Pull of the String
About
Sometimes the past won’t stay quiet. Sometimes it runs straight into the present.
Malka Gertrude Faygan has never been one to run from hard work—or from the shadows of her past. After a childhood marked by grit and grim lessons on her father’s farm, she carves out a quiet, steady life as a bookkeeper in Booey Creek. From mountain farms to small-town shops, Malka’s careful ledgers keep the community in balance—while giving her a front-row seat to the secrets everyone carries.
But the numbers don’t always add up. A fortune-teller’s hunch, a neighbor’s side hustle, even her own brother’s casket business—threads begin to tangle in ways Malka can’t ignore. When she discovers her old country home is hiding a dangerous trade, and when an old flame reappears with memories of love and regret, Malka must decide how far she’s willing to follow the string that ties past to present.
A story of resilience, buried memories, and the quiet strength of a woman who refuses to look away, Pull of the String weaves small-town life with suspense, asking: what happens when every thread you tug reveals another knot?
Praise for this book
This novel is nothing short of stunning—a tender, deeply human story about a woman whose life has been shaped by childhood trauma, poverty, and bone-deep isolation. From the very first pages, the author brings us into the protagonist’s inner world with exquisite sensitivity: the guilt she carries like a second skin, the routines that keep her feeling safe but lonley and the aching desire for connection she barely allows herself to feel.
Set against the backdrop of a small mountain town rendered with vivid, lived-in detail, the book becomes a meditation on the invisible threads that bind us—threads we often don’t see until we’re brave enough to reach for them. The heroine’s struggle between clinging to the safety of her familiar patterns or stepping beyond fear into a life of love, community, and possibility is portrayed with remarkable emotional clarity. Her journey is subtle yet powerful, heartbreaking yet hopeful.
What elevates this story is its honesty. The author never sensationalizes trauma nor rushes healing; instead, they illuminate the quiet, everyday moments that shape a person—the neighbor’s unexpected kindness, the tentative friendships, the seconds where she lets herself imagine a different future. In doing so, the book captures the profound truth that second chances rarely arrive with fanfare; sometimes they begin in the softest, smallest shifts.
This is a heartfelt, beautifully crafted novel that lingers long after the last page. For readers who cherish character-driven stories about resilience, redemption, and the fragile courage it takes to choose connection, this book is an absolute must-read.