The author is a very good writer but not a great story teller. The book ended and I was wanting way more. I thought the book was going to be about Sadie Blue and her life and this book was told by I think at least 5 different people and not all of it about Sadie Blue. It was so weird but good. The ending was awful and felt very rushed. I am still scratching my head on this book. I would absolutely would try to read another book from this author just to see if her other books are better.

If The Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss caught my eye when I went on a search for more Southern Fiction to fill an intense craving I feel deep down in my soul on a routine basis. The craving to hear the word y'all thrown into a sentence without irony. The need for women sitting around a table drinking sweet tea and gossiping over some semblance of comfort food. The deep urge for a setting where everyone in the town knows everyone else, and the words Bless Your Heart aren't necessarily a good thing. If the Creek Don't Rise is what happens when I'm in that kind-of mood...and I've just finished The Glass Castle. It's Southern Fiction...but not of the Ya-Ya Variety. It's more along the lines of Opal.

Sadie Blue is seventeen, pregnant, and newly married to Roy Tupkin. She's only been married for a few days, and he's already beaten her more than once. Her hero is Loretta Lynn...who managed to make something of herself despite growing up in a hard Appalachian holler just like Sadie. But what can she do except live with the hand she's been dealt?

Pastor Eli Perkins longs to help his congregation rise up from the squalor they've been born into. He lives a simple life with his perpetually nasty sister Prudence, and gets his yearly dose of intellect and vitality from the annual conference he attends in "the valley". But things might just change now that the new teacher he advertised for has turned out to be an unconventional woman whose mind rivals his own.

Kate Shaw is a teacher the likes of which Baines Creek has never seen. At 6'2", wearing trousers and a short men's haircut, she turns the town upside down without even trying. But this community opens up something in Kate that she thought she would never get back...a passion for life and teaching that she thought was long gone. But is that enough to keep her there, with dead animals arriving on her door and a posse of angry women breaking into her home in the hopes of shaming her over their fears of her possible immoral behavior?

I thought this book was great. It is marketed as a tale about Sadie, but in reality she bookends a story about Baines Creek and life in incredibly rural Appalachia. It is a novel about a town of secrets, and various stories. Most chapters are told from the viewpoint of a different character in the cast that is Baines Creek, with memories and remembrances that initially make it very hard to decipher what time the book is set in. When you finally hear a concrete date, it is very shocking...or at least it was to me. And it went a long way towards truly reinforcing just how money poor this area of the United States was (and some might say, still is).

For this being Leah Weiss's debut novel, I have to say what stood out most to me was her ability to write characters that are truly unlikable...especially Prudence's chapter. It really blew me out of the water! It can be very difficult to write a great baddie, but I was actually grinning from ear to ear reading that entire section. I had to explain to the kids why I was smiling like a goober!! To me it was just THAT good.

So, if you are a fan of good quality southern fiction, ensemble books with numerous viewpoints, books where the town is the main character, or books where the last sentence has you yelling "OH MY GOSH, I can't BELIEVE she ended it like THAT!?!? How DARE she!?!?!", put this book on your TBR list. And read it while drinking some apple pie moonshine...because why not?

Another title for this book might have been “If I Was A Fly On The Wall.” There are small towns all over North Carolina and this book might as well have set up shop right in the middle of one. There were a number of times that I found myself re-reading and doubling back on chapters because not only was there just so much packed into the story but the writing style is so perfect for this sort of story. Author Leah Weiss has her work cut out to top her debut novel. If she can write another even on par with this book, I would call her a success. Not only does she tie your emotions to this town, she makes it difficult not to feel every pain and sorrow her characters relate. You feel for these people even while their lives continue on. Each chapter gives you a new point of view and what they reveal, it is almost like sitting in their homes listening to their dark secrets. Some of the story lines we all know, we’ve seen it coming but like a train wreck there is nothing we can do but just watch it happen. And yet, sometimes Weiss surprised me and even though it wasn’t what I expected it, it wasn’t out of character. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about small towns and getting just a slice of that style of life.
*This ebook was provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for honest feedback*

In the hills of Applachia, there are towns that seem like they haven't aged and life is still primitive and this book explores one of those towns as a new teacher has come to town to teach the children and will maybe stir up things.

With only a few chapters and each chapter narrated by a different character and only a few chapters had repeats, it was an full view because you saw life through the pastor, a woman who was abused by her husband, her grandmother and her aunt and so on.

I lived in North Carolina in two parts for quite a few years and North Carolina has a special place in my heart because it is where I was first an adult and I am not naive to say that there are towns like this both in North Carolina and in many if not all other states in the United States, but this book just didn't work for me. It felt like a caricature of this lifestyle and just disingenuous. I was cringing a few times not because I didn't think it was true, it just didn't feel right. I feel like I am talking circles, but its hard to describe what I really didn't love about it, but I felt it through the whole book.

I would read another book by this author, only if it wasn't set in this area because it wasn't her writing her per say it was more her portrayal.

I expected to like this book more than I did. It started out well for me but I was left feeling dissatisfied and wishing there had been more to it. I appreciated reading the characters’ different perspectives of what was going on and understanding what had made them as they were - poverty, lack of opportunity, childhood neglect - everything I’d expect to learn about an isolated community in the Appalachian mountains, even as recently as 50 years ago. Apart from Sadie’s personal circumstances, though, little changes for them - the good remain good and the not-so-good don’t improve. The new teacher arriving in Baines Creek bringing a whiff of fresh, free thinking bodes well but her influence doesn’t extend far enough for my liking. I am thinking particularly of Prudence here - her character seems ripe for development, if not all-out redemption. I needed to know more - how do these people move into the 21st century without losing their sense of community? An enjoyable afternoon’s read, but fell a little flat for me.

4.5 stars

In this stunning debut by new novelist Leah Weiss readers are taken into the heart of a tiny backwoods town in Appalachia. At first glance the local characters are all half witted, backwards acting, inbred hillbillies. They're uncouth, they're filthy, they're uneducated, and they're just plain weird or mean. Yet upon further inspection readers will quickly realize each character truly does have his or her own confused and abnormal behavior, but also a deeper sense of personal struggle and a wiser head than initial appearances suggest.

If the Creek Don't Rise was a wonderful book which told a dark and gritty story. Several actually as it's really a combined tale told from each of the main character's perspectives. At the heart of all the stories is a young girl named Sadie Blue. Pregnant and married to a man who'd sooner beat his new bride than cherish her. Everybody sees what he does to her, but there is nothing anybody can do. Or is there?

It took me a while to get used to the unusual manner in which the characters spoke because it was less honed and not your every day, educated voice. There was a lot of uneducated sentence structuring and word choices used that were necessary to pull off the where and when this piece of writing was set. And eventually I did get used to the style and appreciated the book all the more for it.

This gripping story was not a fast paced read, though it was exceptionally engaging. I never tired of the characters or the storyline even when my reading progress seemed slim for the amount of time I'd been hunkered between the pages. I guess it's just one of those books that requires time to think and digest, to absorb all the idiosyncrasies and nuances of the lives being laid bare on the page before you. Oh, and the ending is perfection; I loved it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me this review opportunity.

It's the 1970s in Appalachia, specifically Baines Creek, and Sadie Blue is coming into young adulthood the hard way. At seventeen she is pregnant and married to a no good drunk. Through the local healer, Birdie, and the new teacher will Sadie be able to learn how to save herself?

I thoroughly enjoyed this new voice in fiction. Leah Weiss writes with a beauty of a culture that is misunderstood but one that we all could learn from if we opened our hearts and eyes. She writes with a first person voice from several characters point of view. The main character being Sadie Blue who you cheer on as she struggles. Weiss uses the Appalachian vernacular that without would not make the story as moving and powerful.

A part of me would like to see a sequel letting us know how Sadie Blue's fate plays out but at the same time I like the idea of the author leaving it up to my imagination.

I would recommend this book to any fan of fiction. If you like to read Silas House then you will like debut author, Leah Weiss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review in my own words.

If the creek don’t rise
“I’m tired, Daddy. Wore out. Roy Tupkin don’t just beat me, he beats me down. Let me rest a spell. I don’t know if I can lift my head just yet.”
IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE by LEAH WEISS is well written novel that pulls at your heart strings and keeps your attention from the very beginning.
Baines Creek is a town where town gossip is number one entertainment. until the day Kate Shaw, the out of town teacher that decides to start fresh in Baines creek. Kate made few friends upon arrival but also made an enemy(spiteful prudence perkins) . Kate immediately becomes engaged in the well beings of all residents of Baine creek esp Sadie blue.
Sadie Blue , 17 years old , pregnant and married for 15 days to Roy tupkin. A good for nothing drunk who beats on Sadie any chance he gets.
Sadie Blue is a huge fan of Loretta Lynn and thru her music she finds strength to carry on even though she can not read . she loves to look at anything that features Loretta lynn.
Throughout the book we get several persepctibes of the storyline leading up to a dramatic ending.
This book is highly recommended. Leigh Weiss is an author to watch out for . She is an author that I would glady read more from.

I got this book from Netgally for my honest feedback.

This book was powerful and packed a proverbial punch. Told in strings with multiple narrators sharing their perspectives made this novel well rounded and full. Baines Creek, North Carolina is a backwards town (is it even a town?) in Appalachia. We meet Sadie Blue- a frail, beautiful waith of a gal pregnant and getting slapped around by her deadbeat husband. Kate Shaw comes to town to attempt to teach the children of this town- brought in by Preacher Perkins. She shines on light on how poor this town and its inhabitants are and I came to love her the most.

Each chapter is narrated by a different character and I wasn't sure if that was going to continue throughout the novel, but we did get to hear again from some of the main characters. The characters are well developed and I think we can all identify some of these in our own towns. The writing is fluid and creates a language all of its own. This book has so many layers, I believe I will need to think some more on the hole this one created in my heart. The only reason I'm not giving a full 5 is for the ending. I felt like it just ended and I wanted SO MUCH MORE.

One the the best books I've read set in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina - and I've read a bunch of them. The title of the book caught my eye first - I can hear my Mom saying "If the Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise". The language of the mountains was well researched and it comes through the characters dialect sounding authentic. Loved the character Sadie Blue and was rooting for her throughout the book. I also really liked the character Birdie - with the crow on her head. However, most of the characters in this book are unforgettable. Roy was about as mean as they come. I liked the way that some of the characters were portrayed with strength, pride, and generosity. And, true to life, there are characters who know nothing but abuse and neglect and some who are just mean. The writing was so good that it's hard to believe this is a debut novel. Definitely 5 stars!

Thanks so much to Leah Weiss and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it! 4.5 stars for this excellent debut. Leah Weiss has written an exceptionally good novel about strong women enduring the poverty of life in the North Carolina Appalachians. This is mostly the story of Sadie Blue - 17, pregnant, newly married to worthless, abusive Roy Tupkin. She is surrounded by women who have all had to find their way - her grandmother, and other friends and family. The local preacher also does his best to help everyone, including bringing in a new teacher for the children. Their stories are brought out bit by bit, as the viewpoint of each chapter shifts from one character to another. This is just a really good story, the dialogue is pitch perfect, and the details of their way is fascinating, if tragic at times. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read an ARC! Highly recommend.

This story sucked me in from the first words, and I couldn't look away. I love the view that the many narrators give into the complexity of a place often simplified into nothing more than sterotypes. Having grown up in Appalachia, with areas that from the stories of family not that different from Baines Creek, the voices in this story rang true. I can't wait to read more from Leah Weiss.

*4.5 stars*

It's the 1970's, but for a Appalachian North Carolina town, not much has changed. The residents still struggle in extreme poverty, with little prospects of a healthy, thriving future. We get vignettes from many of the residents, but the story revolves around young Sadie Blue, beaten and pregnant, stuck in a new (and very unhappy) marriage. Sadie Blue can't read more than a handful of sight words, but she has her love for Loretta Lynn and encouragement from both the preacher Eli and the new teacher, brought in from Asheville. She also has Birdie, a "witch" with an extensive knowledge of herbs and plants in the areas.

I was reminded of Lee Smith's novels as I read "If The Creek Don't Rise." Like Smith, Leah Weiss infuses her characters with quiet dignity as they struggle to survive. But they also aren't one-dimensional caricatures. We get snippets of pettiness in the form of the preacher's black-hearted sister, and snapshots of pure evil from Roy.

While the novel was slow going for me at first, once I reached the section with Eli's section, I was hooked. Each chapter brought a new perspective of what it felt like to live in the mountains, to survive on ginseng roots and moonshine to get by, or to travel farther away to the dangerous coal mining towns.

I particularly liked the ending! Wow! No spoilers though.

All in all, I was very impressed by this debut novel. I think Leah Weiss' novels will definitely be ones to look out for in the future.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC*

I think I have found my favorite book for the year in this debut novel by Leah Weiss. If you enjoyed Olive Kitteridge, you will find much to love in this collection of stories about the people of the isolated hill community of Baines Creek, NC in the year 1970.

I was attracted to this book at first by its title which comes of course from the old superstition about making plans: "If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise." Sort of like touching wood. Even though I'm from the midwest and not Appalachia, I often heard that saying growing up. But it didn't sink in apparently. When my husband and I moved to Illinois, we bought a home with a creek meandering some 200 feet behind it. How quaint, we thought...how picturesque! But it's not so quaint and picturesque when heavy rains turn it into a raging river that floods your home!

In the book, there are truly remarkable characters who tell their own stories in vignettes: Sadie Blue, the pregnant teenager who marries in haste and regrets it every day thereafter; her hard and unforgiving grandmother, Gladys Hicks; her aunt Marris Jones, who does her best to look out for both her sister and niece; Eli Perkins, the minister of a small flock of parishioners; Prudence Perkins, Eli's bitter spinster sister; Kate Shaw, teacher and newcomer to the remote community; Tattler Swan, twelve-year-old boy; Birdie Rocas, eccentric old healer with a crow for a friend; Billy Barnhill, toady to a bully; and finally Roy Tupkin; the man who vents his frustrations in life by beating his pregnant wife, poor Sadie Blue.

Sadie is the center pin of this group of stories, as Olive Kitteridge was in Elizabeth Strout's book. She's certainly in a fix but is strong willed and determined to do something with her "one special life." My favorite quote from Sadie was about her abusive husband after he smashed her little radio: "He's going to be sorry he ever messed with me and Loretta Lynn." The singer inspired her because she'd had a hard life too but had managed to rise above it.

Another interesting, inspiring character is the school teacher, Kate Shaw. She had been let go from her position at an all girls' academy where she taught the classics. Apparently she also talked to them about feminist ideals, telling them her favorite Margaret Sanger quote: "No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her own body." When she backed her beliefs up by helping a student in trouble, the school was forced to let her go.

Now at fifty-one, Kate has made a huge change in her life by accepting a position to teach in this remote Appalachian town. "Baines Creek is barely a crossroads, a dot on a map. It's remote, embraced by natural beauty, and riddled with hardships." At the last census, there were 41 children between the ages of six and seventeen and she'll be working in a one-room schoolhouse--about as different as one can imagine from her former position. Will she even be able to understand their dialect?

Eli Perkins is from a long line of ministers, all named Eli. He loves to tell jokes with his sermons and thinks he knows his flock well. It's been hard keeping teachers in the remote community so this time he's sought out someone older and more settled who will stay--and hopes he's found that person in Kate Shaw. Will she also be his friend?

His spinster sister Prudence is another interesting character. She has a lot of grievances that she holds close to her heart and is a bit of a spider in a web, manipulating circumstances.

Her grandmother once told her that 'Eli' means 'Defender of Men' and that her father and grandfather defend all men. "Even being four, I wondered who defended us girls. I was too shy back then to ask. Now I know--it's nobody."

Prudence sleeps under a crazy quilt made by her mother: "She holds me together with her tiny stitches." That's my favorite quote from this book; so touching!

Of course, evil resides in that small, remote community. Moonshine is made and sold--and don't you dare trespass if you value your life! A girl goes missing and no one investigates. A wife is beaten and no one steps in. But there's love, sharing and support too.

I was sorry to see this story end but the conclusion was very satisfying, showing some of that pioneering independence for which these hill people are so famous. :)

Included in the book is an interesting interview with Leah Weiss in which she shares that the book Olive Kitteridge, with its unique short story structure, did indeed influence her writing of this story.

A hearty thank you to Leah Weiss for making her debut book available for readers on NetGalley! She has incredible talent and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future. Thank you also to her publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity as well.

This was a heart breaking story and at times hard to read as contains spouse abuse, but the book was really well written and pulls you into the story. At times I found the "accent" annoying with the american twang, or drawl but I am British so had to at times reread a line or two.

I would recommend this if you want a deep heartfelt novel.

Its hard to believe this is Leah Weiss debut novel. I loved the voices of the Southern women, especially Sadie and the teacher, Kate. I would like to read more about them. I hope there maybe some more tales of Baines Creek from Ms. Weiss.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

It was an interesting book....the voices reminded me a bit of Gap Creek, by Robert Morgan. I suppose that's because they're set in similar locations. The author did a fantastic job on setting, voice, and making you feel like you're right there. There are a few narrators who switch back and forth to give both the background and the action in the story. For me, the plot itself was just an okay story; but I think credit is deserved for creating memorable characters and setting.

4 stars
This book takes place in the Appalachian mountains of N. Carolina in 1970. Life is hard for people in these mountain villages. Domestic violence is a generational thing and opens the first chapter, with Roy Tupkin beating his wife, Sadie Blue. Chapter 2 is about Sadie's grandmother, Gladys Hicks, now a widow. There are flashbacks to when her husband Walter used to beat her up. These 2 chapters upset me with the generational domestic violence. But the story improves as the characters develop. There are descriptions of mountain ways of healing and kindness.
The book is organized into chapters based on individual characters and narrated in the first person by that character.
Some other characters:
Eli Perkins--a preacher and a kind, gentle man
Prudence Perkins--Eli's sister, never married and a mean spirited woman who lives to hurt people
Kate Shaw--a new teacher from the valley and considered an outsider
Two quotes:
Gladys:"Times like these I wonder if I ever been happy. From the start there's been a film of dingy on my days."
Eli: "I first heard about a murder of crows at the seminary."
My wife frequently says "If the creek don't rise.." Her grandmother grew up in the Appalachians and I suspect my wife picked the phrase from her grandmother. So I decided to request this book from NetGalley. I liked the ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book.

A debut novel that gives readers, a glimpse into the life of the townspeople in a small town in the mountains. Different sides of the same story, told from the POV of several characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and although I loved how it ended, I would have liked to have read more. I will be looking out for more from this author.