“There always is hope.”
From the depths of despair to repentance, taught by a sweet Downs Syndrome girl, who showed love and innocence. Joshua and Raney have lost their daughter Anna to reckless, horsemen sent by Ima Barton, owner of the coal mine. Joshua blames Thomas, son of the evil Ima.
With realistic characters, this author has penned a wonderful, if somewhat stark tale of life in Appalachia. “That’s what we do on the mountain. Live, face hardships, and live again.” These are tough people.
What started out as revenge turns to repentance as Joshua has compassion for Aughtie, a slow child who has lost all. ”I suppose God gifted these little ones with a special love.”
I appreciated the honesty of Joshua as he struggled to grow spiritually and his prayers were heartfelt. I liked the grit and determination of Raney and Cleta Mae as they supported their husbands in their endeavors to break the hold that Ima and her gang had over the destitute miners.
There were a few sticking points for me. The author did not seem to differentiate between a rifle and a shotgun, mixing the two more than once. There were several others as well. Although they detracted a bit from the story, It was not enough to dock stars.
*I won a copy of this title from Best Reads. All opinions are mine alone.* 5 stars and a solid faith thread
BackCover Blurb:
Believing the bitter lies you tell yourself leaves little room for the sweetness of truth
Coal miner Joshua Morgan managed to do the impossible--he broke away from the stranglehold of the iron-fisted Barton family and the Company Store, to whom all the miners in the Appalachian Mountains are indebted. But it cost him the life of his young daughter, who was run down by a posse led by Thomas Barton while coming to collect Joshua's payment to the store.
Five years later, a sweet but slow-witted young girl lands on his doorstep, and Joshua’s desire to protect her from the clutches of the Bartons increases his thirst for vengeance. Joshua sets out to discover where the girl came from in order to take down the Barton family once and for all.
His journey leads him to the truth about the day his daughter died, a reality he finds hard to accept. But when confronted by Thomas Barton himself, Joshua is forced to rethink the dark lies brewing in his heart. If he broke away, could Thomas have also? Despite his misgivings, can Joshua join forces with a man he once despised to free the miners from the tyrannical Barton family and forge a future of peace for both the young girl and himself?
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