Fifth Born

The compelling story of a young girl caught in a web of disturbing family secrets is a poetic debut that brings the hazy memories of childhood into sharp relief. . . an impressively mature piece of work (Kirkus Reviews). When Odessa Blackburn is three years old her beloved grandmother dies, and so begins her story, set in St. Louis, Missouri, and rural Mississippi.

As the fth born of eight children, Odessa loses her innocence at rst when her drunken father sexually abuses her, and then again when she alone witnesses her father taking the life of his own brother. Fifth Born is Zelda Lockhart's debut novel, lyrically written and powerful in its exploration of how secrets can tear apart lives and families. It is a story of love, longing, and redemption, as Odessa walks away from those whom she believes to be her kin to discover the true meaning of family.