MY REVIEW:
Still House Pond is an intriguing story about life in rural Kentucky during the late nineteenth century. The narrative depicts the lives of the Gray family, their friends and neighbors, particularly Lilly, her mother Copper, and their hired girl Manda.
The author captures Lilly in all her innocence, grit, and determination. Copper’s life as a wife, mother, and midwife/nurse to the community is described with an eye to detail that illuminates both the performance of her role and the emotions she experienced. And Manda. Well her love for women’s magazines, fashion, and love stories leads her on a quest for an exciting romance that brings about unexpected results and not a little disillusionment. The expressions and exploits of Lilly and her younger brother and sisters were true-to-life and made me laugh more than once.
Still House Pond is full of life, humor, love, some suspense, and plenty of unexpected twists and turns. To say much more would probably take away from the reader’s enjoyment so I will just say “If you love charming, life-like historical novels, you really need to pick up a copy of Still House Pond.
This book was provided for review by Tyndale House Publishers.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Experience Southern Charm in 1890s Kentucky
Lilly Gray Corbett loves living on Troublesome Creek, but she would much rather play with her best friend than watch her little brother and the twins. When Aunt Alice sends a note inviting her to a visit in the city, Lilly is excited to go.
Lilly’s mother, Copper, isn’t quite ready to let her young daughter travel all the way to Lexington by herself, but she reluctantly agrees to let Lilly go. When news that Lilly’s train has crashed reaches her parents, they rush to find out if their daughter is injured—or even alive.
Read the first chapter of Still House Pond here.
Learn more about Jan Watson and her books on her website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jan Watson won the 2004 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest for her first novel, Troublesome Creek. Her other awards include a nomination for the Kentucky Literary Award in 2006 and second place in the 2006 Inspirational Readers Choice Contest sponsored by the Faith, Hope, and Love Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Willow Springs and Torrent Falls are the sequels to Troublesome Creek. Jan was a registered nurse for 25 years at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. She incorporated her nursing experience in the hospital’s mother/baby unit into her novels. Jan resides in Kentucky.
