THE TIME HAS COME

The routine lives of several residents of Athens, Georgia, collide unexpectedly when a fourth grade teacher seeks to avenge injustices she believes were caused by a prominent local family.

Leitch launches the timeline of Tina Lamm’s efforts to expose and end the misbehavior she believes has occurred for years at Lindbergh’s—a family-owned drugstore in Athens—with a missive from Tina that (vaguely) explains why she feels her actions are needed. The ticking of Leitch’s countdown clock grows louder as the backstories of the varied characters are gradually revealed. Tina’s own unhappy family saga is one of loss and misunderstanding. Theo, the ambivalent heir to the Lindbergh legacy, copes as best he can with the weight of an inheritance and responsibilities he did not seek. Daphne, a local nurse and military veteran, relies on her strong religious faith to cope with the realities of her work and life. Widowed Dorothy attempts to create a new life for herself, while Karson, a lawyer by trade, balances his nonprofit social-development work with the need to support a family. Building contractor (and baseball coach) Jason walks the line between good ol’ Southern guy and worried dad, while music entrepreneur David faces the demons of recovery and capitalism while running a popular venue in town. (Everyone has family, friends, and foes in their own orbit, and these characters wind up in the larger mix as well.) The racially mixed cast of characters comes together in an explosive episode that has elements that are both predictable and unexpected. Leitch touches on issues of historical concern as well as current social ills as the suspense builds toward Tina’s misguided, violent attempt at settling scores in a game she may not totally understand.

Humor and empathy propel Leitch’s characters toward their fates.