A Woman in Time

A Novel

By: Bobi Conn

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

A woman challenges the constraints of life in Prohibition-era Appalachia in this sweeping and richly rewarding novel about endurance, survival, and redemption.

The McKenzie women, empowered with a formidable history rooted in the foothills of Appalachia, have passed down their folk-healing wisdom through generations. Rosalee, the last living headstrong daughter in Granny McKenzie’s line, soaked up everything she could about the secrets of the forest before a series of tragedies left her alone, without the protection of the women who came before her.

The close-knit ties of Rosalee’s childhood are long gone. Now, at her eastern Kentucky farm, she bears a marriage with a volatile bootlegger. She struggles with the demands of motherhood. And her independence is relegated to its “proper place”: under the thumb of men. Her optimism dimming, Rosalee finds solace in the Kentucky woods, a space that holds secret powers of protection from a life Rosalee can no longer control. To the graves of her female ancestors, beside the waters of an enchanting spring, Rosalee returns time and again to consider her future—and discovers a mysterious connection to her past.

As Rosalee wrestles with her isolation, with being a wife in an increasingly dangerous marriage, and with being a woman of her time, she must draw on her strength and resilience to survive—and to protect—on her own terms.

©2022 Bobi Conn (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Original, compelling, deftly crafted, and superbly narrated from beginning to end… by Shannon McManus…highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review

“A Woman in Time by Bobi Conn is a rich novel that transports readers into the mountains of Prohibition-era Appalachia and into the lives of an incredible family of female healers. An unflinching look at the struggles and suffering that came with being a woman in early twentieth-century Kentucky, A Woman in Time is a truly unique journey into a time and place that are too often overlooked in American history. Bobi Conn proves herself to be a powerful voice for Appalachia.” —Stephanie Storey, bestselling author of Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo

“The grace and lyricism of Conn’s prose stuns and sustains the reader through this lush tale of women’s strength, creativity, and will to love in Depression-era Eastern Kentucky. Conn’s poise and confidence as a storyteller hold the reader in a loving embrace through many a well-wrought and gut-wrenching episode, then brings us out the other side more awake to the preciousness of life and what it means to be accountable to one another across a span of generations. Bobi Conn’s A Woman in Time is an inspiration.” —Robert Gipe, author of Pop: An Illustrated Novel

Sad and fascinating characters

The characters and their stories are fascinating and sad — and pretty much true to how things were in that place and time. (Still, sadly, true in many places). I found the handling of the ending somewhat disappointing. I would enjoy a sequel to know what happens next. Good narration.

great voice

I really like the narrators voice. the story was okay but seemed forced towards the end.

Perfect narrator for story

A good weekend read. A story of a few generations living in the mountains during prohibition with the struggles of the depression.

Gripping and sad

Such a sad tale. It grabbed me from the start and makes me hurt for the women who have gone before us and walked such tragic lives. The narrator does a wonderful job and is easy to listen to. I was hoping Rosalee would find her inner strength and possibly continue the work her aunt Bessie did. That part was a little disappointing. However, in a sense, she had a quiet beauty and strength to just survive that life.

Worthwhile Read, Perfect Narrator

Great story, if a bit painful at times. Tired of reading books with violence against women, but I suppose that’s reality. Excellent work by this author — hope she’ll write more.