“You’re a good child, true and pure, and the Lord will call you when it’s time. “You, my baby, are not going to hell,” comforts her mother. “Daddy says I’m going to hell,” writes Jennifer Niven in the first chapter of her first work of fiction, Velva Jean Learns to Drive, a coming-of-age tale of a spunky young woman growing up in Appalachia in the years before World War II. Funny, poignant, and utterly unforgettable. But after a string of auditions, she begins to lose hope until her brother pays her a surprise visit and treats Velva Jean to a flying lesson that ignites a brand-new dream: to become a female pilot. Bristling at the limitations faced by a woman in rural Appalachia and fueled by the memory of her late Mama telling her to “live out there,” Velva Jean hits the road to pursue her dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. Velva Jean and I experienced very similar journeys to freedom.”Ībout the book: Velva Jean Hart, the fiercely independent heroine of Jennifer Niven’s spectacular debut novel, Velva Jean Learns to Drive, returns in a captivating adventure that literally sends her soaring. It was a strange and uncomfortable experience for me because I’m a very private person. “I basically opened up a vein and let it flow onto those pages. Why she does it: “Velva Jean’s story is incredibly autobiographical,” shares Jennifer, who turned the 25-page script into a 400-page novel. What she does: Breathing, touching and tasting the world where her characters live is the approach the award-winning writer uses when writing her books. Who she is: Author of novels and films, including “Velva Jean Learns to Drive.”

Jennifer niven