Publisher Description
A traveling librarian ventures into the mining towns of Kentucky on horseback—and learns to trust the One who truly pens her story—in this powerful novel from the best-selling author of A Silken Thread.
During the Great Depression, city-dweller Addie Cowherd dreams of becoming a novelist and offering readers the escape that books had given her during her tragic childhood. When her father loses his job, she is forced to take the only employment she can find—delivering books on horseback to poor coal-mining families in the hills of Kentucky.
But turning a new page will be nearly impossible in Boone’s Hollow, where residents are steeped in superstitions and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Even local Emmett Tharp feels the sting of rejection after returning to the tiny mountain hamlet as the first in his family to graduate college. And as the crippled economy leaves many men jobless, he fears his degree won’t be worth much in a place where most men either work the coal mine or run moonshine.
As Addie also struggles to find her place, she’ll unearth the truth about a decades-old rivalry. But when someone sets out to sabotage the town’s library program, will the culprit chase Addie away or straight into the arms of the only person who can help her put a broken community back together?
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My Review:
The storyline and characters in this book are very compelling. Reading this book made me feel as if I’d actually traveled back to the years of the Great Depression and lived in Boone’s Hollow. I felt for Addie as her whole world turns upside down and she has to leave college because of economic reasons. When she takes the job there, she immediately has to deal with the prejudices, superstitions, and mountain traditions to which the maintain people cling to tightly.
I liked that as we follow this story through the viewpoints of Addie and Emmet, the author shows respect for the mountain people. She acknowledges their flaws, but never ridicules them. The themes of faith in God during distressing times and helping those who are sometimes unloveable directs the story in an inspiring way. As I finished the book, I was sorry to leave these characters behind; however, I think this book is a stand-alone story and there’s not a sequel. If you’ve ever read and enjoyed the book “Christy” by Catherine Marshall, I believe you’d love this one, too.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Gentle stories of hope…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In 1966, Kim Vogel Sawyer told her kindergarten teacher that someday people would check out her book in libraries. That little-girl dream came true in 2006 with the release of Waiting for Summer’s Return. Since then, Kim has watched God expand her dream beyond her childhood imaginings. With more than 50 titles on library shelves and more than 1.5 million copies of her books in print worldwide in seven different languages, she enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Empty-nesters, Kim and her retired military husband, Don, live in small-town Kansas, the setting for many of Kim’s novels. When she isn’t writing, Kim stays active serving in her church’s women’s and music ministries, traveling with “The Hubs,” and spoiling her quiverful of granddarlings. You can learn more about Kim’s writing at www.KimVogelSawyer.com.