Gloria Russell

"...From the moment she touched Satan, Gloria Russell was never the same. Only a week later she started wearing so much black she all but melted into midnight. She’d even dyed her sandy hair coal black, and slathered on purple lipstick, which made her look like she’d stuck her face into Gram’s famous Stand-By Plum Jam and gone right to town, forgetting to wipe her mouth. If it wasn’t for her moon-pale face, she might’ve disappeared entirely after dark..."

Since the sudden death of his best friend, Billy's tiny hometown has never seemed lonelier. Gloria wasn't like anyone else in Kelseyville. Full of curiosity and spunk, she never cared what other people thought. But the day she befriended Satan--a hermit every kid in Kelseyville is warned to avoid--something happened to Gloria. And a few months later, she was gone.

Alone, confused and struggling to escape his mother's bitterness and his brother's cruelty, Billy sets out to discover what really happened to Gloria. And guided by Gloria's strength, he finally begins to understand what the truth about Satan means for himself--and for the entire town.

"The Legacy of Gloria Russell" is on sale now from Alfred A. Knopf Books!