RONNIE L RICHARDS

Rhodesville: secrets - death - going back home

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Lee Burrows thought he had the trauma of his childhood behind him. After high school, Lee moved to Boston from his tiny hometown of Rhodesville, located in the far northwest corner of Alabama. Over the years he buried those terrible childhood memories. When the invite came, his wife urged him to attend his thirtieth high school reunion. Fearing he may have to face his past, Lee reluctantly agreed to attend the reunion.

As soon as Lee stepped out of his car in Rhodesville the memories roared back. The secret he held inside exposed itself. A secret he had told no one about, not even his wife. The secret that explained how one of his closest childhood friends had died.
 

They were only eleven years old and camping alone when the unthinkable happened. What young Lee told everyone about his friend's death was not the truth. Lee came face-to-face with the truth soon after his arrival for the class reunion.

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Read a Sample of Rhodesville ~ SAMPLE

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Inspiration behind  Rhodesville ~ ​In late February 1974, My ten year old cousin Douglas Alexander spent the afternoon flying kites with some friends. At five in the evening, he left his friends to go home. He never made it home. His kite was found near the cliff the sheriff is standing on in the picture. Evidence pointed to Douglas slipping on ice and falling off the cliff into the Tennessee River, eighty feet below. I was eighteen at the time.

In recent years, Douglas crossed my mind a few times. On one of those times, I thought: what if he didn't slip? What if his death was not an accident? Those thoughts led to this book. Please bear in mind that Douglas' death was an unfortunate accident. The only thing he has in common with Tommy in the book is they both died after going off the cliff into the Tennessee River in Sheffield, Alabama.

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