Author of Salter's Path

Set in the coastal town of Salter Path, NC, the story follows Bodhi Salter and his fiancée, Ellie, returning to Bodhi’s hometown of Salter Path. Bodhi’s ancestors moved to the island in the late 1800s after a hurricane forced them to leave Diamond City on the Shackleford banks. Now, more than six generations of Salters have called Salter Path home. The town becomes embroiled in a feud between the Salter and Snow families after Bodhi’s grandfather and uncle die fishing in the Pamlico Sound. After several shocking events, Bodhi’s family is killed in a fire leaving him in the care of his Aunt Kristy, his closest surviving relative.

Bodhi grows up in Raleigh, never knowing what happened the night of the fire. When Ellie and Bodhi return to Salter Path to reconnect with childhood friends and family, they become pulled into the mystery of the fire that killed Bodhi’s family. It seems like the entire town is fighting against the truth at times. Bodhi becomes overwhelmed as he relives the loss of his family, but with his fiancée, he perseveres. 

Ellie gains the chance to see Bodhi in ways she never has as he experiences the renewal of friendships and the heartbreak of loss. The agreement Bodhi’s two best friends, Ley and DJ, made as children to always treat Bodhi as a local is tested as they try to navigate the simmering feud. Bodhi and Ellie befriend Detective Natchez, a State Bureau of Investigation detective that first investigated the fire. The three explore leads as a hurricane bears down on the island. As the storm crashes into the island, a shocking revelation changes the Bodhi’s life forever.

 Joel J. Pawlak was born in Holland, New York, before moving to North Carolina to become a faculty member at NC State University. He has spent his summer at the North Carolina Crystal Coast for the past twenty years. Salter’s Path is his first novel. His stories center around people’s secret lives, blending idealized life with painful realities. The tales vividly depict beautiful surroundings with the people and characters that overcome their history to emerge renewed. He and his wife raised their three children in the salt and sand of Indian Beach, NC. While they live full-time in Raleigh, the beach is where they feel most at home. In the summers, you will likely find them sitting on an uninhabited island in the Bogue sound.