Our Orbit

Nine-year-old Miriam has never worn new clothes, was not permitted to cut her hair, and believes that sinners must repent with dramatic displays of remorse, or harm will come to their loved ones. Now thrust into foster care, Miriam must adapt to a secular lifestyle while struggling to keep her connection to the past. Foster parents Rick and Deanne Fletcher quickly come to love their "new little girl." Soon they encounter the rest of Miriam's family: Uncle Dan believes he was abducted by aliens in an unsolved UFO mystery. Sister Rachelle, just released from juvenile detention, harbors painful secrets. Brother Josh is outraged that the Fletchers disrespect Christian teachings. When his plan to remove Miriam from their home fails, Josh becomes enraged at the interference in his family's way of life.

Our Orbit explores cultural conflicts between two families who've both lived in the same rural Ohio county for generations. Their stories revisit the social problems of the 1990s: religious fundamentalism, anti-government sentiment, and emerging technological innovations while dealing with the realities of foster care and adoption, and family differences that create family drama.

About the Author

Anesa Miller is the author of Sibylline's title I Never Do This, told in the unique voice of Ohio native, LaDene Faye Howell who finds herself in jail after a crime spree initiated by her newly released from prison cousin, Bobby Frank. Miller is a native of Wichita, Kansas, a graduate of the University of Idaho, a long-term resident of Ohio, and recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Fellowship for creative writing. Her fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared widely. Our Orbit has been reissued by Sibylline Press and was previously a finalist in regional fiction in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Editorial Reviews

"Rejecting simplistic stereotypes, from 'trashy' to 'homophobic,' Miller invites readers to probe beyond immediate impressions ... A compassionate, thoughtful narrative about hard-won self-realizations." -Kirkus Reviews

"Deftly woven, complex and compelling ... Memorable characters will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end." -The Midwest Book Review

"Our Orbit explores how family can be torn apart by brutal conviction and brought together by moments of grace. Anesa Miller writes with wisdom about our need to believe, our desire to belong, and, finally, the best that our fallen world can offer: love, forgiveness, a chance to start over again." -Kim Barnes, author of In the Kingdom of Men