The uncalled : A novel

A cold, damp dawn breaks over a shabby Ohio town, where melting snow reveals cracked streets and houses that cling to the last remnants of winter’s white coat. In the most rundown corner of Dexter, a sagging home stands like a reluctant survivor, its lone window casting a sickly glow onto the street below. The atmosphere feels heavy with the everyday grind of poverty, yet there’s an undercurrent of something unresolved lingering in the air.

Inside, a small group of women gathers around the body of a neighbor, wrestling with the practicalities of funeral preparations while their own lives press on. Their dialogue, raw and unvarnished, reveals a community bound by duty, resentment, and the quiet desperation of daily chores. As they argue over who will stay and who will leave, hints of hidden loyalties and unspoken histories begin to surface, promising deeper secrets to uncover as the story moves forward.