Reviews

She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb

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thebiblioboo's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

billymac1962's review

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3.0

Another good read by an excellent writer. I didn't quite enjoy it as much as the previous one, but I'd still recommend it for the writing alone.

If there's one word that describes this book almost entirely, it is unmemorable. I finished this book last night, and I'm already struggling to remember all the characters that Sharyn jammed into this novel. There were several characters that didn't even need to be included- starting with college professor Jeremy. Rita's son Buck was another that didn't even need mentioning. This book felt all over the place. It seemed like McCrumb was attempting to take 5 or so different lives and weave them all together in the end. It didn't work as seamlessly as she would have liked, I'm sorry to say. Some of the characters described didn't even end up meeting at all. It all sort of came together around 2/3 of the way through the novel, but by then I really wasn't interested in it anymore. Also, let's touch on the fact that this book is incorrectly marketed. It was sold as a paranormal, creepy, atmospheric ghost story. It was none of these things. Yes, the story of Katie Wyler is mentioned numerous times, but she only actually shows up 2-3 times, briefly, in the entire story. Nora Bonesteel, who's billed as this psychic lady who helps catch Harm, does nothing to aid in his capture. Martha, the deputy who is supposed to be stalking him, only does so casually towards the end of the novel. It makes me wonder if the person who wrote the blurb on the back even read this thing- and I think the answer is no. Speaking of Martha, slight content warning for misogyny and inequality- both in the workplace and in relationships. Normally, this stuff doesn't make me mad- but here, it did. Martha didn't speak up for herself in her workplace or her relationship with LeDonne. He cheated on her and she did NOTHING about it. Sabrina's husband beat her up and she didn't press charges. Now, I know this book came out in 1995 and this is Tennessee, but it still makes me angry.
The conclusion of this book was also unsatisfactory. It briefly tied up loose ends, but I really wanted more. The only character in this book that made it entertaining was Hank the Yank. I know McCrumb was trying to create an atmosphere here, but I just wasn't feeling it. I won't be reading anymore of her novels.

pillywiggin's review

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5.0

This story is a deft combination of historical fiction in the guise of the story of Katie Wyler, and modern police procedural depicting a manhunt for a murderer who has escaped from jail after 30 years. It also includes the story of a doctoral candidate in history who is hiking through the Tennessee mountains as part of his research into the story of Katie Wyler. The different threads of the tale all come together at the climax, where characters from the different stories meet in the mountains. The mystery is not difficult to figure out, but the story is beautifully told.

pjgal22's review

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5.0

I love Sharyn McCrumb's mysteries, and this is a favorite.

socorrobaptista's review

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4.0

Uma narrativa com vários pontos de vista, que lida com folclore, história oral, aventura, crime e mistério. Fascinante!!

#ReadingWomenChallenge2019

katland's review

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medium-paced

4.0

It can be a challenge to follow the many stories happening at first but hang in there because you see the ties coming together as the story progresses. And it’s worth the patience. Always a fan of this amazing author.

tabithar's review

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4.0

Another that I read around 2006 and enjoyed enough that I still remember that the tale fit together intricately. These early Ballad books felt less historical and more fiction and were very unique and enjoyable.