"Makes me wonder if God's even up there at all. And if he is, why ain't he doing a better job of things down here. Unless maybe he's doing the best he can."
In 1930s Toad Springs, Florida, a three-legged gator with Jesus's birthmark draws pilgrims while the town's residents navigate church scandals, family secrets, and failed businesses. Through authentic voices in genuine dialect, these interconnected tales reveal how ordinary people survived the Depression with humor, faith, and resilience. From teenage betrayal to beauty shop disasters, from prison-trained preachers to secret knitters, Susan Adger weaves an unforgettable portrait of Old Florida that will make you laugh, cry, and feel you've found a community of friends.
About the Author :
Susan Adger, M.Ed, is a mother, former social worker, web designer, and fifth generation Floridian. She's the author of two humorous books about 1930s Florida, drawn from stories told by her grandma, including her debut novel, "Seashells, Gator Bones, and the Church of Everlasting Liability." In a few of her personal adventures, Susan has found fossils in the Peace River in Florida and on Rainbow Mountain in Alaska, tramped for two days through a Philippine jungle to get medical supplies to the natives, and gone zip-lining through the jungle canopy in Costa Rica. She's sipped high tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, trekked to the remains of an ancient castle in the Czech Republic, and gone skydiving. She currently resides in Dunedin, Florida with her two cats, Jasper and Killer Girl.
Review :
"If you feel you have lost a good friend, it was a good book. And that's how I felt when I finished reading Seashells, Gator Bones and the Church Of Everlasting Liability." - 5 stars, Amazon Review
"The prose is beautiful, the stories are entertaining, and there is just something special about a Florida town where strawberries, scandal, salvation, and fertilizer recipes can all come together in one book." - 5 stars, Amazon Review
"Adgers takes us on a journey into 1930s Florida, where gators draw thrill seekers and preachers have questionable pasts. Her ability to weave humor with pathos is rare." - Amazon Review
"I felt like I knew these residents of Florida, like I could knock on one of their doors and be invited in for coffee. Funny and touching stories told by a Florida native." - 5 stars, Amazon Review
"Wildly funny account of a southern small town and its inhabitants in the 1920s to 1930s." - Amazon Review
