Everybody has a story in Digham.

Along the banks of the Little Muddy River sits Digham, a small Southern Illinois town where life may move at a slower pace-but that doesn’t mean much isn’t happening.

For nearly a century, the people of Digham have fallen in love, broken hearts, raised families, made mistakes, kept secrets, caused trouble, and occasionally done something extraordinary. There’s Freddie Bosco, the irresistible ladies’ man whose heart is unexpectedly broken; Betty Johnson, whose gift for storytelling may-or may not-include playing fullback for the University of Alabama; and Aunt Tula, whose stern exterior hides a surprising tenderness.

There are farmers watching their way of life disappear, children discovering that adults aren’t always what they seem, ordinary people who quietly change their community, and families whose lives unfold alongside the changing times.

Spanning more than eighty years, Little Muddy River Tales is a collection of warmly told, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking stories about the people who make a place a home. Many of Digham’s characters and events are inspired by real people and experiences, generously fictionalized by an author who grew up in Southern Illinois.

Step into Digham, where the river keeps flowing, the stories keep coming, and every person has a tale worth telling.