Inspired by true events.

When the Smoke Cleared chronicles how resilience and conviction took hold in one woman to overcome the circumstances of her turbulent childhood and adolescence. A novel that paints a vivid and intimate portrait of an African American Southern family in a small rural town filled with segregation and cultural racism. 

Based on a true story, this novel explores the struggles and victories of pursuing success and happiness against all odds. Snatched from the comfort of suburban Florida, five-year-old Jazzy and her family are abruptly transplanted to rural Georgia, forfeiting such luxuries as indoor plumbing in 1981. Her ever-expanding family serves as collateral damage for the whims of her charming and cunning father, who enjoys seemingly legitimate entrepreneurial success—virtually unheard of for a black man in their conservative Southern town where the Willie Lynch Syndrome was still very much alive—only to jeopardize it all with his self-destructive tendencies due to the aftermath of mistreatment experienced while serving as a black man while serving in the Vietnam War.

Jazzy's eccentric and unpredictable childhood forces her to confront betrayal, small-town racism, and a hostile school environment as she battles with her constant desire to be normal. Her hard-won determination and the support of a flawed and weathered family allow Jazzy to regain control of her destiny amid constant chaos. It is a story that will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted.