New to Liberty is a marvel. I was enraptured by DeMisty Bellinger's portrait of a gothic, gritty countryside. This atmospheric novel traces, with great sincerity, sensitivity, and crystal-clear prose, the dynamics of love and courtship, even as it explores lives lived in the haunting aftermath of violence. Bellinger's is a major, exciting new voice in fiction. - Timothy Schaffert, author of The Perfume Thief One of Buzz Feed's Most Anticipated Books of 2022- "Watch for this book on every 'best of' list for 2022." Three women, decades apart from each other, fight for love and agency in a rural Kansas community seemingly frozen in time- 1966- Sissily is driving cross-country with a much older man called Ezzy. On their way to California to begin a life together, he insists on stopping at his family ranch outside Liberty, Kansas visit his mother, Mrs. Svoboda. This family reunion is a painful reminder for Sissily of the rumors about the scandal that led to her running away from home, but while Mrs. Svoboda is a domineering figure, Sissily sees a woman who harbors secrets of her own. 1947- Nella's family relocates to Liberty from Milwaukee, and during the summer before her senior year, begins an interracial relationship with a white man called Lucky. They can only meet in secret, or as Lucky is in a wheelchair.