You will want to read “Guardian Spirit” because of the book’s important story told creatively and because it is crafted by one of our own.

Well, author, Sarah Martin Byrd, is one of our own because she is a child of the Northwest North Carolina Mountains and a kindred spirit to Ashe countians if not an actual native.

I know Sarah from my days in Elkin. She is a Wilkes native. Hopefully Ashe folks can overlook that blemish on her record in favor of knowing that she appreciates these mountains and is a lover of the New River..

I assure you, Sarah knows and loves people of this part of the world. She can connect with them and understand the struggles they face.

She has lived some struggles herself; although she likely sees herself more as having been formed by the challenges of growing up the daughter of the junk man.

She knows hard work and dedication to an effort and how those characteristics can lead to success.

Sarah was advertising manager at the Tribune in Elkin when I knew her. Her attention to detail made a huge difference for the newspaper’s success. An experience editing a publication with her could be an excruciatingly detailed and intense endeavor, but made a huge difference in the quality of the end product.

“ ‘Guardian Spirit’ was written for women, specifically young adults,” the book’s publicist says. “It is a journey from abuse to healing with miracles and magic woven throughout. Even though the work is fiction, it was inspired by the true experiences of many I know,” states the author.

Government statistics estimate that one in four women experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.

I know the hard work and gift (maybe curse) for detail that Sarah possesses. I’ve always thought she was a believer in the value of telling truths, not just the importance of telling the truth but the importance of telling stories that are true.

I was not acquainted her magical ability of creative expression evident in the descriptions and character development of “Guardian Spirit.”

Blend the her ability with details, truth telling and creativity with her knowledge of human characters and you’ll have a good read.

“Guardian Angel” is due for public release Sept. 15. A preview of it is available at www.sarahmartinbyrd.com.