The Woods All Black
Novella Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
Forged in the fires of the Western Front and reborn in the cafes of Paris, Leslie believes he can handle whatever is thrown at him—but Spar Creek holds a darkness beyond his nightmares. Something ugly festers within the local congregation, and its malice has focused on a young person they insist is an unruly tomboy who must be brought to heel.
Content warnings 3
abusetransphobiaviolence
Quasar links out; the story lives on Tor Novella, where the author gets the click.