Five Oaks – Julie Hensley

Appalachian, Books, Fiction, Literature, Novel

Five Oaks: Emotionally engaging, exceptionally memorable, and unreservedly recommended

July 15, 2025 rdean2014

July 15, 2025

In her review of Five Oaks for Midwest Book Review, Kitty Johnson describes the novel as “A deftly crafted combination of a coming-of-age novel and a family/sisterhood story” before going on to call it “Emotionally engaging, exceptionally memorable, and unreservedly recommended.”

You can read the full review by clicking the the link above and scrolling to the General Fiction Shelf. And, of course, once you’ve read the novel I’d be so thankful if you added your own review on Amazon, GoodReads, or any other site that let’s you have your say.

Appalachian, Books, Bookstores, Feminist, Fiction, Literature, Novel

Five Oaks is #1 in Southern Fiction!

June 4, 2025 rdean2014

On Monday, I woke up to the news that Five Oaks had landed at #1 in Southern Fiction on Amazon’s Bestseller List. It was also #2 is Sibling Fiction. Thank you all so much for your support of this book. I have so many events planned through the summer and into the fall, and I couldn’t have dreamed a better start than this. Hopefully, I’ll see you all down the road, be able to say hello, and sign your copy of the book.

Appalachian, Books, Feminist, Fiction, Literature, Novel

Five Oaks Ready for Pre-Order

January 10, 2025 rdean2014

You can start building your summer reading list right now by pre-ordering my debut novel, Five Oaks.

In the Arkansas mountains, three generations of fiercely determined young women are poised for self-discovery in a decades-spanning novel about the bonds of family and secrets.

Spending summer away from home for the first time, fifteen-year-old Wren Stone and her younger sister, Sylvie, arrive at Five Oaks, their grandparents’ Arkansas lake house. As it was for their grandmother and mother before them, it’s a place for coming of age, first love, triumphs and failures, and keeping secrets.

Free release day delivery on May 27 via Amazon–just in time for the beach, the lake, or wherever you like to cozy up with a good book.

Books, Feminist, Fiction, Literature, Novel

A New Novel in 2025!

June 5, 2024January 28, 2025 rdean2014

I’m so excited to share that my agent, Laura Usselman (Stuart Krichevsky Agency) has found a wonderful home for my novel, Five Oaks, with Lake Union Publishing. I’m hard at work with my editor, Chantelle Aimee Osman, and the rest of the team at Lake Union, and the book will be ready to launch in spring 2025.