Watching For God
About
In Booey Creek, North Carolina, the mountains hold more than quiet beauty — they hold secrets. For two lifelong friends, a white woman who has never left the valley and a Black woman who made it her home decades ago, the past refuses to stay buried. What seemed like a tragic accident years earlier continues to cast long shadows over families and friendships.
When old secrets edge toward discovery, the price of truth could shatter families and reputations. Loyalty collides with justice, and even blood ties may not be enough to withstand the strain. If the truth is forced into the open, it could destroy everything these families have built — but if it stays hidden, the next generation may pay the cost.
As Booey Creek faces its reckoning, no one is safe from the consequences of that night. Is forgiveness even possible when lives were stolen and innocence betrayed? Or will the town learn too late that some debts demand to be paid?
Watching for God will keep you turning pages until the very end, asking whether grace can still be found in the ruins of broken trust.
Praise for this book
I have enjoyed every minute of Watching For God !! Page after page I couldn't put it down. Going to bed way too late LOL... Ready to order the second book. Looking forward to how it continues... Thank you
Watching for God is a breath of fresh air that allows the reader to escape the pressures that crowd us all in these uncertain times. The characters come alive and will stay in one's heart and memory as people we have known. Quinelle and Jessie's friendship brings comfort in a busy time where women's relationships tend to take a backseat to most of what life tossed in our paths.
Kirkland is a master at the rural Western North Carolina dialect before cable television began homogenizing us. She shows readers far more than she tells them. One can see, hear, smell and touch the scenes and action in what seems to be an effortless manner. Vivid sensory images paint each page without becoming a distraction. She's a natural at rounding out evolving characters, creating mood, unfolding hidden details as the story emerges.
I want to share this book with so many people but won't let go of my copy, for l suspect l will get just as much pleasure and catharsis the second time l read it. I grew up in these mountains, and this story feels as if it did too. I cannot say enough about what a delightful, realistic read that Waiting for God is. Now, when will book two be coming out?
I was drawn into the story and fell in love with the characters from the Prologue to the very last page. The vivid descriptions of the place and the people brought the events alive. The way the story unfolded piece by piece was my favorite aspect of the novel and the use of the southern phrases only added to my pleasure in reading this remarkable story. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
Wendy Kirkland’s Watching for God is a poignant, beautifully written novel that explores race, friendship, and community in a small North Carolina town. The story centers on Quinelle, a white woman, and her lifelong friendship with Jesse, the matriarch of the town’s only Black family. As their bond is tested by secrets, both women work through overcomming deep scars left by the hand they were dealt.
Kirkland masterfully captures the complexities of identity, family history, and quiet resilience. Through rich characters and vivid settings, she delves into how personal growth often begins with uncomfortable realizations. The Appalachian backdrop adds a reflective tone to this emotional story of belonging and faith—in each other, in healing, and in the power of truly loving oneself and others unconditionally.
Honest, moving, and deeply insightful, Watching for God is a must-read about the courage it takes to face uncomfortable truths and the grace found in genuine connection.