Denise Smith Cline | The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik

Schedule

Thu Oct 30 2025 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Quail Ridge Books | Raleigh, NC

Advertisement
Vesta must navigate a new life amid the tobacco fields of NC, confronting their pasts and discovering love in unexpected places.
About this Event

ABOUT THE EVENT

Tickets include a copy of The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik, guaranteed entry to the event, and a seat in the reserved section. Denise will sign books after the program.

All live author events are subject to change. More information about our events can be found at quailridgebooks.com/eventsfaq.


ABOUT THE BOOK

At thirty years old and unmarried, Vesta Blonik’ s future looks bleak when her widowed father remarries, sells the family farm, and moves away during the depths of the Great Depression, leaving her behind. With winter approaching, she seeks shelter with her brother Josef and his wife, Eva, in a nearby town. The two women start a laundry business to make ends meet, but when Eva announces she’ s expecting a baby, Vesta realizes she must forge her own path. Meanwhile, in eastern North Carolina, Gordon Crenshaw is engulfed in despair after losing his wife and newborn during childbirth. Concerned for his well-being, his family commits him to Dix Hill, the state mental hospital. Struggling against his grief, Gordon’ s disruptive behavior leads his family to seek his release, but they learn he can only be discharged if a suitable caretaker is found. Through connections in the Carolinas and Minnesota, the Crenshaws find Vesta and pose as Gordon, and her suitor, through letters that hide the truth of his situation. When Vesta agrees to marry Gordon, unaware of the deception, she travels south, only to learn the full extent of the Crenshaws’ lie after the wedding. Bound by necessity and circumstance, Vesta and Gordon must navigate their new life amid the tobacco fields of North Carolina, confronting their pasts and discovering the possibility of love in unexpected places.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DENISE SMITH CLINE is an upstate South Carolina native and practicing attorney in Raleigh. Denise’s fiction and non-fiction has won awards from Carolina Woman, Salem College’s 2014 International Literary Contest, and the 23rd Annual Carteret Writers’ Contest. Her work has appeared in Prime Number, Carolina Woman, The Shoal, and the Raleigh News & Observer.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Quail Ridge Books, 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00 to USD 23.56

Quail Ridge Books

Host or Publisher Quail Ridge Books

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Raleigh

NCDAC Third Annual Candy & Cars Community Trunk or Treat Event
Thu, 30 Oct at 05:30 pm NCDAC Third Annual Candy & Cars Community Trunk or Treat Event

2020 Yonkers Rd

TRUNK-OR-TREAT KIDS
Lotus Campaign Key Party
Thu, 30 Oct at 06:00 pm Lotus Campaign Key Party

1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd STE 111, Raleigh, NC 27604

PARTIES ENTERTAINMENT
Gig For Good
Thu, 30 Oct at 06:00 pm Gig For Good

Bowstring Brewyard

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
AIGA Raleigh Design Book Club - October 2025
Thu, 30 Oct at 06:00 pm AIGA Raleigh Design Book Club - October 2025

Blackbird Books and Coffee

New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center
Thu, 30 Oct at 07:30 pm New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center

Lenovo Center

CONTESTS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
John Legend at Red Hat Amphitheater
Thu, 30 Oct at 08:00 pm John Legend at Red Hat Amphitheater

Red Hat Amphitheater

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
John Legend in Raleigh
Thu, 30 Oct at 08:00 pm John Legend in Raleigh

Red Hat Amphitheater

LIVE-MUSIC ART
NCSU HOMECOMING 2025 || Official Black Alumni Events || Weekend Lineup!
Thu, 30 Oct at 08:00 pm NCSU HOMECOMING 2025 || Official Black Alumni Events || Weekend Lineup!

Thurs @KillJoy | Fri @The Bridge| Sat @Terminal 8

PARTIES ENTERTAINMENT
Inspirational Book Club Meeting
Sat, 02 Aug at 06:00 pm Inspirational Book Club Meeting

Virtually

MEETUPS
AWAY HOME: A work in development
Fri, 12 Sep at 06:30 pm AWAY HOME: A work in development

Frank Thompson Hall

ART THEATRE
Becoming You Book Club (ages 10-17): I Am Malala
Mon, 22 Sep at 05:00 pm Becoming You Book Club (ages 10-17): I Am Malala

8300 Health Park suite 228

HEALTH-WELLNESS ART
Becoming You Book Club (Parents): Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline
Mon, 22 Sep at 06:00 pm Becoming You Book Club (Parents): Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline

8300 Health Park suite 228

HEALTH-WELLNESS MENTAL-HEALTH
Becoming You Book Club (Parents and Babies): I Love You Rituals
Thu, 25 Sep at 09:00 am Becoming You Book Club (Parents and Babies): I Love You Rituals

8300 Health Park suite 228

HEALTH-WELLNESS MENTAL-HEALTH
VV September Book Club
Tue, 30 Sep at 06:00 pm VV September Book Club

200 Park at North Hills Street, Suite 130, Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina 27609

MEETUPS HOLIDAY
Brian Recker | Hell Bent
Tue, 30 Sep at 07:00 pm Brian Recker | Hell Bent

Quail Ridge Books

ART LITERARY-ART
John Claude Bemis | Rodeo Hawkins and the Daughters of Mayhem
Wed, 01 Oct at 06:00 pm John Claude Bemis | Rodeo Hawkins and the Daughters of Mayhem

Quail Ridge Books

ART LITERARY-ART
Read Smart Book Discussion - These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Wed, 01 Oct at 06:30 pm Read Smart Book Discussion - These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Oberlin Regional Library

ART NONPROFIT
33 1\/3 Book Club
Wed, 01 Oct at 07:00 pm 33 1/3 Book Club

So & So Books

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Teen Day: Book of Esther
Sat, 04 Oct at 12:00 pm Teen Day: Book of Esther

2110 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina 27607

ART POP-UPS
Helena Haywoode Henry | Last Chance Live!
Tue, 07 Oct at 06:00 pm Helena Haywoode Henry | Last Chance Live!

Quail Ridge Books

ART LITERARY-ART

What's Happening Next in Raleigh?

Discover Raleigh Events