New Books Network Susan Gregg Gilmore, "The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush" (Blair, 2025)
Sep 13, 2025
In this captivating conversation, author Susan Gregg Gilmore discusses her latest novel, featuring young Leonard Bush, who hilariously and touchingly buries his lost leg after a freak accident. The story unfolds in East Tennessee, revealing the chaos and miracles that ripple through his community, impacting everyone from his God-fearing mother to a town prostitute. Gilmore dives into themes of trauma, family dynamics, friendship, and the pursuit of grace in a flawed world, all while reflecting on her deep Tennessee roots.
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Tombstone Sparked The Novel
- Susan Gregg Gilmore discovered the origin of Leonard Bush from a tombstone reading "Leonard Bush's leg, 1923."
- She used that fragment as the seed that haunted her until she wrote the novel.
Real-Life Details Informed Fiction
- Gilmore later confirmed the real Leonard cut his foot on rusty barbed wire and lost the leg to infection.
- She adapted details, changing the injury in her novel to a glass cut by the riverbank.
Grief Shapes Parental Behavior
- June's anxious, God-fearing response reflects how personal trauma shapes parenting styles.
- Gilmore shows that protective superstition can appear insensitive while serving as a coping mechanism.
