Dancing at The Royal Jade | Gina Hogan Edwards

WELCOME to Dancing at The Royal Jade, a historical novel set in the South in the 1960s. What you'll read here is my "discovery" draft. This is me, writing in public on a work-in-progress that will eventually turn into a published book! As such, your feedback and interaction with this story and with the research I'm doing for it means a lot to me. So I hope you'll explore and let me know what you think.

Scroll or click for:

a synopsis of the novel.
short and important content notes (know before you read).
quick links to each completed chapter.

Also check out the short story "For What Nate Did," which was the genesis for this novel, as well as the inspiration for the entire Beaucatcher Chronicles collection. Behind The Stories and Retracing Asheville are where you can dive into my research and the history in my stories.

Expecting to find Dancing at The Orange Peel and the Kent Creek Chronicles instead? Like I said... this is my working draft! Read about the name changes here.

Novel Synopsis

1968. Kent Creek, North Carolina.

When nine-year-old Libby Billings and her widowed mother Gwen befriend their town’s first prominent Black businessman, they're forced to come to terms with the reactions of their family and community... and their own.

As Libby struggles to understand her place in this world, Gwen grasps for what little remains of her own identity, her hopes, and her dreams.

Content Notes

Important things to know before reading the novel

While I strive for historical accuracy, believable characters, and plausible events, these elements can sometimes be at odds with my own beliefs and values. In the short story that inspired the novel—as well as in this serialized novel—language, behavior, and attitudes about racism, women’s roles, and other issues are representative of the cultural climate at the time and in the place of this story: 1960s in the Southern U.S. The values, beliefs, and perspectives of the characters are not a reflection of my own.

Even though Libby, one of the main characters, is only nine years old at the beginning of the novel, this story is NOT middle-grade or young-adult fiction. Without being the primary focus, assault and its related effects are relevant to the story. Though they are not explicit nor frequent, I’d rather you/the reader know about them in advance. Toward that end, a content note appears at the beginning of any relevant episodes.

My intention in this telling about the past is to remind of us of where we've been, what we've done, what we don't want to repeat, and what to bring forward so that, in the present, we can show up as the best of who we are.

Dancing at The Royal Jade - a serialized 1960s novel

What is The Royal Jade?

You may have come here expecting to read Dancing at The Orange Peel (the original working title for my novel). We can rarely (if ever) anticipate how our creativity will unfold; it’s never linear and rarely logical. So the last 6 months have brought on a host of changes. Keep reading for the TD;LR or for the full backstory to find out how all these changes have come about and what they mean for me as the author and for you, the reader.

6 min read

Title Slide for Alleys & Shadows, Chapter 1 of Dancing at The Royal Jade, a Beaucatcher Chronicles novel set in Kent Creek, North Carolina, the 1960s

1. Alleys & Shadows

Me and Becky quit playing hangman when Al, that crazy boy my cousin Connie has a crush on, stands up in the back of the school bus, pretending to be James Brown. He acts out like that every day, right when we get to that same corner. The other kids have eyes on Al, too. I don’t know why anyone would want so many people watching them, but you can tell he loves it.

11 min read

Title Slide for Watchful Eyes, Chapter 2 of Dancing at The Royal Jade, a Beaucatcher Chronicles novel set in Kent Creek, North Carolina, in the 1960s

2. Watchful Eyes

Libby had never seen a Negro in the Chamber before. Could this be the man the Chamber Board fussed over accepting? Mama had told Uncle Nelson that many members were fuming, her boss, especially, that a colored man might be allowed to join.

8 min read

Title Slide for Hard Questions, Chapter 3 of Dancing at The Royal Jade, a Beaucatcher Chronicles novel set in Kent Creek, North Carolina, in the 1960s

3. Hard Questions

At the end of the day on the bus, Libby quizzes Mama about the Black man she's just seen at the Chamber. But she has to be careful how she asks.

5 min read

Title Slide for Awkward Introductions, Chapter 4 of Dancing at The Royal Jade, a Beaucatcher Chronicles novel set in Kent Creek, North Carolina, in the 1960s

4. Awkward Introductions

Libby eagerly awaits Mama’s return from a Saturday movie with her friend Miss Cheryl. They finally arrive, laughing and chattering about Sean Connery. The mood shifts quickly, though, with the the unexpected arrival of Mama’s new acquaintance.

10 min read

Title Slide for From Kent Creek to the Eiffel Tower, Ch 5 of Dancing at The Royal Jade, a Beaucatcher Chronicles novel set in Kent Creek, North Carolina, in the 1960s

5. From Kent Creek to the Eiffel Tower

With their guests gone, Libby is curious about her mama’s new friend. Noticing how different he is from all the people she knows, she watches him and Mama closely, her mind filled with questions. Only a few does she dare to ask. Explore Chapter 5 of Dancing at The Royal Jade, a Beaucatcher Chronicles novel, set in the 1960s in Kent Creek, North Carolina.

13 min read

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