The Red Dirt Road

Barbara P. Walsworth grew-up in the backwoods and freshwater swamps of northwest Louisiana. She draws from her experiences there to create intriguing characters and a suspenseful novel, The Red Dirt Road. In the summer of 1962, fourteen year old Partheny Preiste's abusive, alcoholic father moved his family from southwest Texas to the backwoods of northwest Louisiana...and then, immediately abandons them. While struggling for the basic necessities, they discover someone is watching from the surrounding woods. And, even more disturbing, they learn of the recent murder of a small black child found in the swamp behind their shanty. What this evil wants and takes almost destroys this family. They battle to keep their faith and stay strong in the face of a heartbreaking tragedy and bring a murderer to justice. Excerpt from Chapter one: The sun had moved into the late morning sky. There was too much light to suit him now and besides hunger pains were bringing to memory the hot-water cornbread and steaming pot of vegetable soup Ellie would have waiting. So he turned back, making a wide circle around the big cypress tree that had become his stopping point. Ev had taken only a few steps when something caught his eye.. behind a fallen tree log. Blue paper? No. Blue fabric, fluttering in the light breeze. He moved closer.. why was a doll thrown away here in the swamp? Bending , he peered over the fallen log. "Oh, my God in heaven!" He choked. Next to the log lay a small brown child. Her blue flowered dress caught on the bark of the rotting tree, waved flag-like, as if marking her death site.