The debut novel from writer Wendy Griffin tells the story of a young girl on the run from an abusive home who witnesses a murder and finds peace through nature on Edisto Island. The book, “The Girl Who Never Was,” is available for purchase here.
Here’s the book’s synopsis, which was provided by the publisher:
Despite a rather tumultuous upbringing, Wendy Griffin spent a few blissful summers of her childhood on Edisto Island, and the experience ignited a passion for spending time in nature. Set along the coastline of South Carolina, Edisto Island is a sleepy, idyllic oasis where moss-covered oaks, dirt roads, and salt marshes abound and where the natural beauty is a reprieve from the harsh realities of life. In fact, Griffin was so moved by the striking landscape that it became the setting for her new novel.
In “The Girl Who Never Was,” Griffin relates the story of Scout, a young girl on the run from her abusive home life. When Scout witnesses the murder of a young boy while squatting at a neighboring barn, she is sent to Edisto Island for her protection until the case is solved. Examining nature's influence on the psyche, Griffin draws from her own life experience to create a character that is relatable. Like Scout, Griffin is no stranger to life's ups and downs, and through it all, she found herself the happiest outside in the fresh air surrounded by animals. Having discovered the restorative power of nature, she believes one should always look for the good in life no matter what.
“Sometimes bad things in life can turn into something good,” Griffin said.
Born in Germany into a military family, Griffin started grade school in Iran. At the age of ten, she moved to the United States. She would spend the next few summers on Edisto Island with her mother before leaving home at the age of thirteen. Spending time in nature, particularly with horses and dogs, has been a lifelong passion.
