Castles of Deferred Dreams
by
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The castle’s cleaning woman heard the knock on the door, a sound so loud that she anticipated the sheriff or some other town official. … Slowly she opened the door, the slice of light from inside casting its lens on a small creature, a blanket partially obscuring a face, the body shaking so violently that the woman reached down, grasped the bundle, and dragged the small figure indoors, holding her tightly as she slammed the door with one foot. She heard the rush of heavy footsteps as someone ran toward the rear of the building, making thudlike sounds in the sod.
If it had not been for the child’s physical appearance attesting to her need of immediate medical attention, the cleaning woman, a feisty, strong, and stocky woman, might have followed the footsteps to find that “dastardly person” who would leave a sick, trembling child out in the rain.
The child’s little body continued its violent thrashing. Her face was contorted with pain, and she was as hot as a lit oven. The little girl’s sweaty hands held a brown envelope …
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About the Book
It is a cold, rainy night in 1925 in the pine hills of Georgia, when a young girl, covered with moss and dead leaves, is discovered on the doorstep of a castle designated as an orphanage for Negro girls. She is named Cleopatra by staff members, who are thrilled to receive their first resident; their excitement quickly wanes, however, when she is diagnosed with typhoid fever. No one knows if she will survive the night.
But it turns out the little swamp girl is stronger than anyone ever imagined. She survives her bout with the terrible disease—only to reveal that she has amnesia. Haunted by past trauma and plagued by episodes of sleepwalking, Cleo embarks on a coming-of-age journey during which she slowly pieces together an identity, embraces her past, and discovers her destiny. In the midst of a dangerous and unpredictable landscape, Cleo is about to realize just how important she will become to the future of the south.
“Set in the pre-war, Jim Crow south, CASTLES OF DEFERRED DREAMS is a haunting and evocative exploration of race and identity, love and loss, as seen through the eyes of Cleo Marshall, a tragic and unforgettable heroine.”
—Kasi Lemmons, filmmaker
About the Author
Dorothy Stallworth received her master’s degree from Washington University and her doctorate from Harvard. She is a licensed psychologist whose writings include a chapter in the renowned Boston Women’s Book Collective, Ourselves, Growing Older. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, Denis. This is her first novel.