BENSON – Meet author Barbara Crowley at the launch party for her latest book, Merilee’s Journey on Friday, January 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm at Sisters II Ice Cream, 108 South Market Street, Benson. A third of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Harbor Shelter in Smithfield.
The extraordinarily resilient girl is Merilee, who sings constantly. It’s her favorite way of dealing with the good and bad things that happen to her. Merilee’s Journey follows the life of a newly orphaned twelve-year-old girl. Her godparents, the only known legal guardians, refuse to take Merilee in. What will happen next?
Meri’s life is affected by many people: her social worker, the group home director, a psychiatrist, her close friends and the different foster families she encounters. When she’s not singing, Merilee pens her deepest thoughts in a hidden journal.
Based on extensive research, this fictional account should touch the hearts of its readers of any age. Although the subject of child abuse is extremely serious, the details are not graphically explicit.
This is Barbara Crowley’s second novel. Her first offering was the humorous Liberty’s Scrapbook, an autobiography by her well-traveled polydactyl cat. Refusing to be pigeon-holed into a single genre, Merilee’s Journey covers the serious topics of foster care and adoption in a fictional setting. Her third book, a science fiction fantasy, is expected to be released in late 2025.
Ms. Crowley is a recent contributor to three regional anthologies: (Franklin) County Lines Vol 11 – 2024, Johnston County Literary and Historical Journal Vol 2, and Johnston County Creates; 50 Years of Creativity.
Barbara was a recent guest on the podcast, Carolina Writers Speak, hosted by Cushing Publishing.
On Tuesdays at 1:00 pm beginning February 4, Ms. Crowley will facilitate a new writing group (Write On!) at the Benson Center for Active Aging. Anyone interested in writing is welcome to drop in.
Ms. Crowley likes to read, sing, and garden. Currently, she blogs mostly about her mischievous Tulip’s antics in North Carolina.
