The Girls of Haviland

Part of the Haviland series:

The Girls of Haviland
Beyond Haviland

Editions:ebook, Hardcover, Paperback

As the final months of the Great War approach, Jay McKenna’s world is irrevocably changed when she witnesses a tragic accident, the death of another girl who would have been her classmate at the esteemed Haviland Seminary For Girls. As Jay prepares to leave and step into Haviland’s hallowed halls, she’s burdened with the tragedy that unfolded above her family’s farm.

Already seen as an outsider for her immigrant roots, Jay finds herself in a school still reeling from the loss and whispers of the tragedy echoing from every corner. She’s no stranger to struggles—with three brothers on the front lines of the war and a tyrannical father at home—but her trials at Haviland will test her resolve.

Hope glimmers in the form of Florence —a fiercely spirited girl shunned for her skin color. Florence becomes Jay’s beacon, teaching her strength and resilience. Together, they navigate the labyrinths of school politics and prejudice. As they dig deeper into the tragic death, secrets emerge that could rip apart the fabric of their newfound sisterhood. Where the lines between friend and foe blur, Jay must find her voice amidst the chaos and the courage to stand up to injustice, bigotry, and her own family’s bitter turmoil.

Published: November 7, 2023

Publisher: Hat Creek

Genres:

Historical

Tags:

About the Author

Deborah Oswald

Deborah Rafferty Oswald has a love of writing historical fiction. Her love of history began when she and her husband moved from Mahopac, New York to Brewster, New York in 1991. The former owners of their home in Brewster introduced her to Brewster Bicentennial book. She was drawn to the profiles of prominent past citizens of Brewster, two of which inspired characters in The Girls of Haviland. This led to a love of historical research about World War I, early Twentieth Century politics, reform movements, immigration, workers’ rights, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Deborah is happy being a history nerd, living in Brewster with her husband, youngest daughter, and two dogs. She enjoys daily walks, reading on the beach, and hanging sheets on the clothesline to dry. Her favorite place to write is outdoors during summer vacations, where she can infuse her writing with the sights and sounds of the cardinals, hummingbirds, squirrels, rabbits, and deer who share their backyard.

Other Books By Deborah Oswald

Series: Haviland

Sorted First to Last

The Girls of Haviland

Beyond Haviland

Forgotten Fayetteville and More Hidden Histories from Washington County

Washington County has nearly two centuries of stories to tell, and many of them have been forgotten.
In this follow-up to Forgotten Fayetteville, local historians J. B. Hogan and Susan Parks-Spencer uncover more of the people, places, and events that shaped Fayetteville and the surrounding county. Explore the violent early years of Evansville, revisit the shocking murder that led to the execution of the Burnett family, and discover what made April 1864 one of the deadliest months in Washington County history. You’ll meet John Rollin Ridge, the first Native American novelist, learn the story of Rebecca Brown Tollett’s life in slavery, and examine the tragic lynching of Reverend Anthony Bewley.
From vanished towns and frontier churches to forgotten cemeteries, pioneering families, and overlooked chapters of Native American, Black, and immigrant history, these stories reveal a richer and more complex past than many realize. Woven together, they form a portrait of the lives, triumphs, and tragedies that shaped this corner of the Ozarks and the communities that call it home.
Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a newcomer, or simply a student of Arkansas history, Forgotten Fayetteville and More Hidden Histories from Washington County invites you to look beyond familiar landmarks and rediscover the people and events that helped shape the Ozarks.

Owl Dreams

SARAH BIBLE HAS spent most of her life cleaning up after her mother, Marie. College in faraway New Mexico was supposed to be her escape.
When her boyfriend is sent to prison back in Oklahoma, Marie spirals and is committed to a psychiatric hospital. But before Sarah can bring her home, she is abducted by a mysterious Choctaw psychiatrist named Hashilli, a man rumored to be a shapeshifting witch who can steal your face as easily as your identity.
The police dismiss Sarah’s fears. Every lead disappears into a maze of false names, missing records, and dead ends. And the deeper Sarah digs into southeastern Oklahoma, the stranger the world becomes.
Her only allies in this quest are an imprisoned ex-con, a schizophrenic patient who may know more than anyone realizes, and Big Shorty, an enigmatic cemetery caretaker locals whisper about like he’s already dead himself.
To save her mother, Sarah must orchestrate an impossible breakout, unravel a web of kidnapping, murder, and identity theft, and hunt a predator who hides behind borrowed lives.
From the backroads of Choctaw country to the wild Kiamichi Mountains, Owl Dreams is a haunting supernatural thriller filled with danger, dark humor, folklore, and desperate people fighting for one last chance at redemption.

Almost the End of the World

The Apocalypse Called. It Wants a Do Over.
Seventeen-year-old Corey Walker was fully prepared to die. An asteroid the size of Texas—Perses—was supposed to wipe out everything. No college apps, no student loans, no awkward graduation speeches. Just… boom.
Then the last-minute save actually works. Earth survives. So does Corey.
Yay?
Turns out, staring down extinction leaves scars. The government’s toast, the economy’s in a coma, and nobody knows what to do next. Turns out, staring down extinction leaves scars. The government’s toast, the economy’s in a coma, and nobody knows what to do next. Corey returns to Augustus Boarding School at the insistence of his mother and finds a weird new student cult—The Refuge—targeting the most scared and vulnerable on campus, including those closest to him.
When Corey meets the fiery Paige, he finds himself with an ally against The Refuge. She’s the first person who makes him feel awake again. Together, they start pushing back. That’s when things get messy. Fast.
Now, Corey’s a reluctant leader, with enemies, followers, and a target on his back. Whether he likes it or not, he’s being forced to answer the question everyone’s been avoiding:
If the world didn’t end… what now?

Roan & Weatherford