The Incredible Winston Browne: A Novel by “Sean of the South”

Beloved writer Sean Dietrich--also known as Sean of the South--will warm your heart with this rich and nostalgic tale of a small-town sheriff, a mysterious little girl, and a good-hearted community pulling together to help her.

Folks in Moab live for ice cream socials, baseball, and the local paper's weekly gossip column. Sheriff Winston Browne has watched over Moab with a generous eye for a decade, and by now he's used to handling the daily dramas that keep life interesting for Moab's quirky residents.

But just after Winston receives some terrible, life-altering news, a seemingly mute runaway with no clear origin arrives in Moab. The residents do what they believe is right and take her in--until two suspicious strangers arrive and begin looking for her. Suddenly Winston has a child in desperate need of protection--as well as a secret of his own to keep.

With the help of Moab's goodhearted townsfolk, the humble and well-meaning Winston Browne still has some heroic things to do. He finds romance, family, and love in unexpected places. He stumbles upon adventure, searches his soul, and grapples with the past. In doing so, he just might discover what a life well-lived truly looks like.

Sometimes ordinary people do the most extraordinary things of all.

"This warm, witty, tender novel celebrates the power of friendship and family to transform our lives . . . I loved it." --Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River

"Make no mistake. [This] is a classic story, told by an expert storyteller." --Shawn Smucker, author of Light from Distant Stars

With dry humor and compassion, beloved writer Sean Dietrich highlights the good of humanity and the light that's always just around the corner. This standalone novel includes discussion questions, which makes it perfect for book clubs. Also by Sean Dietrich: Kinfolk, Over Yonder, Stars of Alabama, and You Are My Sunshine

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Published Dec 7, 2021

Average rating: 8.89

19 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Margie Pettersen
Oct 27, 2025
10/10 stars
This book was wonderful and very heartwarming. The author had some turns of phrase that made me smile. Sheriff Winston Browne finds out he's dying of lung cancer, but really doesn't want anyone to know. A mysterious young girl named Jessie shows up. She is obviously running away from a bad situation, but the reader is left guessing as to what had happened and why people are trying to find her. Eleanor is a lovely middle-aged woman, disgusted with her long-time boyfriend, Jimmy, who has been stringing her along for years and hasn't proposed. When Winston befriends Eleanor, Jimmy is jealous of his best friend, Winston, and feels angry and betrayed. When Jessie is threatened, Winston moves close by to keep watch and this further unravels Winston and Jimmy's friendship. There is also the story of Buz, a young man who is floundering and has recently lost his grandfather and the ever present mention of the Brooklyn Dodgers and baseball. Putting this book down was like saying goodbye to a good friend.

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