An amazing new talent has burst onto the Southern Gothic horror scene. On Sundays She Picked Flowers is the self-published debut novel of Yah Yah Scholfield, but I sure wouldn’t have guessed that from the text (reissued Jan. 27, 2026 by Saga Press). Protagonist Jude is a fa character, the environment she lives in is rich enough to sink into it, the love story is disturbing yet striking, and in the end, Jude finds a way to make peace with her violent past and her current situation. Violent? Oh, yes, this book contains very graphic violence, from beatings to fights and homicides, with very messy results. It is deliberatively transgressive along several other axes, too, but for the story, not for shock value. Nothing feels cheap or sensational here, but rather, thoughtful and deeply felt (and often sensual).