September 21, 2017

If The Creek Don't Rise


"More than words on a page." ~ 73%

Dear authors, book covers and blurbs matter! Let me tell you why. While picking up a library hold, I took a few minutes to browse the New Releases/Hits section. A title caught my eye: If the Creek Don't Rise. The cover features a little girl barefoot sitting on the grass next to an open, rusted car door. Or maybe it's an old pickup truck. Regardless, it caught my eye. What sealed the deal was a blurb on the front cover by Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything. She calls it "an impressive debut from a talent to watch." Nuff said! I checked it out of the library.

Later that evening, I picked it up to read the synopsis and first chapter. Fast forward a few hours and I was more than halfway done. The avid reader dilemma kicked in: do I pull an all-nighter to finish the book or take my ass to bed and continue reading tomorrow? I compromised by reading two more chapters then went to sleep.

This story takes place in the 1970s in a small town where gossip is the norm and ere'body knows ere'body else's business. Judgmental church folk, a preacher tempted by lust, a jealous sister, a sweet naive girl married to an abuser, an ornery old lady and a good-hearted town matriarch make up the cast of characters. The author allows each character to tell their truth. It is up to us whom we favor or suck our teeth at. Add moonshine, dead-end futures and buried secrets...this debut is layers and layers of drama in Appalachia. Bookhearts, you know I do not care for books with multiple points of view, especially all in first person. But this story couldn't be told otherwise. In just one month, this book has 750+ ratings with an average of 4-stars. Well I am adding another positive review.

If the Creek Don't Rise is a mason jar of homemade sweet tea with a slice of lemon on the rim. Drink it all up and enjoy every sip of this southern comfort.

Title: If the Creek Don't Rise
Author: Leah Weiss
Published: August 2017
Pages: 320
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

No comments:

Post a Comment