Mississippi Delta artist Ivy Coldwater sets out from her hometown of Prophet in an old Cadillac she has painted black with white road stripes, searching for meaning in a world that seems to be slowly fading. Part road novel, part spiritual quest, The Coldwater Girl follows Ivy across a landscape where the ordinary and the miraculous exist side by side. Along the way she encounters would-be outlaws, a Confederate soldier who refuses to stay dead, flirtatious ghosts, blues musicians, rival psychic sisters locked in a price war, and a boy hunting butterflies with a BB gun. A mysterious voice drifts from the radio, weaving together reflections on faith, death, and the songs that carry us home. Rich with magic realism, Southern music, and unforgettable characters, The Coldwater Girl is ultimately the story of a woman fleeing her past- only to discover she has been traveling toward it all along.
"Soaked in the blues and washed in the blood, Ivy Coldwater sings to us in more ways than one. When I read that she calls a minister whose last name is Mill by the name Preacher Mull-"because he couldn't wish you a blessed day without worrying over it first"-I knew I'd go along with this wild, rollicking ride. David Wesley Williams has crafted a superb novel that also happens to be richly atmospheric and superbly entertaining. I loved every word."
Steve Yarbrough, author of STAY GONE DAYS
"Deep-fried, imaginative, and at high speed. Lyrical and playful with a sacred heart. Modern writing on historical thoughts and the human myth. Lighthearted, meaningful truths. David Wesley Williams has found the root of the struggle of Southern humanity and a way to sing about it."
Church Goin Mule, Mississippi Delta artist
"I've read the Bible, Rumi's ruminations, and Lao Tzu's philosophical musings, but Ivy Coldwater's pilgrimage in a black Cadillac shines the purest light of all on the nitty gritty mysteries of life. Magical realism. Poetry. Literary fiction. Pure-t-fact. Call it what you want, but don't miss this raucous jaunt from the Mississippi Delta where Jesus guzzles Schlitz and the Devil plays mumblety-peg. This purely original treasure belongs on your shelf between Dante and Faulkner."
