Cathy Rigg, local author of THAT WHICH BINDS US, and Carolyn Newton, author of SONGS OF THE DEAD ROAD, will be in conversation about their historical fiction novels at All Good Books in Columbia on Friday, May 1 at 6pm. The event is free and reservations are not required.

ABOUT THAT WHICH BINDS US
In 1854, on the lawless western edge of Virginia, Elizabeth Young stands among the throngs and watches as her beloved uncle is hanged for murder. She can tell there is more to this spectacle than meets the eye, and she vows then and there she’ll get to the bottom; she’ll uncover truth, then she’ll leave these godforsaken mountains forever.

But fate has other ideas as into her life come three strangers with dreams and secrets of their own: Patrick Hagan, Irish Catholic immigrant and a bright young attorney with a dogged determination to do good and make good; Mary Lenore Kitchens, the sophisticated teacher who’s come to Virginia’s hinterlands, who knows why; handsome Ben Grubb, local boy, banjo prodigy, a mischievous sort who wants only to play. Soon their lives become inextricably linked—and in marches the Civil War.

Punctuated by class and the realities of a devastating conflict, THAT WHICH BINDS US is a sweeping work of historical fiction that celebrates our best and explores our worst, that serves to remind us that across continents and cultures and generations, love holds the greatest power of all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cathy Rigg was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia where her people, on her mother’s side, go back seven generations. After college at Clemson University, she moved to Columbia, SC and founded the brand marketing firm, Riggs Partners. Her debut novel, THAT WHICH BINDS US (Keylight Books), was published in 2025 and was recently named a 2025 Forward INDIES Book of the Year finalist in historical fiction.

ABOUT SONGS OF THE DEAD ROAD
In the shadows of post-war Soviet Union, brilliant pianist Ján Balik, a quiet and sensitive survivor, has spent decades gathering the stories of the missing and the broken. He weaves their grief into melodies, ensuring every composition preserves their memory. But Ján carries his own hidden scars: the loss of his family in Nazi-occupied Poland, the brutal years inside an orphanage and a labor camp, and the memories of the infamous “Dead Road” that refuse to let him go. For years, he has buried his pain in his music. When Harper Burns, an ambitious reporter, arrives in search of the truth about Soviet orphanages, she believes Ján is the key to a long overdue reckoning. To help her uncover the fate of the missing children and to complete his final composition, Ján must finally confront the story he has spent a lifetime avoiding: his own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolyn Newton is a native of the American South, part of a creative and adventurous family that spent summer holidays at national parks and memorized poems for sport. Her vibrant childhood launched a life-long love of history and stories. She became a teacher with a specialty for sharing the often-overlooked tales of courageous people doing extraordinary things. She lives with her family near the mountains of South Carolina where she loves to explore the woodsy trails in search of waterfalls and breathtaking vistas.