A-Tumblin' Down

A pastor with familiar doubts. A spouse just starting to feel at home. When heartbreak strikes, will the church heal their wounds, or only salt them?

Upstate New York, 1988. Pastor Donald Abney is plagued by uncertainty. Grandson of a fiery revivalist preacher, the gentle peacemaker wrestles with the contrast between their respective ministries. But when his household is rocked by a devastating accident, his misgivings become a painful certainty lacking any consolation.

Carmichael Abney wonders if she’s settled too soon. Haunted by alternate versions of herself, the devoted pastor’s wife and academic is furious when her parents reveal their Jewish heritage to her pre-teen daughter without her permission. But before she can work out how to handle that breach of trust, she suffers a life-shattering tragedy.

As Carmichael grapples with her grief, a former ally pressures her to change to suit a personal agenda and triggers an explosive reaction with far-reaching consequences. And though at first Donald’s preaching is invigorated by his pain, he falters as his congregation fractures in the wake of his wife’s outburst.

Will mounting tensions stop this grieving family from reclaiming life and hope?

By turns humorous, historical, and holy, A-Tumblin’ Down expertly reveals an intimate look at life inside the parsonage. Confronting difficult topics head-on with mystagogical realism, ironic observations, and energetic prose, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson delivers a compelling page-turner of intense theological depth.

A-Tumblin’ Down is an absorbing work of literary fiction. If you like deeply human characters, lively discussions of faith, and blending adversity with hopefulness, then you’ll adore Sarah Hinlicky Wilson’s beautiful story.

Buy A-Tumblin’ Down to balance sorrow and grace today!

© 2022 Thornbush Press (Audiobook): 9781737261179

Release date

Audiobook: 10 November 2022