No God, No Hell, No Churches, No Saloons

About the Book

Mary Bouton can hardly believe anyone would want to live in a town without churches or God. But James, her young physician husband, is enthusiastic about Liberal, a new community being built in southwest Missouri. He sees an opportunity to start a medical practice, but Mary and their daughter, Bertha, are less than excited to leave the only home they have ever known.

Even so, in a matter of weeks, the Bouton family is on their way to Liberal—a town that greets Christians at the depot with a sign that instructs them to get back on the train and separates Christians and “free thinkers” with a barbed wire fence. The years pass, and the Boutons immerse themselves in daily life in their new home.

Then, tragedy strikes; their son, Claude, becomes the first person to be buried in Liberal, a town now labeled an atheist, infidel community. As they helplessly watch their daughter, Bertha, blame herself for Claude’s death and searches endlessly for answers, the Boutons hope that one day, they can live in a peaceful community that embraces the goodness of God.

No God, No Hell, No Churches, No Saloons is a compelling historical tale of love, family bonds, and the determination of a family to succeed in a town undergoing great change.

About the Author

KAY ROSE has lived in Liberal, Missouri, for her entire life. She has woven the recorded history of the town’s founding with the accounts of family members influences to create this tale. This is her debut novel.