Book Reviews

pianolady831

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pianolady831

I always enjoy books by Beverly Lewis. While THE STONE WALL was very good, it wasn't as fast moving as others I've read and I got a little frustrated at Anna when it came to her romantic interest in a co-worker. Still very good overall.

REVIEW: Beverly Lewis may write Amish fiction, but her stories are always satisfying and relevant. The Stone Wall moves at a gentle pace without much drama, but there was a lot to capture my interest. The characters are well developed and I got to know them well. Through Anna's job as an Amish tour guide, the Lancaster area comes alive.

It was interesting to see three faith systems within the Amish framework - Mennonite, Old Order, and Beachy. We see the differences in their various beliefs and also the pressures to marry within one's particular faith. Grace vs. good works are contrasted, and I love it when Amish characters begin to understand God's grace.

There's a little bit of a love triangle that never really gets off the ground, because the guy never actually pursues Anna although she thinks she wants him to. Gabe's business of using horses as therapy for special-needs children made the story especially meaningful. And Emmie, Gabe's daughter, will steal your heart.

pianolady831

I’ve been drawn to stories set in Appalachia from the time I read Catherine Marshall’s “Christy” for the first time. While I don’t think any book could reach the heights of “Christy,” Suzanne Woods Fisher has written an incredibly moving story in “The Moonlight School” and it goes on my favorites list.

“The Moonlight School” is factual, as it tells the story of Cora Wilson Stewart – the first female Superintendent of Education, who was “never happier than when facing an insurmountable challenge.” And that challenge was teaching Kentucky’s illiterate mountain people to read.

Fisher surrounds Cora with appealing fictional characters – Lucy (cousin), Wyatt (singing schoolmaster), Finley James and Angie Cooper (students). I gained new insights about the mountain people – their pride and determination, why the mountains are important to them, their superstitions, traditions, how they relied on each other for survival and entertainment, and most delightful of all, their love for mountain music. Scenes from shape-note singing lessons and spontaneous clogging were images I could relate to. Even the dialect is spot on, because I remember some of my north Georgia relatives speaking this way when I was growing up. One example is this humorous conversation between Finley and Lucy…

“Don’t suppose ya know why we call places hollers and not valleys.”
“I have no idea.”
“Cuz ya can holler across and still the heered. Cain’t do that in a valley.”

Fisher has a distinctive voice and I would have recognized her writing had her name not been on the cover. Rich historic detail is sprinkled with gentle humor, romance, and spiritual themes that speak to all of us, such as discovering one’s calling and purpose in life. There’s something so powerful in the way Brother Wyatt divided “Almighty” into two words – All Mighty, as in “mighty over all.”

I’ll admit to never having given a lot of thought to illiteracy and what it truly means. These words of Cora’s are eye-opening: “Try to picture what life is like for one who must get all his information by ear. If a man cannot read or write or vote, he cannot speak. He is mute. He is forgotten. You might think it’s a pity they cannot read, but the real tragedy is they cannot speak.”

About six months ago, I moved to east Tennessee’s Appalachian area and did a little hiking on the Appalachian Trail for the first time. This quote from Wyatt really speaks to me: “Nature is God’s voice. Every sunrise and sunset is a word from the All Mighty, a reminder that he is with us. Every flower and tree, river and lake, mountain and sunset, ‘tis God speaking.”

Very highly recommended.

connierandel

I really enjoyed the book, as well. You also do such a beautiful job writing reviews. They are totally out of my comfort zone!

pianolady831

Thank you, Connie, but it's not really in my comfort zone either! When I was doing a review blog and tours, I always had to be thinking about my reaction and what I wanted to say. Now that I can relax when I read, I only review books that I greatly enjoy and keep them pretty short. Fisher's book was kind of special, though.