folks in that area will recognize plenty of names and locations.
Unfortunately, my vision was deteriorating. The writing on my teacher notes was getting larger and the back of the class was pretty much impossible to see. A St. Louis ophthalmologist confirmed I was losing my sight.
But, he said, there was hope.
A cornea transplant. Still considered experimental in the 1980's, but as the doc said, "You don't have much to lose by trying."
And guess what? It worked!
Within a few months, my vision had improved dramatically. I could see things I never saw before, like leaves on a tree and blades of grass. Best of all, I was able to pass the driver's test. At age 28 I bought a red sports car and accumulated speeding tickets like candy.
Eventually, I slowed down. My career took a turn toward school leadership. Along the way, I accepted Jesus into my life. That happened while watching a famous TV evangelist one day when school was called off because of snow. I wish I could say it's been smooth sailing ever since. God never left me, though I sure pulled away from Him plenty of times. I fell short, stumbled, and fell, but discovered that His love for me never wavered. It's because of His love that my writing is aimed at solving real-world issues using Biblical truths. My books aren't always comfortable. They're pretty gritty, actually. People get hurt, even killed. Unkind things are said and situations sometimes reach the breaking point - just like real life. But also like real life, we serve a God who is bigger than our problems. I want that to shine through.
My wife Robin is the most upbeat, optimistic person I know. She and I split our time between Kansas City and Florida's Gulf Coast. We have four grown kids, Jill, Lynnea, Cody, and Alison, a son-in-law, Bryce, and daughter-in-law, Kelcy. In January, 2016, Jill and Bryce gave us our first grandchild, Fletcher Wade. You'll find his mug all over the place.
In 2011 I retired from the field of education. Since then, I've worked for the Kansas City Royals, who pay me to watch baseball and be nice to people. Along the way I've written freelance features on a variety of subjects for Royals Baseball Insider and a number of local and national publications. Harvest of Thorns is my first attempt at fiction. I hope you like it!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 14, 2020
Jea38no
Really enjoyed reading this book. I could just see the people in the book how all the different generations interacted with one another. There were so many things in the books that just prick your memory especially if you were born between 30-60s I can’t wait to read the sequel. Great author.
Really enjoyed reading this book. I could just see the people in the book how all the different generations interacted with one another. There were so many things in the books that just prick your memory especially if you were born between 30-60s I can’t wait to read the sequel. Great author.
December 2, 2016
Very well written
This is very grounded in the physical spaces of the story and well fleshed-out characters, not stereotypes. It's a distressing story of a painful period in our history, not for the faint of heart. An impressive fiction debut!
This is very grounded in the physical spaces of the story and well fleshed-out characters, not stereotypes. It's a distressing story of a painful period in our history, not for the faint of heart. An impressive fiction debut!
July 15, 2019
Regrets (an excellent story line)
This about a Secret organization using hostility and malicious actions to rid the island of people of color.Eventually a member exposed their unsavory act on his Deathbed
This about a Secret organization using hostility and malicious actions to rid the island of people of color.Eventually a member exposed their unsavory act on his Deathbed
November 18, 2016
Good story, well written. I am looking forward to your next book! Please keep them coming!
Good story, well written. All the characters melded together creating people I would like to know. I am looking forward to your next book! Please keep them coming!
Good story, well written. All the characters melded together creating people I would like to know. I am looking forward to your next book! Please keep them coming!
March 15, 2017
Outstanding! Great characters, sad but true picture of racism and how it affects generations to come!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews