News Flash

Three women, a cursed house, and generations of lives at stake—this story will reveal the secret that started it all. In 1878, Randolph Bliss, a charming New York carpetbagger, shook off dire warnings to build his home elsewhere and put down his roots in Old Gate, Virginia. Yet the ground beneath Bliss House is tainted with the kind of tragedy that curses generations, seeping through the foundation and sowing madness in its wake. 

Randolph’s first and second wives—and his mysterious mistress—bear witness to his growing insanity and cruel manipulations, struggling desperately to find happiness for themselves and for their children. But their desires to live and to love—and to take revenge—also fill the house, triumphing even over death. 

Spanning half a century, The Abandoned Heart is the prequel to Charlotte’s Story and Bliss House, forming a trilogy of southern Gothic novels in which one haunted house begets haunted lives that echo over centuries, a haunting so powerful that even Bliss House’s destruction cannot kill it.

This event is not to be missed. Laura Benedict will speak at the Vinton Library at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 3. Her talk will be followed by a book. Bring your own book to be signed, or purchase one at the event. Cash, checks, or credit cards accepted. For more information, call (540) 857-5043.