“Evelyn Ann Casey’s Meg, bursting with hope and disillusionment, leaps off the page and into the reader’s heart.”

—Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of
The Deep End of the Ocean

COMING FEBRUARY 2025

PREORDER

About Candlewood

A young woman is caught in the crosshairs of a community she once trusted.

Meg knows the rules, but does she know herself?

First year teacher Meg Joyce toughed it out to get a toehold on the kind of life her family couldn’t give her. She cannnot afford to be out on strike. When her pastor offers her a job at the parish, she believes it’s manna from heaven.

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Praise for Candlewood

“Evelyn Ann Casey's Meg, bursting with hope and disillusionment, leaps off the page and into the reader’s heart.”

–Jacquelyn Mitchard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

"In this mesmerizing debut, Casey unveils a luminous portrait of devotion tested against the boundaries of human longing… ”

–Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of I Thought You Said This Would Work

“Evelyn Ann Casey’s writing is thoughtful, wry, and detailed; a pleasure to read.”

–Daniel M. Lavery, author of Women's Hotel

"Casey has brought storytelling back to its roots, with characters who know who they are and what they want, wrestling with the intersections of faith, fate, and fear."

—Susanna Daniel, PEN/Bingham award-winning author of Stiltsville

"A heartfelt and well-orchestrated story of disillusioned faith and elusive hope.”

—Kirkus Reviews

"Candlewood... is a tender, suspenseful, and well-written story of love and its many facets... the story shows the challenges for a young person trying to find her footing in life beyond matters of the heart..."

—Christine DeSmet, bestselling mystery writer

"Candlewood by Evelyn Ann Casey is a gorgeously-written story… Meg will stay with the reader long after finishing the book."

—Gregory Lee Renz, author of Beneath the Flames and Beyond the Flames

"Every once in a while a debut novel presents a quiet yet powerful new voice that commands the reader’s full attention.”

—Laurie Scheer, Writing Mentor/mediagoddess

"Stunning debut novel by Evelyn Ann Casey."

—Kristin A. Oakley, author of The Devil Particle Series

About Evelyn

Evelyn Ann Casey is the author of stories filled with grace and gumption. Her writing asks hard questions yet reflects hope in the darkest hours. Her debut novel, Candlewood, is peopled with flawed characters finding their footing, and perhaps love, in a world built on the mixed blessing of a tight-knit community.

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Essay

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EVE’S APPLE

From The Scarlet Letter to The Thorn Birds to Fleabag, the star-crossed love between a woman and a clergyman is a well-told tale. I had no intention of writing another book on the subject.

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