Song of the Bird Pipe — Steven W. Wise

Hattie Wax is the type of woman that people cross the street to avoid. Loud and unapologetically fierce about her convictions, she makes people uncomfortable. When the esteemed local judge makes frequent use of the gallows, attempting to bring law and order to Arkansas in the 1880s, Hattie frequents the executions, vehemently opposing the sentences and offering comfort to the condemned. Labeled as deplorable, Hattie lives on the outskirts of ordinary society with her unlikely lover, an outcast in his own right, and her self-made, unconventional family. Hattie is determined to help the people who are often neglected, in her own unique way. After surviving a tragic childhood, Hattie forged her own path, found a man she dares to love with her whole heart and lives according to her own moral compass. Song of the Bird Pipe is a story about undying love, family, destiny, spirituality, and living on your own terms.