DeMisty Bellinger, creative writing professor at Fitchburg State University, will be at The Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough Saturday April 23, at 11 a.m. to discuss and sign her new novel “New To Liberty,” which introduces readers to a rural community marked by poverty and isolation, as seen through the eyes of two outsiders and one of their own.

In 1966, Sissily travels across Kansas with her boyfriend, a much older man. On their way to California to begin a life together, he insists on stopping at his family ranch to see his mother. This family reunion is a painful reminder for Sissily of the rumors surrounding her own heritage, but she also sees a woman who, decades later, is still scarred by the Great Depression.

In 1947, Nella’s family relocates to Kansas from Milwaukee, and during the summer before her senior year, she begins an interracial relationship with a white man called Lucky. They can only meet in secret, or as Lucky is in a wheelchair, sometimes Nella pretends to be his nurse. When three white men stumble upon “Nurse Nella” one catastrophic afternoon, the violence of a racist society forces Nella to face the reality of their situation.

In 1933, at the height of the Dust Bowl and brutal jackrabbit roundups, surrounded by violence and starvation, Greta finds love with another farm woman. Their clandestine encounters will be unsustainable but will have consequences for generations.

A novel told in three parts, “New to Liberty” showcases the growth and strength of three women as they evolve in a society that refuses to do the same.

Bellinger has an MFA in creative writing from Southampton College and a doctorate in English from the University of Nebraska. She serves as poetry editor at Porcupine Literary and Malarkey Books. Her writing has appeared journals and anthologies that include “The Rumpus” and “The Best Small Fictions: 2019.” She is the author of the chapbook of poems “Rubbing Elbows” and a full-length poetry collection, “Peculiar Heritage.”

This event is free and all are welcome. Call the bookstore at 603-924-3543 for information.