The Goddess of Fried Okra

a novel

“Wholly original, funny and poignant” ~#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs

Every life has signposts.

Every traveler has a history.

Sometimes a detour is the only way home.

Ex-cocktail waitress and “convenience store professional” Eudora “Pea” O’Brien is filled with grief and regret, low on cash and all alone. Headed down the hot, dusty back roads of Central Texas, Pea is convinced she’ll find a sign leading her to the reincarnated soul of the sister who raised her. A sign that she’s found her place in the world of the living again.

At least that’s what the psychic promised.

In an unforgettably funny and poignant journey, Pea collects an unlikely family of strays: a starving kitten, a pregnant teenager and a sexy con man trying to go straight. She meets fierce martial arts master Glory and grandmotherly cafe owner Lorena, two sisters who haven’t spoken to each other in years, though they live in the same tiny town. The two become Pea’s unlikely gurus as she struggles to learn swordplay and the art of perfect fried okra. She’ll have to master both if she’s going to find what matters most—her own lost soul.

“Stunning, powerful and raw. Pea is on a journey to heal herself, and find herself—and you will want to go with her to find her dear, dead sister—I do.”~New York Times bestselling author Stella Cameron

“A wonderfully engaging story of one woman’s search for self. Jean Brashear tugs on your heartstrings and won’t let go.”~New York Times bestselling author Julia London

“A fabulous read. Riveting. Original. Those characters grabbed my imagination and didn’t let go.”~New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell

"Jean Brashear's distinctive storytelling voice instantly draws in the reader. She writes with warmth and emotional truth.”~ #1 NY Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

"Eudora Welty meets Sue Monk Kidd, and they lunch with Fannie Flagg" ~Just Janga reviews