The Fifth Guest
and Other Louisiana Stories
“The Fifth Guest and other Louisiana Stories” is a well-written, appealing collection of short stories that deal with universal topics like mental illness, and family violence. Ms. Faircloth most adeptly develops her characters with such psychological realism that readers, male and female, and across generations, will be engaged.
– Jeffrey J. Walczyk, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Louisiana Tech University.
Crack Shot (story excerpt)
Her name was Grace, but they called her Peachie. Nobody knew exactly why. The boys said it was because when she was a girl, she liked to shinny up the blighted old tree in her back yard and eat the peaches straight off the branches—fuzz, rot, worms, and all. “I bet she could eat a worm,” they said in admiration. None of this they knew for sure. It was part of the legend surrounding Peachie which they were building for themselves.