Sometimes a book is just a good story. That is my opinion of Rebeca Lee Morales's book, Winter Song, to be published December 1, 2026 from Harper Collins Publishers. Morales, a fresh literary voice, writes a compelling story about a small town in Minnesota and the close knit ties of community, the good and the bad.
Byron Lugo has just been released from prison for a hit and run murder he was convicted of, but Byron swears that he did not commit. His one focus, ultimate goal, is to get the life that he feels was stolen from him back. He is bound and determined that the town will see that he is innocent of the hit and run death of a teenage boy.
Life has moved on since his incarceration. His fiancee has married a man that Byron considers a brute. His friends still have his back, but not everyone in town feels the same way. Gordon Trent, the town's chief of police advises Byron to move on with his life, stop looking back. He has paid his debt to society, get busy living again. Yet forgetting his wrongful conviction is not part of his plan, redeeming himself is his goal.
The story poses the questions, can you ever relive the past? Once the general opinion of a community is formed, whether a person is guilty or innocent, can that consensus be corrected? Even when a court rules the person innocent of a crime...or guilty.
Morales's writing is well thought out and plainly powerful. Her characters speak for themselves with voices that feel as though the reader is sitting next to them as part of their conversations. I was simply part of the story as I experienced the book. Which is exactly what I am looking for in this form of literary fiction. Winter Song was not a thriller, nor a complex murder mystery. Winter Song was a good story. I encourage you to read it for yourself December 2026.
I received an advanced reader's copy of Winter Song from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #WinterSong
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