Tiffany Quay Tyson is coming to Off Square Books at 5 p.m. Monday to sign and discuss her latest novel, “The Past is Never.” The novel follows two siblings in search of the truth surrounding the mysterious disappearance of their younger sister and father.
“The Past is Never” is Tyson’s second novel she has released. It followed her debut novel, “Three Rivers.” “The Past is Never” is a 2018 Okra Pick and has been highly anticipated after the release of her first novel.
In “The Past is Never,” readers follow the story of two siblings from the Mississippi Delta hoping to uncover what really happened to their sister the day they went swimming in the rock quarry that was off limits.
As they navigate through the past and attempt to uncover what happened to their sister and father, the journey is told from the perspective of one of the siblings, Roberta Lynn (Bert for short).
The siblings grapple through rough terrain and hidden secrets, all in an attempt to uncover a truth they desperately want to find.
The past is hard to push through for Bert and Willet, as the journey turns out to be anything but simple. As they follow clues and make their way down the the southern part of Florida, they soon realize that maybe the past is better left in the past.
The entire story is encompassed by a mystery that may or not be a good idea to dig deeper on and solve. However, the mystery does not just drive the plot but helps to evolve the characters while creating themes the reader can relate to and reflect on.
“I want readers to enjoy the story and be intrigued by the suspense,” Tyson said. “There is also a thread of historical stories and folklore weaved throughout the story.”
She said that mystery, legends and superstition are what drive the story and play a large role in the progression of the characters.
“It is a page-turner,” senior Ole Miss student Cassandra Mohr said. “It is one of those books you stay up reading all night because you can not wait to see how the story is going to turn out.”
Tyson is a native to Mississippi, having grown up in the city of Jackson and continuing to get her education at Delta State University. Mohr commented on how she found it interesting that Tyson has used the Delta as the setting for both her novels so far.
“I wonder if she based the settings in her novels off anything she experienced in real life growing up,” Mohr said.
Weaving real historical anecdotes and folklore into a novel filled with mystery and suspense is something Tyson enjoys, and she hopes her readers find pleasure in as they read her second novel.
“Mystery has always been a pleasure for me to read,” Mohr said. “Tyson’s work reflects the kind of suspense and prose that really drives a gripping mystery novel.”
If you’d like to know more about Tyson and keep up to date with her daily life as well as find updates on her novels, you can go on her website and follow her blog.
