About Red Clay Suzie
A Novel Inspired by True Events
Fueled by tomato sandwiches and green milkshakes, and obsessed with cars, Philbet struggles with life and love as a gay, physically-misshapen boy in rural Georgia.
He’s happiest when helping Grandaddy dig potatoes from the vegetable garden that connects their houses. But Philbet’s world is shattered and his resilience shaken by events that crush his innocence and sense of security; expose his physical deformity skillfully hidden behind shirts Mama makes for him on her Singer; and convinces him that he’s not fit to be loved by Knox, the older boy he idolizes to distraction.
Over time, Philbet finds refuge in unexpected places and inner strength in unexpected ways, leading to a resolution from beyond the grave.
“I didn’t tell James or Knox or Mama what I thought, what I wanted. And that was as much because I didn’t have the words as it was that it was so personal. And I didn’t want them to stop liking me.”
“I didn’t tell James or Knox or Mama what I thought, what I wanted. And that was as much because I didn’t have the words as it was that it was so personal. And I didn’t want them to stop liking me.”
Four-year-old Jeffrey in his favorite pedal car.
You can’t help but root for Philbet, the unforgettable hero of Jeffrey Dale Lofton’s arresting debut Red Clay Suzie. I was moved by the insights and settings of this book and by the vivid depiction of a unique childhood that feels universal in its longing.
Christopher Castellani
Author, Leading Men
Contact Jeffrey for More Information
“When moist, it had the texture of silken butter, but when the beating Georgia sun leached it of moisture, it was either hard or powdery, slippery even in the heat, feeling almost liquid against skin. That was the alchemy of red clay.”
Contact Jeffrey for More Information
“When moist, it had the texture of silken butter, but when the beating Georgia sun leached it of moisture, it was either hard or powdery, slippery even in the heat, feeling almost liquid against skin. That was the alchemy of red clay.”