ONCE A PERSON LEAVES THE MOUNTAIN, THEY NEVER COME BACK, NOT REALLY. THEY’RE LOST FOREVER.Nellie Clay married Hobbs Pritchard without even noticing he was a spell conjured into a man, a walking, talking ghost story. But her mama knew. She saw it in her tea leaves: death. Folks told Nellie to get off the mountain while she could, to go back home before it was too late. Hobbs wasn’t nothing but trouble. He’d even killed a man. No telling what else. That mountain was haunted, and soon enough, Nellie would feel it too. One way or another, Hobbs would get what was coming to him. The ghosts would see to that. . . .
Told in the stunning voices of five women whose lives are inextricably bound when a murder takes place in rural Depression-era North Carolina, Ann Hite’s unforgettable debut spans generations and conjures the best of Southern folk-lore—mystery, spirits, hoodoo, and the incomparable beauty of the Appalachian landscape.
My take on this book:
"Ghost On Black Mountain," is the haunting story of one man and the voices of the women connected to him.
Nellie Pritchard's mama always told her there weren't ghosts, but Nellie learns different when she moves to Black Mountain after marrying a man her mama warned her against. Nellie was seventeen and Hobbs was twenty-five when he sauntered into the soup kitchen line where Nellie was volunteering. Her mama begged her not to marry him because he was a bad man, rumor was he had even killed, but he was the first man to pay any attention to Nellie and she fell in love with him. After a quick courtship they marry and he moves her to Black Mountain. She quickly realizes that life with Hobbs isn't what she thought it would be. Many on the mountain, living and dead, warn her about her husband!
This is one of those stories that pulled me in and had me hanging on every word. I loved the voice of Nellie Pritchard and it was so easy to see why she was pulled in by Hobbs, he was the first man to pay any attention to her. I found the thought that she had when she met Jack,"had I seen him first,things might have turned out different when it came to marrying Hobbs," really reflected that she married in haste.The differences between Jack and Hobbs were like night and day. While each woman has a distinct voice my favorite parts of the book were told in the voice of Nellie. One of my favorite secondary characters had to be Sally, the girl who came to help Nellie.
I love a good ghost story,and add that to the romance, intrigue, mystery and Appalachian setting,and it became a story that I couldn't put down. If your looking for a book filled with characters that will grab you and keep you thinking about them long after you read the final page then this book is certainly for you.
Loved your review! I really liked the book also.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to get to this this weekend - thanks for sharing your review!
ReplyDeleteShelleyrae @ Book'd Out
This sounds good! I love books that feature characters that come alive, and it seems as though that is true here.
ReplyDeleteoh wow, this sounds so good!! i might have to add it to my to read list!!
ReplyDeletei love your new fall layout!!! :)