Many of the endorsements for Hazel Creek said this novel was much the same as the infamous Christy novels and while I never read Christy, only saw the movie, I can say I add my agreement to theirs.
Set in the back hills, the story has all the intricacies of how the people thought, talked and lived their lives. Tension and drama crowd the pages, but what I loved most about the story is how I as a reader, got to taste and experience these characters lives. Their struggles and desires.
The novel is a bit of a tear-jerker and provoked some wild swings of emotion from me. From fear (what. a. villain) to anger (at what the lumber company was doing to the mountain people). It has just about a bit of everything for every reading taste.
I do think in that bit of everything for every reader some of the story elements got lost. More focus was given to the lumber company at the beginning and end of the book, but I felt we lost that in the middle.
There were times I got a bit lost in all the setting and description, and towards the end I hurried the story just a bit to finish, but it has that quality about it, a quality rich in character and their lives. Its a well-portrayed novel.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.
Set in the back hills, the story has all the intricacies of how the people thought, talked and lived their lives. Tension and drama crowd the pages, but what I loved most about the story is how I as a reader, got to taste and experience these characters lives. Their struggles and desires.
The novel is a bit of a tear-jerker and provoked some wild swings of emotion from me. From fear (what. a. villain) to anger (at what the lumber company was doing to the mountain people). It has just about a bit of everything for every reading taste.
I do think in that bit of everything for every reader some of the story elements got lost. More focus was given to the lumber company at the beginning and end of the book, but I felt we lost that in the middle.
There were times I got a bit lost in all the setting and description, and towards the end I hurried the story just a bit to finish, but it has that quality about it, a quality rich in character and their lives. Its a well-portrayed novel.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.
This book interested me because I have relatives from this area. Nate Randolph lives up in the mountains of North Carolina. He has acres of virgin wood that the lumber company would love to get their hands on. They will get it any way they can. Legally or not. Even if it means sneaking onto people's land and cutting down trees and dragging them off to be sold. Nate stand firm while trying to raise his girls to be wonderful upstanding people.
While reading this book I kept thinking it reminded me of someone that I knew. I finally put my finger on it. They reminded me of the Waltons Amy relatives.. Each family member is a unique person and celebrated for that and accepted. They squabble; they have differences and in the end love each other dearly. Family comes first and yet even the neighbors are like family.
While reading this book I kept thinking it reminded me of someone that I knew. I finally put my finger on it. They reminded me of the Waltons Amy relatives.. Each family member is a unique person and celebrated for that and accepted. They squabble; they have differences and in the end love each other dearly. Family comes first and yet even the neighbors are like family.
