In segregated Knoxville, TN, Gail (white) and Hanna (black) shared a crib in Gail’s parents’ house, where Hanna’s mother, Sophie, was the live-in maid. When the girls were four, Sophie taught them to swim, and soon they were gleefully doing cannonballs off the diving board.

By the time they’re both in college, however, the two friends have lost touch with each other. A reunion in Washington, DC, sought by Gail but resented by Hanna, sets the tone for their relationship from then on. Careers, marriage, and a tragic death further strain the increasingly fragile bond. How much longer can the friendship last?

Published by She Writes Press. Cover designed by Julie Metz.

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PRAISE FOR BEGINNING WITH CANNONBALLS

Winner of the 2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Silver Medal for Multicultural Fiction. 

“Coupe employs short sentences that pack a punch . . . in the tradition of Southern writers like Flannery O’Connor and Harper Lee . . . She lays bare each character’s truths, allowing the reader to piece them together. . . The novel is a testament to the importance of connection and empathy, and feels both timely and timeless in today’s fraught social climate.” – Jessica Crandall, Necessary Fiction. Read the entire review HERE. 

“Beginning with Cannonballs tracks the ups and downs of an interracial friendship in the Jim Crow South. . . . Written in clear, direct prose and told in brief chapters, this novel is episodic but cohesive. . . a hopeful account of a friendship across time.”  – Suzanne Kamata, Foreword Clarion Reviews. Read this four-star review HERE.

“And some find hope in a book. . . Two thumbs up for Jill McCroskey Coupe and Beginning with Cannonballs, a wise novel much needed in a time of fear and foolishness.” – Jeff Minick, Smoky Mountain Living. Read the review HERE.