Janie Doe is an eight year old whose life is less than
ordinary. Living in a dysfunctional family in South
Carolina, she does her best to cope with her unpleasant
circumstances. With no father around, a mother coming apart
at the seams, and a seventeen year old sister suffering
from Down syndrome, her hopes and aspirations for living a
normal life live quietly in her dreams.
When her mother Priscilla discovers that she is
unexpectedly pregnant, she decides to take the family on a
road trip in order to clear her mind. With no job or means
in which to support her family, she packs up her daughters
with her mother and father in tow and heads nowhere in
particular in hopes of coming to terms with the unfortunate
hand that she has been dealt.
As life sometimes does, she makes a full circle by
heading back home to her childhood house. Upon her
arrival, she reconnects with her brother Pastor Fritz which
helps fill the familial void she's been carrying around for
the better part of her life. Hoping to find Janie's dad
Harlan so that they can once again become a family, she
embarks on a journey to put her life back in order.
Within no time, Priscilla makes peace with her new set of
circumstances. With a new job and a roof above her head,
she finally feels as if she can provide a nurturing home
for her girls. If only she could turn back the clock and do
away with her unwanted pregnancy. Then, her life would be
complete. Yet, would destroying an innocent unborn baby's
life in order to better provide for the children nestled in
her arms truly be unjust?
SAVING CICADAS is a powerful novel by the very talented Low
country author Nicole Seitz who dares to ask the question
about the validity of an unborn child's right to life.
Through vivid and unforgettable characters, she reminds us
all of the sheer beauty in the miracle of life. From start
to finish, Seitz's story is truly a gem.
A novel of unconditional love and the freedom of letting
go. When single mother Priscilla Lynn Macy learns she's
having another child unexpectedly, she packs the family
into the car to escape. Eight-year-old Janie and Rainey
Dae, her seventeen-year-old sister with special needs,
embark on the last family vacation they'll ever take with
Poppy and Grandma Mona in the back seat. The trip seems
aimless until Janie realizes they are searching for the
father who left them years ago. When they can't find him,
they make their way to Forest Pines, SC. Priscilla hasn't
been to her family home in many years and finds it a mixed
blessing of hope, buried secrets, and family ghosts.
Through eyes of innocence, Janie learns the hard realities
of life and the difficult choices grownups make. And she
must face disturbing truths about the people she loves in
order to carry them in the moments that matter most.