I enjoyed reading this story. It allowed the reader to step back in time to a place long forgotten by the rest of the “civilized” world. Many of the readers from other Countries, and even from other bigger cities across the US, will find the way of life depicted in this story shocking and possibly even disgusting. As a Southerner from a small, very rural town, I recognize that although this book is fiction, it is all too close to the truth for 1970's Appalachia.

The hill people of Baines Creek, NC in the Appalachian Mountains were very poorly educated, many of them had no education to speak of. They spoke a different dialect, lived in abject poverty, and their lives were surrounded by folklore and superstition. It was a place to tread cautiously if you were an outsider.

Some of the characters you will hate and despise, others you will want to pour out your heart (and purse) to. You will root for the “good” characters who keep the glimmer of hope alive in a place where little to no hope exists.

Given the hardships they endure, the strength of the community surprises you when they come together to help neighbors through hard times – despite the mostly seclusive life they usually live.

The story is told from the point of view of 10 different characters. The characters are very realistic and your minds eye can actually “see” the places and people described. You can feel the thin mountain air, so thin it hurts to breathe. You can feel the cold dampness of the homes, often little more than wooden structures that do little to hold out the weather. I could even see the purple, pink, or green smoke coming from Birdie Rocas' pipe. The color of the smoke changed depending on what herb she was smoking that day.

Sadie Blue is the main character of the story but Birdie Rocas is a very strong and powerful 2nd character. The crow that has spent 20 years nesting on top of her head, in her hair, gives credence to her character.

Everyone else doing review will write about Sadie Blue and her ill fated marriage to no-account, wife beater, Roy Tupkin. I feel sorry for Sadie. I root for Sadie because she's such a sweet young girl who has had such a hard life and she deserves so much more. My heart lifted at the end of the story because it shows Sadie has overcome a huge obstacle in her life and has chosen to change her life for the better.

I find myself drawn more to the character of Birdie Rocas. Perhaps because she is portrayed as a loner, feared by many, but she does have her place on this mountain, and in this story. She is a strong, independent woman of the hills. Through the eyes of the new teacher, Kate Shaw, the astute reader comes to realize that Birdie Rocas is a healer. She uses natural plants and herbs as taught to her in her childhood by an old Cherokee Indian. Her heeling is also steeped in mountain folklore, strange ancient practices, and superstition.

I would love to see these characters in future books by this author. Perhaps the author will create a a series of “Appalachian” hill people where the lives of these characters play out.

Awesome story and characters. Interesting information on Appalachia. A whkle undercurrent of social beings. Unfortunately it ended too abruptly..

This is a debut book that is an awesome read, I could not put it down! The story takes place in the backwoods of Appalachia country. Many characters enter throughout this storyline, some you will like and some you will not. With the introduction of each new person, you get the story from a different perspective and it all starts to fall into place very nicely. The main character, Sadie Blue, who is seventeen, has nowhere to turn. She is of little education, poor and has no one to take care of her. Sadie has made some bad decisions in her life and loses hope until a "stranger" moves into town. The story of hard times and the struggles of life can be a bit of a tear jerker but with people on your side and some inner strength there is always hope. This is definitely an endearing story that is well worth the read, I recommend!

Excellent writing!
The storyline rings true about Appalachiaica in North Carolina and how hard life is for everyone, but especially the women.
I hated when the book ended!