“In the small towns of the South, where faith fills the air as heavily as humidity, growing up isn’t just about finding yourself—it’s about surviving the weight of who everyone else says you should be.”
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Burdens Beneath the Hymns
Book 1
Fifteen-year-old Donovan “Van” Shelton is caught between the soccer field, the sanctuary, and the expectations of a father who values appearances above joy. But when Van’s hidden gift for singing is discovered, he’s thrust into the spotlight—and into the tangle of friendships and first loves that will change him forever.
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The Weight of Witness
Book 2
Now older, Van navigates deeper into the unspoken rules of his community. As relationships evolve and secrets grow heavier, Van faces the truth that silence can be as much of a sin as speaking out. The choice between loyalty and authenticity becomes sharper, and so does the risk of being truly seen.
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Inheritance of the Unburdened
Book 3
Loss reshapes everything when the one person who defended Van most fiercely—his grandmother—is gone. Without her steady protection, Van must decide if he’ll continue carrying the Southern burden of duty, secrecy, and expectation… or finally step into the unashamed life he was meant to live.
Sweeping, intimate, and unflinching, The Southern Burden Trilogy is a story about faith and fracture, family and freedom, and one boy’s journey from silence into song.