Author J. E. Weiner kicks off her debut novel, The Wretched and Undone (HTF Publishing 2025) with a rattlesnake falling from the rafters of a church onto the congregation below. That’s a tough scene to follow, but Weiner keeps ramping up tension and introducing unexpected events, each scene propelling the story forward as we follow Marcin Anderwald and his family.
It’s 1860, and the Anderwalds have settled on a small farm in Bandera, Texas. These are good people, immigrants to the Land of Promise, aiming to grab hold of the American Dream. They work hard, love each other, obey their god, and appreciate their opportunities and good fortune. None of that protects them from loss, tragedy, or the curse created by a single act, a momentary lapse that follows generation after generation.
The trouble begins with a war that shouldn’t have had anything to do with Marcin or his family. Conscription by the Confederate Army forces him to leave his family behind to fend for themselves. Fears of marauders and desperadoes are legitimate, but it’s Marcin who ultimately poses the greatest threat to his family. Marcin carries his morals and his work ethic with him into military service, but like that snake in the church, evil hides in unlikely places and strikes without warning. As his destiny plays out, Marcin becomes friend to the unlikeliest of strangers, but also makes an enemy of one man whose hatred becomes a curse, haunting Marcin and his descendants for generations.
Family saga, Southern gothic, classic horror story—The Wretched and Undone may be called any these, and it succeeds as all. This cross-genre tale will delight readers who enjoy historical fiction founded on accuracy and thorough research, while delivering a riveting story from the deft hand of a talented writer. Even the unexpected historical details—camels in Texas!—are never forced; they snuggle into the story, perfectly fitted to their place and enhancing the plot and characterization. It has the urgency of a story that author J. E. Weiner truly needed to tell, in a particular way, without regard for arbitrary restrictions and definitions. Perhaps, as writers sometimes say, this story chose Weiner to tell it.
It’s hard to believe this taut and superbly crafted story is a debut novel. The Wretched and Undone is well-balanced and clean, but told with evocative language, and it draws the reader into the lives of robust, unique characters. Weiner’s research is meticulous but never overpowers this story that is “inspired by real people and actual events. ” Instead, historical fact is used to enhance the story and build fully dimensional characters and backgrounds.
J. E. Weiner
Author J. E. Weiner grew up in the Great State of Texas, and writes with the same expansive courage as the early settlers there. She currently lives in Northern California. While The Wretched and Undone is her first novel, her writing has appeared in several literary journals. Already a Killer Nashville Top Pick and a finalist for the 2024 Claymore Award, The Wretched and Undone is an impressive beginning to Weiner’s career as a novelist.
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