The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart

☆☆☆☆☆
.ePUB, 326 pages
Expected Publication: 25 Jan 2022
By: Kensington Books

About The Book:
In the dense pine forests of North Carolina, turpentiners labor, hacking into tree trunks to draw out the sticky sap that gives the Tar Heel State its nickname, and hauling the resin to stills to be refined. Among them is Rae Lynn Cobb and her husband, Warren, who run a small turpentine farm together. Though the work is hard and often dangerous, Rae Lynn, who spent her childhood in an orphanage, is thankful for it—and for her kind if careless husband. When Warren falls victim to his own negligence, Rae Lynn undertakes a desperate act of mercy. To keep herself from jail, she disguises herself as a man named "Ray" and heads to the only place she can think of that might offer anonymity—a turpentine camp in Georgia named Swallow Hill. Swallow Hill is no easy haven. The camp is isolated and squalid, and commissary owner Otis Riddle takes out his frustrations on his browbeaten wife, Cornelia. Although Rae Lynn works tirelessly, she becomes a target for Crow, the ever-watchful woods rider who checks each laborer’s tally. Delwood Reese, who’s come to Swallow Hill hoping for his own redemption, offers “Ray” a small measure of protection, and is determined to improve their conditions. As Rae Lynn forges a deeper friendship with both Del and Cornelia, she begins to envision a path out of the camp. But she will have to come to terms with her past, with all its pain and beauty, before she can open herself to a new life and seize the chance to begin again.

My Review:

I love me some southern historical fiction and Donna Everhart knows how to write it best. I loved and gave five stars to both The Forgiving Kind and The Moonshiner's Daughter. Ms. Everhart did not disappoint with her newest novel, words like compelling and engaging come to mind when describing this one. The characters were drawn sympathetically and I cared about what happened to most of them. It was in no way mawkish and difficult issues weren't avoided. 

Donna Everhart has written an eye opening book in beautiful prose. I savoured every page. Her characters are believable and memorable. I felt so much while reading this and by the reality of the story and the beauty in which it was told. I am humbled by this beautiful story and the author herself. All. The. Stars.

Disclosure:
With many thanks to NetGalley, Donna Everhart and Kensington Books for the giving of the ARC.

#SaintsofSwallowHill #NetGalley