Gracetown

Neighbors Who Warm Your Heart, Community That Keeps you Close, and a Story That Feels Like Home

Bitsy Mitchell has built her life around being the person everyone can count on. She keeps the nursery schedule straight, assures Reverend Goodheart that his sermons landed, and smooths over small frictions before they become lasting wounds. Looking after people is what Bitsy does—and in Gracetown, North Carolina, that kind of quiet care matters. Much of the town’s life gathers at First Methodist Church, where Gwen’s newsletters grow longer and more cheerful every month, the handbell choir rehearses every Wednesday night, and people show up with casseroles, concerns, and the comforting certainty that someone will notice if they don’t. Bitsy has always been that someone.

But lately, the life Bitsy has worked so hard to hold together is coming loose at the seams. Church attendance is dwindling. Her husband, Jeffrey, feels farther away every day. And week after week, seven-year-old Eden sits waiting in an empty room long after every other child has gone home. Bitsy knows how to fix schedules, soothe feelings, and keep things moving. But what happens when the things that need saving are bigger than any one person can manage?

Warm, earnest, and deeply moving, Where the Bells Still Ring is a small-town story of connection and community, and the people who notice when we need them most. Perfect for readers of Theo of Golden, Fredrik Backman, and the beloved Mitford novels, this story invites readers into an unforgettable community of friendship, family and faith, offering up a place to return to again and again.