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rgyger's review against another edition
5.0
The last time I read this, I was in middle school in Michigan, reading novels meant for much older readers. Now, I'm finally the target audience and am reading the 50th anniversary edition in a city mentioned on the Cutter Gap map. How times have changed!
One of the most upsetting things for me as a child reader was that there had never been a sequel to Christy. I'm even more heartbroken about that now that I have read this over and fallen in love once again with the setting and the characters who are both familiar and yet foreign. Living in the Smoky Mountains of Appalachia has given me a new appreciation for Christy's many jaunts into the forest and her desire to stay even when her family would wish her home.
Something I was unable to fully grasp in my childhood was the faith journey that Christy embarked upon. Now that I have passed the age she was in the narrative, I have found the questions she grappled with to be just as important and thought provoking as she did. What does it mean to love thy neighbor? Especially when that person is someone who you feel lives in a world of ignorance and hate. Do you have to like them still? And what is the best way to live and preach the gospel when you know your neighbors are engaged in illegal and dangerous acts?
Christy was a courageous woman, one that many of us can only hope to be like, as she dove not only into a culture alien to her, but also into deeps of faith she had never dared tread. While there are portions of this new edition that could have used updating, such as where there are two people speaking in one paragraph without much distinction between the two, there is a wealth of storytelling that stands on its own as a classic that will remain for generations to come.
I am glad to have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book through Litfuse.
One of the most upsetting things for me as a child reader was that there had never been a sequel to Christy. I'm even more heartbroken about that now that I have read this over and fallen in love once again with the setting and the characters who are both familiar and yet foreign. Living in the Smoky Mountains of Appalachia has given me a new appreciation for Christy's many jaunts into the forest and her desire to stay even when her family would wish her home.
Something I was unable to fully grasp in my childhood was the faith journey that Christy embarked upon. Now that I have passed the age she was in the narrative, I have found the questions she grappled with to be just as important and thought provoking as she did. What does it mean to love thy neighbor? Especially when that person is someone who you feel lives in a world of ignorance and hate. Do you have to like them still? And what is the best way to live and preach the gospel when you know your neighbors are engaged in illegal and dangerous acts?
Christy was a courageous woman, one that many of us can only hope to be like, as she dove not only into a culture alien to her, but also into deeps of faith she had never dared tread. While there are portions of this new edition that could have used updating, such as where there are two people speaking in one paragraph without much distinction between the two, there is a wealth of storytelling that stands on its own as a classic that will remain for generations to come.
I am glad to have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book through Litfuse.
dnfcrapbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
farmfreshlisa's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book as a teenager. One of my first experiences with Christian fiction. The story enraptured me as I was taken to a "holler" in The Great Smoky Mountains. The setting so unique. The characters so alive. The plot was simply--life!
It has been at least 15 years since I last read the book--having moved to the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains and to a small town surrounded by hollers in that period of time.
Having had the experience interacting with modern day "holler" people, added another depth to this book in my re-reading. So do reading it as a married woman with two young children this go.
But this book is still incredible. Still moved to frustration, agony, and tears by the words. The message of faith still loud and clear--and yes, as an older Christian even more potent. And The ending still turns my eyes into a river.
It's a story for the ages.
If you haven't read it yet--do it. Whether you are male or female--the story will love for you.
It has been at least 15 years since I last read the book--having moved to the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains and to a small town surrounded by hollers in that period of time.
Having had the experience interacting with modern day "holler" people, added another depth to this book in my re-reading. So do reading it as a married woman with two young children this go.
But this book is still incredible. Still moved to frustration, agony, and tears by the words. The message of faith still loud and clear--and yes, as an older Christian even more potent. And The ending still turns my eyes into a river.
It's a story for the ages.
If you haven't read it yet--do it. Whether you are male or female--the story will love for you.
what_ella_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot.I would reccommend it to those who like realistic historical fictio
littlelady_28's review against another edition
2.0
This is such a "nice" book that I hate to give it a bad review, but I just didn't like it. A city girl from North Carolina moves to a poor, small mountain community to be a teacher. There she learns to adjust to the culture difference, battles a bootlegging scheme (which never seems to be fully resolved), and fights off a typhoid epidemic. Along the way she also apparently falls in love with the minister, which is just stupid because there was absolutely no development of their relationship. He just randomly proposed and then she decided that he was the one for her, despite refusing to give a yes or a no to his marriage proposal. And speaking of random, the backstory of Alice and her illegimate child marrying the doctor felt contrived and out of place for me. The typhoid aspect of the plot seemed to fit, but having Christy catch it in the last few pages of the book and waking up to realize that she and the doctor loved each other made it seem like Marshall was ready to end the book so she just did. Maybe I'm too much of a romantic, but I wanted to see the relationships between the characters, especially the lovers, seem more genuine and in depth. I was able to finish this book, which is why it warranted two stars, but I definitely felt relief when it was over. I give it a D+.
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
3.0
It was good to read this old-fashioned story again. Christy is a young woman in 1912 who wants to make a difference in the lives of others, so she finds herself teaching in a tiny school in rural Cutter Gap, Tennessee. She grows to love the people of Cutter Gap and also find the love of her life.
brinysea's review against another edition
5.0
I have loved this book ever since I was about 9 or 10.
emilyplewallen's review against another edition
5.0
SO GOOD!! This is a book that stands the test of time. It’s a definite must read.
hishandmaiden's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0