Review ~ IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE by Leah Weiss

IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE

Standalone

Leah Weiss

BLURB

He’s gonna be sorry he ever messed with me and Loretta Lynn

Sadie Blue has been a wife for fifteen days. That’s long enough to know she should have never hitched herself to Roy Tupkin, even with the baby.

Sadie is desperate to make her own mark on the world, but in remote Appalachia, a ticket out of town is hard to come by, and hope often gets stomped out.  When a stranger sweeps into Baines Creek and knocks things off kilter, Sadie finds herself with an unexpected lifeline…if she can just figure out how to use it.

This intimate insight into a fiercely proud, tenacious community unfolds through the voices of the forgotten folks of Baines Creek. With a colorful cast of characters that each contribute a new perspective, IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE is a debut novel bursting with heart, honesty, and homegrown grit.

★★★

*4.5 Stars*

If The Creek Don’t Rise is a unique novel whose structure feels light and breezy and veers drastically from the standard formula found in fiction. But despite its gentle execution, this story delivers some of the heaviest of punches and invites the reader to step outside of the book for a spell

I felt as though I was sitting in a quiet, dimly-lit kitchen, having tea and biscuits with an old southern friend who comforts and enlightens me with her bottomless wisdom.

It’s a small town, and everyone has a voice. Which is why this story is told through varying perspectives. Each chapter presents a new character’s point of view that basically continues where the last left off.

I felt as though I was just sweeping through their battered town, getting to know everyone and learning their most intimate secrets before heading quietly back home.

They speak of their poverty, their pain, their violence. They show us all of it. We hear from the men who abuse and the wives too afraid to stand up to them; The children being granted a second rate education, and the new teacher in town determined to liberate them from their stubborn ways.

And just when you begin to judge and label the lot of them as weak and dimwitted, the strong ones rise up and silence you with their astute understanding of life and perseverance that’ll put all your fancy book smarts to shame.

They’ll show you that their actual life experience trumps your knowledge of their living conditions, and spark a fire of hope for their dot-on-the-map community.

Although a bit more story from certain characters would have been nice, there is more than enough substance given here. And that brilliant ending – a sucker punch with a wink of southern hospitality, and how could I not love it!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Book Stats:
▪  Genre/Category: Historical Fiction (1970’s)
▪  Graphic scenes: Moderate descriptions of abuse
▪  Characters: Well-fleshed out and honest
▪  Plot: Surrounds a small, poverty-stricken town struggling to overcome
▪ Writing: Wonderful. Gave the feeling of holding conversations with town’s people
▪ POV: Varying perspectives – over a half dozen
▪  Cliffhanger: None

*Advanced copy kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Author: Kristin (KC)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.