Evelyn Ann Casey

courtesy HenschelHAUS
A close-up of Evelyn Ann Casey.
Evelyn Ann Casey
Madison author Evelyn Ann Casey addresses the culture of secrecy and denial in the Catholic church in her debut novel, Candlewood. With echoes of The Thorn Birds and The Scarlet Letter, the book tells the story of Meg, who joins her Catholic alma mater’s parish staff and must fend off a sleazy priest while trying to contain her desires for a newly assigned priest. Former Madison resident and bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard calls Candlewood “a secular parable in a religious setting.” Casey will discuss her book in conversation with fellow Madison writer Christine DeSmet. This event is free, but registration is recommended; it also will be livestreamed via Crowdcast.
media release: About the Book:
St. Croix River Valley, 1977. When Meg joins her Catholic alma mater’s parish staff, she soon finds herself fending off the menacing priest from prayer group. She keeps quiet on the advice of her gay brother who warns her the bishop is likely glad his priest goes after women, not men or boys. Who would believe her anyway?
A different kind of challenge looms when salt-of-the-earth Father Andy is assigned to the parish. Their friendship heats up. Meg knows the rules and is loath to add another sin to her family’s litany of taboos. Meanwhile, the priest from prayer group goes unchecked. Meg must confront the boys’ club of her Church, find a God she can trust, and reckon with her deepest desires.
Peopled with flawed characters finding their footing, and perhaps love, the world of Casey’s Candlewood is built on the mixed blessing of a tight-knit community.
For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Alice McDermott, Jennifer Haigh, and Jonathan Franzen.
About the Author:
Evelyn Ann Casey writes stories filled with grace and gumption. Her love of language and storytelling grew from her Chicago roots in a multi-ethnic neighborhood filled with Irish pubs, Sicilian cannoli, and Jewish delis. She worked in government relations in Milwaukee before managing outreach programs in healthcare at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When not exploring locales near and far with her husband, she attends music and theatre venues as often as possible and volunteers with community reading programs. Candlewood is her first novel. Visit Evelyn online at EvelynAnnCasey.com