“I reckon there’s a plan for everybody. Don’t go putting words into God’s mouth—they’re bound to be the wrong ones.”
One of the reasons I love reading historical fiction is that I get to learn more about different slices of history while enjoying a fictional story. This book is a great example. Sarah Loudin Thomas tells the tragic story about the digging of the Hawks Nest Tunnel in West Virginia, while simultaneously sharing a tale about three seemingly incongruous characters whose lives converge in that area.
Beautifully written and wonderfully thought-provoking, Thomas’s story is filled with colorful, carefully-crafted, realistic characters. As I came to know these characters, my opinion of them changed as their backgrounds and experiences emerged. Sully, Jeremiah, and Gainey are all multi-layered, and I enjoyed meeting them and going along with them on their journey.
“Other people’s expectations can make you do all sorts of things against your better judgment.”
I’ve enjoyed all of this author’s books. She is a master at tucking deep meaning into what may seem at first a simple tale. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy thought-provoking historical fiction.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishing. All opinions are my own.
BackCover Blurb:
It's one thing to say you can find what people need--it's another to actually do it.
It's 1932 and Sullivan Harris is on the run. An occasionally successful dowser, he promised the people of Kline, West Virginia, that he would find them water. But when wells turned up dry, he disappeared with their cash just a step or two ahead of Jeremiah Weber, who was elected to run him down.
Postmistress Gainey Floyd is suspicious of Sulley's abilities when he appears in her town but reconsiders after new wells fill with sweet water. Rather, it's Sulley who grows uneasy when his success makes folks wonder if he can find more than water--like forgotten items or missing people. He lights out to escape such expectations and runs smack into something worse.
Hundreds of men have found jobs digging the Hawks Nest Tunnel--but what they thought was a blessing is killing them. And no one seems to care. Here, Sulley finds something new--a desire to help. With it, he becomes an unexpected catalyst, bringing Jeremiah and Gainey together to find what even he has forgotten: hope.
Wow, this sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing the review, Winnie.
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