Charley Bland

"Charley Bland is a haunting novel, a mystery in the form of a memoir, a love story rendered by a rare poetess."—Walker Percy

"Charley Bland reveals the versatility and mastery of one of America's most gifted contemporary writers. Mary Lee Settle has the ability to create fascinating characters that live and inhibit an astounding range of historical and geographical landscapes. She is a master storyteller who has a grand passion for writing prose that makes for great reading."—McCormick Messenger

". . . a true song, and a Southern song. If at times its excesses make the reader want to cast it aside . . . more often its precision and emotional power urge one to listen ferociously for the hidden melodies that reveal the history underneath the social plottings . . ."—New York Times