Author- Leah Weiss
Dark, unsettling, haunting ending
Dark, unsettling, haunting ending

I wanted to like this book, over a thousand people gave it 5 stars, I'm just not one of them.
1970, Appalachia, a young woman is knocked down by life and her no-redeeming-value husband. A cast of characters are presented, each with their own voice, some offer support to Sadie and the plot, others just become the landscape.
All of the characters, including the landscape characters, are fully developed. The author is skilled in using their voice appropriately for their education, gender, and location. But we don't learn what happens to half of the characters, they are worked into the early plot line, then don't reappear.
So have I sold you on reading this one? And yet I read until the end! An ending that is haunting, one that will stick with you. It does require patience to get there. It is also a book asking to be discussed-- even now, I want to talk about the characters, the writing, the plot. If anyone out there reads this book-- what happened to Eli and the teacher? Did a crow really bring back the necklace? Where was the editor for this book, absent? And Billy-- did he get what he deserved?
1970, Appalachia, a young woman is knocked down by life and her no-redeeming-value husband. A cast of characters are presented, each with their own voice, some offer support to Sadie and the plot, others just become the landscape.
All of the characters, including the landscape characters, are fully developed. The author is skilled in using their voice appropriately for their education, gender, and location. But we don't learn what happens to half of the characters, they are worked into the early plot line, then don't reappear.
So have I sold you on reading this one? And yet I read until the end! An ending that is haunting, one that will stick with you. It does require patience to get there. It is also a book asking to be discussed-- even now, I want to talk about the characters, the writing, the plot. If anyone out there reads this book-- what happened to Eli and the teacher? Did a crow really bring back the necklace? Where was the editor for this book, absent? And Billy-- did he get what he deserved?