What She Will Become

“Thistlethwaite’s fourth mystery novel leaves the reader reeling, breathless, and aching for more. Heroine Alex Bell is tougher than J. Edgar Hoover’s agents, smarter than seasoned D.C. operatives, and as principled as ministers and journalists who step up to moral challenges. Scapegoating women, queer people, and people of color has deep and intertwined roots in American society that the author explores with panache. Delve into this complex read about the ancestors of the dark web and the violent Right to see contemporary social dynamics in sharp relief.”


—Mary E. Hunt, Co-director, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER)





“Thistlethwaite raises serious moral and spiritual questions of good and evil in this intriguing historical fiction drama. . . . Its themes are utterly contemporaneous. Adding a spirited counterpoint to the violence and wickedness of some of the characters are sweet portrayals of the jubilant homecoming tradition of the Black church; the feistiness and wit of the hero’s Hungarian immigrant and socialist worker family; and the ubiquitous presence of ‘Miss Bea,’ a small terrier who will steal every open heart.”


—Carter Heyward, Professor of Theology emerita, Episcopal Divinity School





“Thistlethwaite, a well-recognized, rigorous academic who through her theses sought liberative praxis, masterfully now employs the art of storytelling to raise consciousness. Her historical novel, situated in the turbulent 1960s, uncovers how fear—fear that white heterosexual men won’t rule—could endanger the body politic. A must-read, an accessible read, an enjoyable read, and more importantly, a thought-provoking read.”


—Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies, Iliff School of Theology





“Before history is history it is stories; the history part comes later. Novels can be an essential way we imagine the past for ourselves, recognize the world of our own lives, and see what is at stake for us now. What She Will Become, beneath all its action and suspense, invites us to do just that: to remember, imagine, recognize, and resist.”


—W. Dow Edgerton, Professor of Ministry emeritus, Chicago Theological Seminary