Reviews

The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart

lcowser83's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

iowameadows's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

3.5

joan_anne's review against another edition

3.0

**Goodreads and Kensington Publishing Giveaway** I was happy to receive this book and get into the story set in the depression era South. I wish there were less details about Swallow Hill and the atrocities occurring there and more about the development of relationship between Del and Rae Lynn. Those pieces would’ve made this a 5⭐️ book.

steph1101's review against another edition

3.0

Mixed feelings about this one. I liked the history behind the turpentine farms and why North Carolina is called the tarheel state. You can tell it’s well researched. However the story itself lacked. The characters actions were very predictable. It was so dark in the beginning and just wrapped up prettily with a nice bow on top, too perfectly. The story itself got boring and drug on. I really wanted to like It, especially being compared to the four winds meets where the crawdads sing. But i couldn’t love It.

jansbookcorner's review against another edition

3.0

I'm struggling with a review on this book. There was a lot I liked about it. Ms Everhart has a great way with prose. Her descriptions of scenes puts the reader right there. The downside for me is that I never had a true connection to the characters plus I found the romance part to be predictable. Overall a good story worth the read.

floridababe51's review against another edition

5.0

Excellent story of the depression era in the South. Great characters that really put you into the story.

bookish_withsky's review against another edition

3.0

Let me say this: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was nervous that it would be disgusting and very racist at first. Don’t get me wrong - it is. But not in the way where it seems as if the author is as well. She wrote the behavior of some people that was accurate for the time and called out the horrible behavior. It was fun, it was heart wrenching how people were treated, and it was interesting. The characters felt a little one dimensional and the pacing was maybe a little off. I can definitely say one character deserved so much more than she got. But I still enjoyed it and am interested in reading more from this author.

mtzbookworm64's review against another edition

5.0

Alternating chapters tell the lives of Rae Lynn Cobb and Delwood Reese - who will eventually both end up at Swallow Hill - a turpentine camp in Georgia.

A young Rae Lynn is married to an older man, Warren, and lives in North Carolina where they run a very small turpentine operation. Warren rescues her from an orphanage and takes her as his wife and makes her work along him. An unfortunate accident leaves Rae Lynn to choice but to run away and hide a secret from the only place she could call home.

Delwood is also on the run from his mistakes at a farm he worked at. He chased everything in a skirt and was caught with the bosses wife.

Can the two leave their demons behind and make it at Swallow Hill? Or will Swallow Hill be the end for both of them?

saguilar429's review against another edition

4.0

Good story my only qualm was how long it took to get to the meat 

cpriley401's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0