Where was the setting of the last book that you read? I am intrigued by the Appalachian mountain setting in this book.
In 1969, an old woman Dora Minor, awakens to a
terrible flood. Clinging to her dogs and
riding out the storm, Dora thinks back over her life. She was born a Quaker in that very house on a
mountain in Virginia. Her grandmother, Alma, raised her after her mother’s death
from childbirth and her father’s mysterious death. What secrets will the flood waters reveal?
My thoughts on this novel:
· This was a beautifully written novel. It created a visual picture in my mind to describe the mountain and its inhabitants.
· It was a great story with well-developed interesting characters and an intriguing and unique storyline.
· This story was set in the post-Civil War era primarily with some flash forwards to 1969.
· This novel showed the social unrest that happened after the Civil War as people were trying to come up with the new normal. A tragic event occurs in the novel and sadly the detailed notes at the end describe how it was based on a true story.
· Dora’s father Tom taught a school with a formerly enslaved woman, Ginny, for black children. There was a need for education and unfortunately the townspeople would not provide it.
· I keep thinking about this book and the trying times after the Civil War. It took so much work and time for formerly enslaved people to really receive the full rights of citizens.
· The flood in 1969 was devastating and based on a real event.
· I had some maternal ancestors that were Quakers and lived in the Appalachian mountains so this was extra intriguing to me imagining what their lives were like.
· I loved the friendships in the novel and how they stuck together through good and bad times.
· Sometimes doing what is right is dangerous. True freedom was built on the sacrifice of many.
Favorite Quote:
“She’s read what St. Thomas of Aquinas had said about sin; the greatest
was turning a blind eye those who most needed help.”
Overall, What the Trees Remember by Abigail Cutter was
a beautifully written southern historical fiction novel that truly captured the
story of social unrest after the Civil War.
I will be thinking about this story for a long time.
Book Source:
Thank-you to Get Red PR, Abigail Cutter, and She Writes Press for a
review copy of the novel as part of the book tour.
