berit08 's review for:

The Moonshiner's Daughter: A Southern Coming-Of-Age Saga of Family and Loyalty by Donna Everhart

4.0

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Donna Everhart has written a gritty and compelling southern fiction novel. Her clever and descriptive writing really brought this time and place to life. 1960 North Carolina Wilkes County an area known for its moonshine. 16-year-old Jesse has never felt as though she belongs. She does not fit in with her family, because she blames moonshine for the death of her mother. She also does not fit in with her classmates because she fears they see her as the moonshiner’s daughter. Jesse struggles with her self worth and battles with an eating disorder. This book got off to a bit of a slow start, but I think that was imperative because it really set the foundation for these characters. I felt so much for Jessie, although I didn’t always understand why she was so against moonshine. I mean I do understand it was illegal, I guess I just don’t really understand all the implications involved. I did some googling while reading this book and it seems as though this was the prime moonshine area of the country from about 19 20–19 60. I always love reading southern fiction, because the area seem so rich in history, history I really have very little knowledge of. So while the first half of this book was a bit slow, the second half was completely enthralling. The direction the story took completely surprise me, but I was really invested in the story and thrilled with the ending.

This book in emojis. ⛰