A review by emilyrjohns
Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains by Cassie Chambers

3.0

I was looking forward to reading this book, but I was left feeling a little disappointed. This story would have been more interesting if it had been written by her mother or grandmother. Their lives illustrate what it meant to be born and raised in Appalachia. Her parents were the ones that overcame great odds to achieve what they did. I would have loved to read more about her father’s side of the family as well. I appreciate that Chambers sought to bring light to the devastating poverty that these families face. I was very engaged in the first part of this book and I was interested in each family member. As it continued, however, I was ready for the book to be done. It felt like she wanted to put too much into one book. The hook is her family’s hard life and poverty. The last part of the book is about Chambers’ own accomplishments and work, and that is not nearly as interesting as her family’s life. That is why I can only give this book 3 stars.