Sugar Fork - Book Review

Author:  Walt Larimore

Publisher: Howard Books

About the Book:

This captivating story takes place in the Sugar Fork Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains wilderness during 1925–1926. Nate Randolph and his five unique daughters wrestle to survive after the death of Callie (his wife and their mother) as well as to maintain their farm, forests, family, and faith against an evil lumber company manager seeking to clear-cut their virgin woodland.

A cast of delightful characters, including gypsy siblings, Cherokee Indians, a granny midwife, a world-famous writer, and even a flesh-and-blood Haint, join our heroine, sixteen-year-old Abbie Randolph, in her life-and-death struggle. Abbie falls in love for the first time, helps run the farm, and mothers her independent sisters while battling to preserve her faith when senseless murders threaten to destroy her family and way of life.

Will the Randolph family survive intact? Will the farm be saved? Only a miracle could make it happen.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. It really opened my eyes to life in the Smokey Mountains in 1925. The story showed the people in the mountains weren't ignorant, backwards, or simple at all. Abbie has been through the mill even before this story hits. Her three younger brothers died while babies and her mother died last year. Then her father and fiance is killed. As she's only 16, her aunt and uncle come out and decide that her and her sisters will go to an orphanage.

There happens to be a law that says if she gets her drivers license, she'll be considered an adult; so, she gets her license. She's able to keep her sisters on the farm. I hope you'll pick this book up either for yourself or as a gift.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Howard Books for the opportunity to review Sugar Fork. I received a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of  facilitating this review.