Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the border between North and South Carolina, Julie’s narrative gives us a raw, brutal and sometimes gut-wrenching description of Appalachian life at the turn of the century. It’s a story of a quickly decided marriage and a move based on nothing but the two lover’s need to strike out on their own. The grueling challenges they face become the measure of their personalities. Julie, ever the optimist, seems to thrive on the hardness of her existence, while Hank, morose and sullen, sinks into despair. The author describes in rich detail how the land influences their lives every step of the way, finally driving them to return to the mountain to start over. Some of the unending paragraphs of description and inner thoughts become an excuse to skim, and at times the plot seems an endless account of daily life. Even when the sister visited, I expected more drama, but none developed. The flood scene and Julie’s trial of delivering her own baby are crisis moments but the book never has a major crescendo moment. I did enjoy how Robert Morgan showed the force religion played in the lives of the mountain people and the fact that through all the young couple’s struggles, they stayed together and seemed to grow closer, changing to meet one another’s needs. Don’t read this book for a thrilling, unable-to-put-down read, but instead read it for a lesson on tenacity and determination. Believe me you won’t ever complain again how hard your life seems.

I was so taken away with this book. I LOVED the protagonist Julie. She was so tough, so physically and mentally strong, and so devoted to her life. I loved watching her learn and grow. And even though it was hard to read about parts of her marriage, I appreciated how young she was and what she was willing to do to survive in the time that she was born. It ends abruptly, but considering the kind of book that it was, I don't think the author had any intention of a neat and tidy conclusion.

I loved this book, the imagery was amazing. The newlyweds and their progression through life working a farm under the watchful eye of the owner who is elderly. The flood was frightening and saving the animals was so important and yet they lost so much. The relationships between the characters was good, the old man was interesting and his death made me cry. Julie worked like a dog, even being pregnant. They learned and lived and loved and then lost so much that they needed to start over. This is a book that stays with you and you think about it for a long time. The end gave you hope and yet made you wonder why.

All the stars!