Set in the harsh landscape of rural north Mississippi during World War I, Gerry Wilson’s debut novel, That Pinson Girl, pits a white teenage mother and a biracial sharecropper against betrayal, hatred, and violence. Seventeen-year-old Leona Pinson gives birth to a son and refuses to name the child’s father. Luther Biggs, born to a Pinson slave and Leona’s grandfather, is Leona’s ally against her brother, Raymond, who inhabits a world of nightriders and violence. When the secrets and deceptions that haunt these characters come to light, Leona must rely on her own courage and cunning to save herself and her little son. In prose that has been called both lyrical and unflinching, this dark historical novel engages timeless issues of racism, sexism, and poverty.

. . . a heart-rending tragedy and a testament to the indomitable human spirit. —Clifford Garstang

A spellbinding story of murder, grief, and guilt with deeply sympathetic characters and a plot that takes you by the collar and won’t let go. — Minrose Gwin, author of The Accidentals, Promise, and The Queen of Palmyra 

That Pinson Girl portrays the tension of biracial friendships and loyalties in the rural South, a reality that has rarely been depicted with such precision. — Gale Massey, author of The Girl from Blind River

. . . a timely debut novel, proving the importance of guiding principles, internal morals, and maintaining your own spirit light. — Margaret McMullan, author of Where the Angels Lived

Reading the conclusion of That Pinson Girl makes one want to begin again . . . . — Nina Romano, author of The Secret Language of Women, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley

Wilson’s suspenseful threading of tales has lasting historical resonance. — Katy Simpson Smith, author of The Weeds, The Everlasting, Free Men, The Story of Land and Sea

. . . a beautiful novel about the destructive power of dark secrets. — Tiffany Quay Tyson, author of The Past is Never and Three Rivers

. . . gripping and beautifully written — Steve Yarbrough, author of Stay Gone Days, The Unmade World

Gerry is a recipient of a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Artist Fellowship for 2025. Artists’ fellowships are made possible by the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

BOOK CLUBS

Gerry would love to visit with you and chat about That Pinson Girl. If you’re in the Jackson, Mississippi, area or if you’re interested in a virtual event, please contact Gerry here.

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Gerry’s story collection, CROSSCURRENTS AND OTHER STORIES, is available at Press 53 or Amazon.