Mrs. Wensley is a proper preacher's wife living in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1931. Life has always been hard in coal country but it became even more difficult after the Great Crash of 1929. Is it blasphemy that Adella questions her life in the largest home with 100 miles in any direction, her difficulty becoming pregnant after 8 years of marriage, and her role as the preacher's wife? Is it wrong that she disagrees with him in how to respond to the homeless folks passing through?
While she ministered to the women of the county tirelessly and she felt as though she were failing. Something did not feel right to Adella.
"That afternoon, I came up the last shaded rise of the old road with that loaf of bread tucked under my arm, and I rounded the bend, and there before me was home - the only place that had ever felt like home to me, even after I'd settled with my eminent husband in the finest house in the whole danged valley. My parents' place could scarcely be called a house at all." - October in the Earth
Adella was visiting her family's shack when her brother pulled up; pale and shaken. Miners were in the midst of strikes after the mining companies had slashed wages due to the economy. Violence was breaking out, men killed during a shooting related to a mining company.
"A couple of fellas pulled up in a truck that was all painted with the sign of the Evarts company". "They jumped out of the cab" Benjamin went on, "hollering and wringing their hands about a full-on war." - October in the Earth
Benjamin drove Adella back to her home so that she could share the news with her husband and they could minister to the local families involved.
As the plans to help defuse the situation were made, Adella found herself questioning the responses. Internally questioning what should and shouldn't be done - what is a sin and what isn't. Adella finds her husband in the midst of what is clearly a sin and yet she cannot openly address it. She cannot bring herself to question things aloud.
"It's the baby. My thoughts tripped over one another, tangling themselves. No baby. I haven't given him a family. No wonder he's losing interest." - October in the Earth
Adella visits the Granny Woman, as her mom has advised. The Granny Woman who can help women with their health problems. But it wasn't fertility help that Adella finds during that visit. She finds a woman willing to speak truth aloud. The shocking truth.
In her desperation, she prepares to flee. Adella follows the hobos that she has secretly fed - against her husband's wishes - during their trip through town looking for work. The proper preacher's wife dresses as a man, takes the few belongings she is able to carry, and hops a train away from it all. The remainder of the story is a peek into the life of hobos on the rails. Riding from one town to the next, in a desperate search for work and food during the great depression. If the hobos are barely able to survive, will Adella be able to transform from a proper preachers wife living in plush comfort - thanks to the collection plate - to a lone woman traveling from town to town to find work?
October in the Earth by Olivia Hawker
Unfortunately, I am not doing this story justice. I have clearly become an Olivia Hawker fan and find myself drawn into the stories of people living lives very different than mine. Olivia Hawker writes about believable characters with descriptions that immerse me into the story.
I previously read and reviewed One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker. You can read my review here.
Wow. This sounds like a very compelling story. It is hard to imagine a life so different than one you've always led. Obviously, Olivia Hawker has the storytelling knack of taking you to a place in history and letting you experience what those different lives would have been like. Thanks for introducing me to this interesting author, Dawn Rae.
ReplyDeleteWednesday Elf has expressed my own reaction perfectly. It’s easy to understand why you are so drawn to this author’s novels. Thank you so much for this excellent review and recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI think you are making me a fan as well. This sounds like a really interesting book to me and I will put it on My Must Read List right now! Thanks Dawn Rae for your intriguing review.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a captivating book! Regardless of the current situation, it would be hard for a woman to embrace the hobo life. She must have been desperate to get away. Still, what a potentially dangerous option she has chosen. I hope she finds what she is seeking. I know, I know ..... I have to read the book to find out!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review of this most interesting book. It does sound a really compelling read. It must be incredibly difficult to cope with changing life so radically. I think I would really enjoy reading it and I am already wanting to know what happened!
ReplyDeleteSounds like such a good book - I could get into this one - Books set in the past, even movies, draw me completely in
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