Reviews

This is one of those books that when you finish the last page, you get a chill down your spine. It was an incredible story about the lengths one woman and her husband would go to to have a child, and to try and cover up the secrets of the past, much like their beloved farm would soon be covered by water.

I'm not going to summarize this book as it's been done here already, but I definitely, definitely recommend it. Mr. Rash has a way of telling this story that makes you feel like your right there in the Appalachia's. And the ending, when the Deputy is out on the lake, looking down into the crystal clear water, I felt like I myself was seeing everything he saw...and I was just as creeped out as he was by it.

You can't help but love a book that stirs up so many different feelings when reading it, and that's just what this one does. I've put Mr. Rash's second novel 'Saints at the River' on my wish list, and won't let it sit there nearly as long as this book did. I'm just so glad I finally read this.

kcrouth's review against another edition

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3.0

This is the debut novel for Ron Rash, whose writing i have come to appreciate. This is a story of family secrets which lead up to a tragic event, the details of which become what may be the final family secret, perhaps never to be revealed. The story is told from the viewpoint of the four major characters, each adding their own perspective and motives to the tale. This story gives insight into personal issues surrounding small town Appalachia preceding the impending flooding of land and town by the Duke Power dam which created Lake Jocassee.

creativerunnings's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition

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5.0

Set in upstate South Carolina, Rash’s debut novel is as harsh and haunting as the landscape he writes about. The town troublemaker disappears and Sheriff Will Alexander knows in his bones that the man has been murdered but he can’t even find the body. Exploring ties to family, community, and the land, Rash’s book is perfectly atmospheric and relevant to me as a southern Appalachian woman with roots in the area going back many generations.

hannahellen's review against another edition

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5.0

Outstandingly beautiful use of language. A true southern gothic complete with a scorching summer, class issues such as poverty, gentrification, and displacement, a mysterious granny-woman, drought and horses named Sam, a murder, and a few big secrets.

Gave me a whole new appreciation for the mountains of Upstate South Carolina where I grew up. Very cool to read about places I intimately know.

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