by Amanda Tero
Series: Librarians of Willow Hollow, Book 1
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: Amanda Tero
Release Date: July 28, 2020
Lena David is the daughter her mom never wanted. But she survived. Through stories. Because books didn't judge. Books weren't angry she was alive. Books never expected her to be anything but who she was.
As she grows up, her beloved library becomes her true home. So when the library is designated part of President Roosevelt's Packhorse Library Project, Lena is determined to get the job of bringing books to highlanders, believing she'll finally be free of her mom forever.
But earning the trust of highlanders is harder than she imagined, and her passion for books might not be enough to free her from her chains.
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I have been experiencing a lot of first time authors since I started this blog and all have been amazing including this young new author Amanda Tero. Definitely someone to watch out for in my opinion. As you step into this story you can immediately tell that the author has done her research on this topic and time period and she did an amazing job of it because you truly feel like you are in that time period experiencing all the hardship that Lena is.
The story takes place in the Kentucky Mountains during the Great Depression in the little town of Willow Hollow. Lena is the main character and we see her struggle with the simple fact that her mother has never wanted her. She's never known what familial love is and because of this she finds comfort in the books she reads and the characters she encounters in stories. She has been taught that problems in the home should stay in the home and are not to be shared with others so there is no one for her to talk to or confide in. She longs to have a job to get away from her life so when the opportunity arises for her to become a pack horse librarian she jumps at the chance.
This changes the course of her life and belief system. Even though she reads the Bible and attends church she doesn't truly grasp the meaning of it all until she meets Homer and Norah, a couple that live on the mountains. Homer teaches Lena what it means to forgive and let go of all the bitterness that stems from her mom.
Throughout the story you will definitely strongly dislike her mother, it is heartbreaking how she treats her but you will love all the other characters that present themselves to Lena throughout the story.
This is a very short read and definitely geared towards young adults. I would recommend this for teenagers 13 and up. Scriptures and the lesson of forgiveness is woven throughout the whole story, so I can see this being a family read-aloud and sparking some great conversations.
"Hope and praise must go hand-in-hand. As long as you worry, you will have a hard time keeping hold of hope."
My Rating: 4 stars/ Really Liked it
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.)
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Amanda is a music teacher by day and a literary guide by night, creating stories that whisk readers off to new eras and introduce them to heroic but flawed characters that live out their faith in astonishing ways. If you would like to know more about her books and subscribe to her newsletter visit her at: http://amandatero.com/
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