WATTS, Okla. - s4story -- Becky Marietta's debut historical fiction novel, "White River Red" will be released April 5. Inspired by a true story, "White River Red" is a story of friendship and a young woman's escape from a stifling life of ease to become an unconventional legend. Marietta's exploration of the changing landscape of America in the South and Forrestina Bradley's life story will resonate with readers across regions.

"Married and single women alike will connect with the protagonist's struggles to find her authentic self," says Marietta. Marietta shifts from the early 1900s to the 1970s between two protagonists, Forrestina and Betty, moving the reader easily through time. Betty acts as a curious bystander who befriends Forrestina and discovers her strength and resilience along with the reader.

"White River Red" is inspired by the true story of a woman who ran away as a teenager to join the circus and who suffered an injury during a trapeze performance. Research into the life of a real person gives "White River Red" an authentic appeal. Locals from Arkansas and the Ozark region will enjoy this novel that explores a real place in the United States.

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In 1906, fifteen-year-old Forrestina Bradley runs away from her stifling life of ease and joins the circus as a tightrope walker. After a tragedy forces her to leave the circus, she embarks on a path of nomadic adventure, running a carnival rat-game and becoming involved in an illegal dance hall and moonshine business near the banks of the White River in Arkansas during Prohibition. Along the way, she meets and loves three men—Max, Jack, and George—who each break her heart in vastly different ways. It's a good thing that Forrestina is tough enough to survive the men in her life. Tough enough to become a legend. In 1972, Betty, a young reporter desperate to break into the boys' club of journalism, offers to interview the now-elderly Forrestina. What she discovers in Forrestina's story is a lesson of strength, resilience, friendship, and faith. She learns that though defying normal is often painful for some brave souls it's the only way to truly live.

About the Author
Becky Marietta's works of fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in various literary journals and magazines. A resident of northeast Oklahoma, Becky teaches English at a small college in Arkansas and writes fiction to escape the sometimes grim reality of grading composition papers. This is her first novel.