Publication Date: October 20, 2026
A teenage girl uncovers the dark secrets of her Smoky Mountain town while searching for a missing classmate in this gripping coming-of-age mystery perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.
Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Beulah has always seemed steady—rooted in tradition, shaped by generations, and slow to change. But in 1986, the ground has shifted, and no one feels that more than fifteen-year-old Barrett Childress Owens. Between her parents’ unraveling marriage and a school full of kids she can’t connect with, she feels invisible in her own hometown.
When Lacy Gunderson, the captivating new girl everyone is curious about, suddenly vanishes, the town’s calm surface fractures. Search parties comb the woods. A police investigation begins. Rumors multiply. Families close ranks. And Barrett begins to sense how much the adults around her choose not to say. As Beulah clings to its usual rituals—including the annual Miss Kudzu pageant, which has shaped local girlhood for decades—Barrett is forced to navigate a community where loss lingers in the air and secrets are carefully kept. Her journey through the uncertainty reshapes her understanding of friendships, family, and the complex place she calls home.
A rich coming-of-age story with a pulse of mystery and a budding romance, What Happened in Beulah explores the fault lines of a small town and the courage it takes to face the truths people would rather bury.
Through the voice of a 15-year-old girl, readers are transported back to 1986 to a Southern town steeped in tradition.
Little do the residents know their quaint community is about to have its very foundation rocked. Author Christy Scott Cashman infuses nostalgia along with mystery in What Happened in Beulah.
From the beginning, Barrett Childress Owens proves to be a compelling narrator. She’s desperately seeking a sense of belonging that is all too evident. Her struggles living in a divorced household, coupled with constant bullying at school, guarantee that she wants to stay out of the limelight.
The disappearance of a new teen resident serves as a catalyst for change. Longtime secrets finally emerge, sending a ripple throughout Beulah.
What Happened in Beulah provides a richly detailed Southern coming-of-age story with memorable characters.
Christy Scott Cashman is a best-selling and award-winning author with multiple national honors. A writer, actress, and producer, she has decades of storytelling experience across film, literature, and the arts. Christy is the founder of YouthINK, a creative arts foundation empowering young people through imagination and expression, and serves on the Board of the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Christy divides her time between Boston, Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she enjoys family life with three dogs and four horses.
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