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).
After fleeing her abusive mother’s home, Jude finds a haunted house in the woods, and settles in, tending to her cranky domicile and its haints, making little rituals and routines (such as picking flowers on Sundays and herbs at other times), and learning to live on her own. She’s aware that there’s some sort of Beast in the woods, and it frightens her at times, but they seem to be abiding by a truce. But after some years, the mysterious Nemoira shows up and basically invites herself into Jude’s home, life, and heart. Changes are inevitable.
Parts of this book are cosy and comforting, as Jude makes her new life. Parts are passionate, as Jude explores new feelings. Parts are edgy and uncomfortable, as Jude defends herself and goes beyond defense, and also suspenseful when her mental/emotional self-defense consists of refusing to look straight at issues that will surely come back to bite her. Parts are literally parts — bloody meat and raw emotions both play important roles in her personal evolution, and her relationship with Nemoira, who has her own deep connection to the wild.
Jude isn’t always entirely sympathetic, but she’s completely compelling as a character. She certainly has reasons for her sometimes-violent reactions, but it’s interesting and satisfying that she comes to realize that other people, including her mother, have had their own hard and harmful influences; forgiveness isn’t on the table, but she does reach certain understandings. (And for the reader, Jude’s discoveries mean that the other characters gain depth as well.)
Content warnings: Graphic violence, injuries and death; corpses and dealing with them; domestic abuse and generational trauma; references to slavery in the past, and racial discrimination in the Southern U.S.; shapeshifting and cannibalism.
Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of this book for review via NetGalley.
