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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this book, and it didn't hurt that it was based in my home state of North Carolina. Many are comparing it with Where the Crawdads Sing, but I don't see it. I mean, yes, both set in NC, both young girls dealing with tragedy and coming of age through struggle. But the two stories themselves weave very different storylines and characters. This one, I felt, got a little away from her. A little too much in terms of the horrible life was after she moved. We had to revisit the same scene repeatedly. Still, it kept my attention, and the story as a whole came together nicely. I only wished we had less of all the middle stuff, and a better explanation of how it all came together for her as a adult. 4-stars
North Carolina—The Last Carolina Girl. This is another one I really loved, but it is definitely a tear jerker especially at the beginning! Leah is a 14 year old who is being raised by her lumberjack father as her mother died in childbirth. She lives a peaceful, very simple life with him in the caretakers cabin of a wealthier family. At the beginning of the book a tragic accident takes her fathers life and she is sent to live with a family of strangers. Set in the 1930s in Matthews, NC at the time when the state was also practicing eugenics, this is a novel about resilience, determination, and refusing to forget who one is and what they want in life. I loved Leah and found myself rooting for her the entire story.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5 stars. I found this book to be quietly heartbreaking but such a beautiful story all at once.
It’s a perfect example of why I love southern fiction so much. There is always hope.
It’s a perfect example of why I love southern fiction so much. There is always hope.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
I really loved the beginning of this book. Everything about it, her dad, Jesse, the setting, her house… it was all so charming and special. But after she moved it just all went downhill. I didn’t love where the story went and the writing seemed to be a bit scattered and like the book didn’t even know what direction to go in. Disappointing, especially because the beginning was so great.
3.5 rounded up. I don't read a lot of stories about state eugenics and the laws and boards enacted for them. There's little I know about this dark history. I like stories that shine a light on ugly parts of history because it helps us learn from it and, hopefully, keep us from repeating it.
Leah was a very sad character. Left alone with her father for years, they live in a small shack on the grounds of the home he helps maintain. Leah goes to school and has friends and, while life is still a struggle, she loves her home and her father and the family they tend land for. But after a tragedy, Leah is sent away to another home, one not as accepting or loving as her first one.
This story had many shocking parts. It's a fast read, maybe a little short, but it definitely packed a punch. I never quite knew where the story was going so each twist was a new shock for me. I loved the notes at the end from the author with statistics and the sad information that we learned nothing and are still forcing this on many. So glad I gave this one a try, I really liked this one!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Leah was a very sad character. Left alone with her father for years, they live in a small shack on the grounds of the home he helps maintain. Leah goes to school and has friends and, while life is still a struggle, she loves her home and her father and the family they tend land for. But after a tragedy, Leah is sent away to another home, one not as accepting or loving as her first one.
This story had many shocking parts. It's a fast read, maybe a little short, but it definitely packed a punch. I never quite knew where the story was going so each twist was a new shock for me. I loved the notes at the end from the author with statistics and the sad information that we learned nothing and are still forcing this on many. So glad I gave this one a try, I really liked this one!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
I devoured this book & it got me out of my reading slump. Heartbreaking story about Leah, and you just keep waiting for something good to happen for her. I was afraid this was going to be too much like Where the Crawdads Sing at first, but once you get into it, it’s not at all. It kind of gave me Cinderella vibes. I really enjoyed this story.
Where do I begin. This book was perfect. I wanted more! Southern historical fiction, beautiful storytelling. Such a remarkable book.
For Leah Payne, life is simple: she goes to school and she enjoys her time at home with her father. A lumberjack by trade, when her father is killed in an accident, she is uprooted from everything she knows. Just fourteen years old, she is forced to live with a foster family, The Griffins. The lady of the house, Mrs. Griffin, is cold, mean and demanding. While serving as the family’s helpmate, she is introduced to a doctor studying eugenics. What happens next is truly horrifying and evil.
I picked up this book because I had seen it compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, which I loved. Though quite different, it still had the same type of imagery, of nature and enjoying the little things in life. My heart broke for Leah as she tried to navigate a life away from all she knew, with someone who hated her just for existing. In a historical aspect, I had no idea that there was such a eugenics movement in the United States. It was disgusting and frightening to read Leah’s story, and even more so to learn part of it was based on true events. The author provided a note at the end, explaining her inspiration for writing this book. It’s not an easy story to read, but it’s important that it be told. This one will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to Netgalley, Meagan Church and Sourcebooks for the ARC! “The Last Carolina Girl” will be released March 7.
This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.
I picked up this book because I had seen it compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, which I loved. Though quite different, it still had the same type of imagery, of nature and enjoying the little things in life. My heart broke for Leah as she tried to navigate a life away from all she knew, with someone who hated her just for existing. In a historical aspect, I had no idea that there was such a eugenics movement in the United States. It was disgusting and frightening to read Leah’s story, and even more so to learn part of it was based on true events. The author provided a note at the end, explaining her inspiration for writing this book. It’s not an easy story to read, but it’s important that it be told. This one will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to Netgalley, Meagan Church and Sourcebooks for the ARC! “The Last Carolina Girl” will be released March 7.
This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.