jlworley's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. Beautifully written, and such a clear voice for the main character Vine.
ksprokes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
pamiverson's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story of women in rural Eastern Kentucky around the time of World War I. Interesting characters and situations -- cultural conflicts, difficult family dynamics, secrets. I enjoyed it, but there were some odd elements that frustratingly were not developed as I expected them to be.
Nature was almost a character -- I need to see redbud in bloom now.
Nature was almost a character -- I need to see redbud in bloom now.
cher_n_books's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars - It was good.
I have heard people call others hard-hearted, but it’s not your heart that turns to stone when something awful happens. It’s your gut, where all real feelings come from. That was froze up inside me and I didn’t long to thaw it.
Reminiscent of [b:Cold Mountain|10920|Cold Mountain|Charles Frazier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442416348l/10920._SY75_.jpg|1006369] - easily recommended to readers that enjoyed it as well.
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Favorite Quote: I’ve heard people say that they liked to watch the world come awake. But the world is always awake; sunlight just makes it seeable.
First Sentence: There was much talk that spring of a Cherokee girl who was able to invoke curses on anyone passing her threshold.
I have heard people call others hard-hearted, but it’s not your heart that turns to stone when something awful happens. It’s your gut, where all real feelings come from. That was froze up inside me and I didn’t long to thaw it.
Reminiscent of [b:Cold Mountain|10920|Cold Mountain|Charles Frazier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442416348l/10920._SY75_.jpg|1006369] - easily recommended to readers that enjoyed it as well.
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Favorite Quote: I’ve heard people say that they liked to watch the world come awake. But the world is always awake; sunlight just makes it seeable.
First Sentence: There was much talk that spring of a Cherokee girl who was able to invoke curses on anyone passing her threshold.
allycoolj's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite authors of all time is Ray Bradbury, the way he can just capture you with his words. Silas House has the same exact knack of such rich, illustrative descriptions that it truly places you right there in the holler at God's Creek. This book had such an interesting approach, the prologue is written from Saul's perspective, and I sat here like, oh good, another book from a man's perspective about a woman coming to change his life, cue the eyeroll. Then the first chapter, and subsequently the twenty-nine after that, are all written from Vine's perspective, Saul's wife. She marries Saul and moves away from her people, the Cherokee, to a town of white people, and she faces many trials and tribulations. She is forced to face big questions, like "why does evil happen" and "am I a bad person?" You are so drawn into the book and then, it just ends. She leaves to see her people once again, to find forgiveness. Then the epilogue is once again in Saul's perspective, a perfect bookend. I couldn't get enough of this book, it was so indulgent to read.
susanatwestofmars's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this. I should have loved this; the setting alone is total catnip. The writing is strong and evocative.
So why didn't I love it? In fact, why am I solidly MEH about it, and why did it take me so long to read, and why would I find myself scrolling on my phone instead of reading?
Well, obviously, it didn't grab me the way I wanted/expected it to. I wanted to be transported, but somehow, I really struggled to make the emotional connection to the characters. And for you fellow grammar nerds, no, the poor grammar of the characters didn't bother me or detract. It was very authentic and well done.
It's just... I don't know. Is it how flat Vine was about her situation? Yeah. I think that's it. I missed the emotional reaction to things. Vine is even, steady, detached from her own emotions. And that's the problem. She didn't *feel* things and experience the highs and lows of life. I didn't feel her motherly love, anything about leaving her family or any emotion whatsoever when her family had to leave their homes, her horror at what Aaron did to Aidia, her shame and all the other complex emotions after Aaron did what Aaron was going to do, and we knew Aaron was going to be doing it; it was only a matter of time.
That's definitely it. Vine herself was flat, and she was our narrator. I need more emotion from my narrators in a first-person narrative about a tale of her own life. She went through stuff. We should have been along for the ride, not watching through the window.
So why didn't I love it? In fact, why am I solidly MEH about it, and why did it take me so long to read, and why would I find myself scrolling on my phone instead of reading?
Well, obviously, it didn't grab me the way I wanted/expected it to. I wanted to be transported, but somehow, I really struggled to make the emotional connection to the characters. And for you fellow grammar nerds, no, the poor grammar of the characters didn't bother me or detract. It was very authentic and well done.
It's just... I don't know. Is it how flat Vine was about her situation? Yeah. I think that's it. I missed the emotional reaction to things. Vine is even, steady, detached from her own emotions. And that's the problem. She didn't *feel* things and experience the highs and lows of life. I didn't feel her motherly love, anything about leaving her family or any emotion whatsoever when her family had to leave their homes, her horror at what Aaron did to Aidia, her shame and all the other complex emotions after Aaron did what Aaron was going to do, and we knew Aaron was going to be doing it; it was only a matter of time.
That's definitely it. Vine herself was flat, and she was our narrator. I need more emotion from my narrators in a first-person narrative about a tale of her own life. She went through stuff. We should have been along for the ride, not watching through the window.
guinness74's review against another edition
5.0
Silas House is a genuine storyteller. His words roll across the page like the creeks they describe and the people he writes are family. My kin have lived in Kentucky for generations upon generations and House captures them vividly even though their names are different. If you wish to get a feel for the people of the mountains, you could do considerably worse than reading Silas House’s novels.
tschmitty's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the Appalachian setting and the descriptive writing. The author did a great job at characterization for the most part. Nice quick read.