The opening chapter of The Precious Jules is bedlam. There is blood, bright red, gushing from a head wound, spattered on the family-room windows. There are children, crying. There is a very pregnant mom, scanning the room to see which of her four children needs her most urgently. One of the brothers is definitely going to need stitches.
These are “The Precious Jules.” In this tale, Jules does not mean diamonds and rubies--it’s the family name. They live in Roland Park, an Irish Catholic brood with secrets and messy complications like most families--and with a mystery that goes far beyond what most families carry.
Shawn Nocher, our guest today, has written a story rooted in Maryland and some of its particular history but also universal in asking, what makes a family, family?
