The Word Dancer

I haven’t teared up so much while reading a book. This is such a touching story about a woman who puts her affluent past behind her to teach deaf children in a rural mountain town. Some of the townspeople ridicule her for trying to help. When you meet Davey, you understand why she perseveres. And Sam is the perfect romantic interest. Maribelle’s perspective and voice seem accurate for this time period and setting.

I'm so glad that I picked this book up.
I couldn't put this book down because I was enjoying it so much!
A few things made me smile, laugh and cry too. Just have a box of tissues nearby.
I had a feeling about Pastor Jeremy from the get go. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing ugh. I didn't like him at all! Very sneaky and not so nice.
All of these wonderful characters and especially Sam made me feel like I had a big family in this close knit family.
Sam was my favorite character. Poor man! He's good, kind and what a man!
Maribell was certainly a brave young lady. It took guts to do what she did.
Changes are hard for sure and certain.
People have ti be willing to accept these changes but some don't.
I think God puts people in places where He needs them or us to be so they can better serve Him.
It's very hard to wait I know. But it has to be in His timing not ours.
Maribell's mother made smile at times but I loved what came next! Hehehe
But anyways I loved loved this story and the cover too.
5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Review
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

The word dancer.
Southern fiction.

[Arc]
Releasing September 19th 2023.

I've read books, By this author before. And each book gets better and better.. This story is one of my favorite Kinda books.
A appalachian Story.

It all began in 1968,
When a girl did what her folks told her to to do. well they were supposed to. Time sure was different in the sixties.

Maribelle Saunders.

Is 26 years old and ready to move on with her life. Help those who need it most. Sign language teaching the young to be able to communicate with family, friends, and Have a life Because bing death. Doesn't mean you can't do anything you want. A teacher who is willing to be there for those in need.

Moving to the smoky mountains, Was a big move for Maribelle Saunders, But finding that special place in life. Was more than she was looking for. She found things she
Wasn't expecting. Being the new school teacher was a big job.

This was truly a wonderful story.
Some of the characters you just wanted to smack.
Other you just wanted to hug.

Stephanie Edwards ❤️ ❤️

The Word Dancer is well written. Good plot, setting and character development. I recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review

Really had a lot of different stories and somehow people i Tennessee They all pulled together in town to help each other out. MARB Elo E come, To the small town the helped D e a f children to help Send read and write. She's also gonna teach them sign when what she really continued to communicate with everybody else. Language so they can learn to communicate with people.. It's also a love story between her and S a m. She came from a very wealthy backgrounashvill Her sister HELENO. Was Dea f And her family had money so she could do things in life.. In rural areas, they do not have this type of help. It's many interesting things about this book. How people had all this talent. And they didn't really know how to show it. Sarah was really interesting to because she had a Dea m son.. You're in the Inn, lady. Had interesting stories about her life, too. When parents came around eventually accepted her life Up in the M o u n t I n e. She wanted this life away from the other life. She had because she Was born with that life. The book says it all because it talks about really interesting things and how life was changing.

Stephanie Edwards shares a bit of history and Southern culture in her book The Word Dancer. In 1968, Maribelle Saunders is ready to teach sign language to the children in the Smokey Mountains. She is full of ideas, purpose, and inspiration, and is unwavering in her determination. From Nashville, she arrives in Sassafras Hollow with her stylish heels and hopes to make a difference in the lives of hearing-impaired children. She meets opposition in the form of unexpected living conditions, an obstinate father of a hearing-impaired child, and a preacher who seems to believe Maribelle should be with him. Maribelle desires nothing more than to give communication skills to the children in the community and catch the eye of the local mechanic, Sam.

Stephanie Edwards has succeeded in delivering a historical romance with touches of suspense and drama. The reader feels Maribelle’s disappointments and celebrates her accomplishments as the people in the area embrace her and understand her talents. Just when you think everything is resolve and a happy ending is in sight, Edwards throws another bloody twist into the story.
Upon reviewing some of her interviews, Edwards mentions her relationship with a hearing-impaired relative, giving her story a more credible and personal feel. Maribelle’s tenacity is admirable and the description hints at true events that led to the formation of the story. Word Dancer is a fantastic selection for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a beautiful love story and suspenseful moments.

I read The Word Dancer by Stephanie Edwards. I enjoyed the book. The characters in the book were well developed and the emotions were developed along with the characters. It was a nice storyline and I enjoyed the setting of the book. Family and friendship were themes throughout this beautifully crafted story. I rated the book 4 out of 5.

Appalachia is a scary place to begin with so I was all in with this story being a mystery romance novel. The characters were everything that I wanted from the description. The plot worked overall and had that suspenseful feel that I wanted. I enjoyed the way Stephanie Edwards writes and can't wait for more.

Loving the location and setting of this strong and touching story. It is such a wonderful book to read and I sat down and read it in one sitting as I just didn't want to stop reading. I love that Maribelle left her comfortable life to teach deaf children and the story of her struggles and the possibility of love just gave this story such a sense of trueness you could almost feel you knew the characters.

I'm really not sure what else to say but read it, live it, laugh and cry throughout it as it is that kind of book. I do hope I get the chance to read more books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.