Evoking comparisons to “The Help,” “Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt,” Fannie Flagg and “Beaches,” award-winning author Elaine Hussey’s “The Sweetest Hallelujah” (Harlequin MIRA, August 2013, $15.95 U.S./$18.95 CAN.) tells the unforgettable story of two courageous women brought together in 1950s Mississippi by one extraordinary little girl. In delicate strokes, Hussey explores the profound bond between mothers and daughters, the yearning for absent husbands and fathers and how an unlikely friendship can transcend even the deepest social injustices.

Betty Jewel Hughes was once the hottest, black jazz singer in Memphis. But when she finds herself pregnant and alone, she gives up her dream of being a star to raise her daughter, Billie, in Shakerag, Miss. Ten years later, in 1955, she is dying and looking for someone to take care of Billie when she’s gone. With no one she can count on, Betty Jewel does the unthinkable: she takes out a want ad seeking a loving mother for her daughter.

On the other side of town, recently widowed Cassie Malone is an outspoken housewife insulated by her wealth and privileged white society. Working part-time at a newspaper, she is drawn to Betty Jewel through her mysterious ad. With racial tension in the South brewing, the women forge a bond as deep as it is forbidden.

With charm, humor, and unforgettable characters, “The Sweetest Hallelujah” is a remarkable tale about finding hope in a time of turmoil, and about the transcendent and transformative power of friendship.

“The Sweetest Hallelujah” goes on sale Aug. 1 and will be available wherever books are sold, and at Harlequin.com.

About the author

Elaine Hussey is a writer, actress and musician who likes to describe herself as “Southern to the bone.” The book grew out of her deep love for the South and its unsung heroes, who share a history of heartbreak laced with hope.

A former adjunct instructor at Mississippi State University, she teaches frequent lectures and workshops. Currently, she is working on a novel that explores how far a family will go to save one of their own.