Authors! with Susan Zurenda

About the event
Join Authors! for a moving and profound evening with Susan Zurenda as she discusses her transformative third novel, No Way Out but Through. Drawing from her extensive background in literature and a life-changing interview with a survivor of child marriage, Zurenda explores the resilience of the human spirit and the power of vulnerability. This event offers a rare look into the meticulous research and deep empathy required to bring such a sensitive and important subject to the page. The evening features a 45-minute presentation followed by an audience Q&A session. Each ticket includes a first-edition hardcover copy of this hauntingly beautiful new work.
About the book
Set against the evocative backdrop of Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, and the stark landscapes of 1990s rural Oklahoma, No Way Out but Through is a dual-narrative "frame story" centered on an unlikely bond. When Shannon Irwin, an author grappling with her own family burdens, meets Grace Ferrall, she agrees to chronicle the younger woman’s shocking truth. Grace's story reveals a harrowing past of being manipulated into an abusive marriage at just fifteen years old. As these two women from different generations sequester themselves to complete the book, they must confront their inner demons and the untold stories of their pasts. It is a lyrical tale of survival, trust, and the redemption that occurs when we are brave enough to let ourselves be truly seen.
About the author
Susan Beckham Zurenda is an award-winning novelist who dedicated thirty-three years to teaching English at both the high school and college levels. Her debut, Bells for Eli, and its successor, The Girl From the Red Rose Motel, have garnered numerous accolades, including the 2024 Patricia Winn Award in Southern Fiction. Twice a winner of the South Carolina Fiction Prize for her short stories, Zurenda is celebrated for her unflinching yet compassionate portrayals of characters facing extraordinary difficulties. She lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she continues to craft "period-perfect" Southern literature that captures the complexities of the human condition.