Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Albion - Hoag Library | 34411001405264 | BLESSING | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
PRAISE FOR THE WHISPERING OF THE WILLOWS
Best book I have read in a while. Didn't want it to end. Great and different story line. - Christine
This is a fantastic book that had me examining my own personal spiritual journey. Kudos to the author for writing such a heartfelt, inspiring work. - Verified Amazon Reader
I absolutely loved the characters and the story. Their faith in God helped them through the trials they faced. The story is engrossing and very believable. Hope this book is a winner for the author. - Verified Purchaser
The Whispering of the Willows is an inspiring story full of twists and turns, freedom and redemption, the expected and unexpected. This book brings to light the struggles of young woman past and present. God's goodness and provision flow from each page. --Linda Bottoms, Rocky Mountain Ministry Network Women's Ministries Director
A 1920s' saga of Emerald Ashby coming of age. Set against the superstitions and old time religion in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, author Tonya Jewel Blessing tells a difficult, yet redemptive story of a blossoming young woman who is accompanied by her friends and her foes on a journey towards hope and healing.
Love weaves through gut-wrenching circumstances and dismal poverty where Emerald Ashby grows strong despite grievous wrongs committed against her. In this desperate historical setting, mysterious disappearances lead to traps set for the innocent.
Eighth grade Emie is about to learn some hard lessons when a disturbed young man is thrust into her life by her abusive father and enabling mother. Now, when key individuals begin carving out a rescue plan, Emerald Ashby sets a few of her own traps. It's a page turner. In this ailing town. What will be their measure of success?
Cleverly suspenseful and sweetly spoken, the storyteller's unassuming voice transforms an Appalachian trail of tears into holy terror against an evil that stalks the innocent. In The Whispering of the Willows, an Appalachian marriage practice might be compared to the modern sex trade which exploits young females.If you like the emotive movie, Nell, or the writing of Chris Fabry's Dogwood, (a Lifetime movie) you will love The Whispering of the Willows.
LCSH: Teenage girls--Abuse of--Fiction. - Rape victims--Fiction. - Abusive men--Fiction. - Poverty--Appalachian Region--Fiction. - Appalachian Region--History--20th century--Fiction. - Historical fiction. - Bildungsromans.
Reviews (1)
Kirkus Review
Following a life of poverty and abuse, a young Appalachian woman strives to gain independence, strength, and hope to overcome the wrongs committed against her in this debut novel. Emerald "Emie" Ashby grew up in the Appalachian Mountain area of West Virginia in the 1920s. Now 14, Emie loves to visit her Auntie Ada ("Ada was a love pick aunt.' She wasn't related by blood, but by heart. Since Emie was little, Auntie had been her confidant. She had no fear of willow switches, growling tummies, or shushing"). Desperate to make money and gain help on their farm, Emie's parents trade her into marriagea common practice of the time. While attempting to navigate her coming-of-agea pivotal point in any girl's lifeEmie is burdened by abuse at the hand of her father (who wields willow switches), as well as the man she is supposed to marry. But her beloved brother Ernest is determined to help her, making trouble for his treacherous sibling Lester and their tyrannical father. Along with Emie's besieged mother, Alma, and a sympathetic doctor, superstition and religious faith are characters in their own right, as these concepts are often catalysts for action. Blessing thoroughly captures Appalachian life: from the language and dialogue of her characters to their day-to-day activities that reflect a narrow view of the world. She presents her players' strong belief systems as forces that give them strength and guidance, which aligns with the novel's setting and tone. This tone is consistent throughout and allows readers to become well acquainted with Blessing's landscape. The sprawling story focuses on the minutiae of daily Appalachian life, which serves a purpose to a point, but gradually turns to tedium as readers anticipate a climax. When a major conflict occurs more than halfway through the narrative, the author offers disproportionately simple resolutions that are difficult to accept as realistic. The matter-of-fact approachwhile fitting for the characters' way of lifepresents readers with information too easily, allowing them to skip the imaginative steps typically sought when reading fiction. The story's religious undertoneswhile historically and geographically authenticseem to extend beyond the pages, potentially reflecting more than just the players' beliefs, becoming forced as the tale progresses. A fictional account of 1920s Appalachia that provides insight into the culture, but lacks dynamic pacing and a convincing plot. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.