Bells for Eli: A Novel

First cousins Ellison (Eli) Winfield and Adeline (Delia) Green grow up across the street from one another in Green Branch, South Carolina, in the 1960s and 70s. After Eli's tragic childhood accident the trajectory of their lives and of those connected to them changes. Shunned and even tortured by his peers for his disfigurement and frailty, Eli struggles for acceptance as Delia passionately devotes herself to defending him. Delia's vivid and compassionate narrative voice presents Eli as a confident young man in adolescence, the visible damage to his body gone, but underneath hides indelible wounds harboring pain and insecurity, scars that rule his impulses. And while Eli cherishes Delia more than anyone and attempts to protect her from her own troubles, he cares not for protecting himself. It is Delia who has that responsibility, growing more challenging each year. Susan Beckham Zurenda masterfully transports readers into a small Southern town where quiet, ordinary life becomes extraordinary. In this compelling coming of age story, culture, family, friends, bullies, and lovers propel two young people to unite to guard each other in a world where love, hope, and connectedness ultimately triumph.