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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
No
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an intense book. Liked the narrator & how it was written
Fabulous. A co-worker fell across this when looking for something to listen to, and she passed the recommend on to me. If you've ever talked about what it would be like to be in the "moonshine" business this story is going to give you the deep, dark secrets around it. From car chases in the middle of the night, feuding families and the high cost of family in the business. I thoroughly enjoyed this listen, and have half a mind to go get the book and read it too. It's just that good. I loved the characters, the grief, the coming of age and the struggle Jessie Sasser has throughout the story. Set in the 60's this story is rich and full of imagery that you can fully imagine.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Eating disorder, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
The writing, setting, and time period were interesting. But this book contained so much pain.
I find myself loving historical fiction more and more and this book did not disappoint! Set in North Carolina in 1959-1961 you meet Jessie Sasser she’s sixteen and she struggles with the fact that her family runs an illicit moonshining business. Never able to overcome the fact she witnessed her mother’s horrific death, her mother was burned alive by one of the moonshine stills exploding. Her father refuses to even acknowledge or talk about her mother’s death. She feels alone and isolated. Knowing that her family’s business is the only way that her family is able to eat, she struggles when she hears her father say that moonshining runs in their blood. Dealing with an eating disorder and being bullied she finds a friendly face in the school nurse. With thoughts of possibly turning against her family which turns her world upside and bring harsh consequences, and soon old rivalry’s arise which lead to grudges. She finds herself growing up and finding a place where she belongs. I loved this story it had so many layers and the author did an amazing job writing and bring characters alive! Four stars!
This was an interesting book. I think any book about a moonshining family is going to be compelling just because, hello! it's moonshine. I'm not sure why, but when I think of moonshine, I don't think of the 1960's. Moonshining seems to be such a old, backwoods type of thing that I can hardly picture it actively happening in relatively recent history. This story takes place in the mountain regions of NC, and follows Jesse, the titular moonshiner's daughter. She is very much against her family's business, largely due to her mother's traumatic death, which occurred while making shine. I found Jesse a very hard person to connect with. She is suffering from an eating disorder and spends most of the book being a grumpy teenager. The addition to the eating disorder, while interesting, was a little superfluous. I don't know if the story needed that added tension, but I'm not the author, so not my choice.
I did enjoy this book, but I didn't love it. And I think it's because I struggled to connect with the characters, but I did really love the historical aspect of the story.
I did enjoy this book, but I didn't love it. And I think it's because I struggled to connect with the characters, but I did really love the historical aspect of the story.
emotional
sad
medium-paced