In West Mills

Set in rural North Carolina across several decades, this deeply intimate novel centers on Azalea "Knot" Centre, a fiercely independent Black woman whose unconventional lifestyle scandals her small community of West Mills. Knot's love of moonshine, literature, and male companionship makes her an outsider among neighbors who prefer conformity to authenticity. When isolation threatens to consume her, she forms an unlikely bond with Otis Lee Loving, a well-meaning neighbor whose compulsion to fix everyone around him creates complications of its own. Their relationship becomes the heart of a story that explores how communities both sustain and constrain the people within them.

Bahni Turpin's masterful narration transforms Winslow's rich character study into an immersive experience that feels like listening to family stories passed down through generations. Turpin captures each character's distinct voice with remarkable precision, from Knot's defiant wit to Otis Lee's earnest concern, while her pacing allows the novel's layered emotions to unfold naturally. Her performance particularly shines in dialogue scenes, where her ability to shift seamlessly between characters creates vivid conversations that crackle with tension and tenderness. The audio format enhances the story's oral tradition qualities, making listeners feel like welcomed guests in West Mills.