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Winter's Reckoning: A Novel
William Faulkner Literary Competition, Honorable Mention
Forty-six-year-old Madeline Fairbanks has no use for ideas like “separation of the races” or “men as the superior sex.” There are many in her dying Southern Appalachian town who are upset by her socially progressive views, but for years—partly due to her late husband’s still-powerful influence, and partly due to her skill as a healer in a remote town with no doctor of its own—folks have been willing to turn a blind eye to her “transgressions.” Even Maddie’s decision to take on a Black apprentice, Ren Morgan, goes largely unchallenged by her white neighbors, though it’s certainly grumbled about.
But when a charismatic and power-hungry new reverend blows into town in 1917 and begins to preach about the importance of racial segregation, the long-idle local KKK chapter fires back into action—and places Maddie and her friends in Jamesville’s Black community squarely in their sights. Maddie had better stop intermingling with Black folks, discontinue her herbalistic “witchcraft,” and leave town immediately, they threaten, or they’ll lynch Ren’s father, Daniel.
Faced with this decision, Maddie is terrified . . . and torn. Will she bow to their demands and walk away—or will she fight to keep the home she’s built in Jamesville and protect the future of the people she loves, both Black and white?
Forty-six-year-old Madeline Fairbanks has no use for ideas like “separation of the races” or “men as the superior sex.” There are many in her dying Southern Appalachian town who are upset by her socially progressive views, but for years—partly due to her late husband’s still-powerful influence, and partly due to her skill as a healer in a remote town with no doctor of its own—folks have been willing to turn a blind eye to her “transgressions.” Even Maddie’s decision to take on a Black apprentice, Ren Morgan, goes largely unchallenged by her white neighbors, though it’s certainly grumbled about.
But when a charismatic and power-hungry new reverend blows into town in 1917 and begins to preach about the importance of racial segregation, the long-idle local KKK chapter fires back into action—and places Maddie and her friends in Jamesville’s Black community squarely in their sights. Maddie had better stop intermingling with Black folks, discontinue her herbalistic “witchcraft,” and leave town immediately, they threaten, or they’ll lynch Ren’s father, Daniel.
Faced with this decision, Maddie is terrified . . . and torn. Will she bow to their demands and walk away—or will she fight to keep the home she’s built in Jamesville and protect the future of the people she loves, both Black and white?
336 pages, Hardcover
Published August 9, 2022
About the author
Adele Holmes
2 books26 followersAdele Holmes graduated from UAMS medical school in 1993, and from residency at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in 1996. She practiced general pediatrics in central Arkansas for over twenty years. While she loved every moment of it, a serious travel bug, a need to put the voice of her soul onto paper, and a call to give back to the community led her to an early retirement in 2017. Her debut novel Winter’s Reckoning, a southern gothic set in the Southern Appalachians of 1917, will be published on August 9, 2022. She continues to write, travel, and serve in her community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 30, 2022
It’s sadly relevant, even though the time in this captivating debut novel set in a small town in Appalachia is 1917. “… ignorance breeds fear, and fear hate.” Don’t we know this now! The novel is a good piece of historical fiction reflecting the cruel times of Jim Crow laws and the KKK. It’s a story of the strength of women, of friendship, of carrying on family tradition and knowledge of healing .
Maddie Fairbanks, an herbalist/healer and her black assistant Ren Morgan defy the accepted separation of races, and the belief by some men that the place of women is at home, as they work together to care for people in the community. They manage in spite of the re- emergence of the KKK in town until the arrival of the evil and deceitful “Reverend” Carl Howard who sets in motion a series of events that tries the strength of these women and had me quickly turning the pages to know what their fate would be at the hands of this vile man and the KKK. Ultimately, a satisfying ending with a beautiful epilogue in the voice of Hannah, Maddie’s granddaughter who takes up the torch of caring for people. I look forward to what Holmes writes next.
I received an advanced copy of this book from She Writes Press through NetGalley.
May 18, 2022
This is an absorbing page-turner about an era, a locale, and a population that we too rarely read about.
By the autumn of 1917, Maddie Fairbanks thought she'd become an accepted and even loved member of the isolated Appalachian town where she's lived for nearly 30 years. She'd moved there from Boston to marry into one of the leading families and, as an herbal healer, tended to many of her neighbors' ailments, from breech births to gunshot wounds to goiter.
Then a new preacher named Carl Howard arrives, determined to take charge. For Carl, that means squelching "uppity" women like Maddie, condemning her healing techniques as witchcraft, and enforcing Jim Crow laws. His arrival invigorates the local Klansmen, who warn Maddie to cease her "witchcraft" and sever her friendship with a local Black family.
The rich cast of characters stand out as real human beings. Maddie and Ren, her Black assistant and friend, lash out in vivid arguments about their relationship and racism. Carl is nasty and controlling, yet he genuinely cares about his magnificent horse.
As well, the author, Adele Holmes -- who is also an M.D. -- provides fascinating descriptions of 1917-era medical techniques. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat.
By the autumn of 1917, Maddie Fairbanks thought she'd become an accepted and even loved member of the isolated Appalachian town where she's lived for nearly 30 years. She'd moved there from Boston to marry into one of the leading families and, as an herbal healer, tended to many of her neighbors' ailments, from breech births to gunshot wounds to goiter.
Then a new preacher named Carl Howard arrives, determined to take charge. For Carl, that means squelching "uppity" women like Maddie, condemning her healing techniques as witchcraft, and enforcing Jim Crow laws. His arrival invigorates the local Klansmen, who warn Maddie to cease her "witchcraft" and sever her friendship with a local Black family.
The rich cast of characters stand out as real human beings. Maddie and Ren, her Black assistant and friend, lash out in vivid arguments about their relationship and racism. Carl is nasty and controlling, yet he genuinely cares about his magnificent horse.
As well, the author, Adele Holmes -- who is also an M.D. -- provides fascinating descriptions of 1917-era medical techniques. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat.
April 11, 2023
There were some elements I enjoyed in this one...strong women characters, historical relevance concerning some of our less stellar time periods, naturalistic healing...and, it filled a needed Bingo square by having a book featured on its cover. :-) Plot movement and writing style were less strong in terms of what I look for. But, liked it well enough to continue to the end to find out how it all worked out. 2.75 rounded up.
August 4, 2022
Her ancestors were healers. Mysterious, wise, noble. They championed their ideals and frequently stood accused for them. Some were legends. She doubted such people still existed in 1917.
from Winter’s Reckoning by Adele Holmes, M.D.
Set in Southern Appalachia in 1917, Winter’s Reckoning is about Maddie, descended from generations of women who were healers. With progressive ideals, living in a community mired in prejudice, Maddie stands up to a con-man posing as a pastor and to the Klan.
Maddie mentors the young African American Ren in the arts of healing. It’s a stressed friendship, their relationship outlawed, and Ren bristling against Maddie’s assumed superiority. Ren is groomed and embarks on a secret affair.
Maddie is initiating her granddaughter into the healing arts.
The new pastor riles up prejudice as a way of asserting power, riling up the Klan against Ren’s family. Maddie is accused of witchcraft. All the women’s lives are in danger from multiple sides. Together they face the threats.
Maddie is a strong character, capable, open minded, and courageous. The young Ren willfully insists on taking responsibility for herself, but naively is manipulated by an unscrupulous con man. Hannah, Maddie’s granddaughter, is fascinated by the family history she eagerly embraces.
At the climax, Maddie, Ren, and Hannah face threats from nature, society, health crises, and their enemies. Storywise, I would have been happy to have several of those threats removed as unnecessary; misogamy and racism are large enough monsters to carry the story. The women’s friendships and mutual support give them the strength they need to overcome adversity.
The novel won honorable mention in the 2021 William Faulkner Literary Competition. Holmes’ debut novel will appeal to readers who love strong female characters, a vivid setting, and historical fiction that reflects ongoing societal issues.
I received an ARC. My review is fair and unbiased.
from Winter’s Reckoning by Adele Holmes, M.D.
Set in Southern Appalachia in 1917, Winter’s Reckoning is about Maddie, descended from generations of women who were healers. With progressive ideals, living in a community mired in prejudice, Maddie stands up to a con-man posing as a pastor and to the Klan.
Maddie mentors the young African American Ren in the arts of healing. It’s a stressed friendship, their relationship outlawed, and Ren bristling against Maddie’s assumed superiority. Ren is groomed and embarks on a secret affair.
Maddie is initiating her granddaughter into the healing arts.
The new pastor riles up prejudice as a way of asserting power, riling up the Klan against Ren’s family. Maddie is accused of witchcraft. All the women’s lives are in danger from multiple sides. Together they face the threats.
Maddie is a strong character, capable, open minded, and courageous. The young Ren willfully insists on taking responsibility for herself, but naively is manipulated by an unscrupulous con man. Hannah, Maddie’s granddaughter, is fascinated by the family history she eagerly embraces.
At the climax, Maddie, Ren, and Hannah face threats from nature, society, health crises, and their enemies. Storywise, I would have been happy to have several of those threats removed as unnecessary; misogamy and racism are large enough monsters to carry the story. The women’s friendships and mutual support give them the strength they need to overcome adversity.
The novel won honorable mention in the 2021 William Faulkner Literary Competition. Holmes’ debut novel will appeal to readers who love strong female characters, a vivid setting, and historical fiction that reflects ongoing societal issues.
I received an ARC. My review is fair and unbiased.
December 26, 2022
Winter's Reckoning is a beautiful and well written novel about life in Appalachia in 1917 where the separation of the races is enforced by the KKK and women are kept in their places as second class citizens.
Maddie is a 46 year old widow from Boston who is a healer. There is no doctor in the small town and the people rely on Maddie and her skills. Her socially progressive beliefs are not accepted by most of the town but her views are overlooked due to her skills as a healer. She's training a young black woman - Ren - to be her helper and this is also frowned upon by the people who believe that the races should be separated. When a charismatic new preacher rides into town, he stirs up the townspeople with his views on racial segregation and helps the local KKK chapter become active again. Maddie stands up to him and he starts the rumor that she is a witch and should be kicked out of town. If she doesn't leave, the KKK will hang her apprentice's father
.
Maddie is shocked and disappointed when the townspeople turn against her. She had moved to the small town from Boston after she married her late husband and always felt that she was accepted. She's not sure what she should do -- will the KKK really lynch Ren's father? She realizes that her life is really in danger after a night visit by the KKK and begins to believe that she needs to leave town to save the people that she loves - both black and white. Will she stay in town where she can protect her friends and family or will she leave town and let the new pastor control the beliefs of the townspeople?
Maddie is a 46 year old widow from Boston who is a healer. There is no doctor in the small town and the people rely on Maddie and her skills. Her socially progressive beliefs are not accepted by most of the town but her views are overlooked due to her skills as a healer. She's training a young black woman - Ren - to be her helper and this is also frowned upon by the people who believe that the races should be separated. When a charismatic new preacher rides into town, he stirs up the townspeople with his views on racial segregation and helps the local KKK chapter become active again. Maddie stands up to him and he starts the rumor that she is a witch and should be kicked out of town. If she doesn't leave, the KKK will hang her apprentice's father
.
Maddie is shocked and disappointed when the townspeople turn against her. She had moved to the small town from Boston after she married her late husband and always felt that she was accepted. She's not sure what she should do -- will the KKK really lynch Ren's father? She realizes that her life is really in danger after a night visit by the KKK and begins to believe that she needs to leave town to save the people that she loves - both black and white. Will she stay in town where she can protect her friends and family or will she leave town and let the new pastor control the beliefs of the townspeople?
August 24, 2022
In the small town of Jamesville in Southern Appalachia in 197, Madeline Fairbanks does her best to keep the town healthy with the herbal remedies passed down through her family. Madeline also tries her best to push the townspeople toward racial and gender equality with the help of her black apprentice, Ren Morgan. When the new reverend, Carl Howard strolls into town, he begins to question all of Maddie's beliefs. Reverend Howard also finds powerful allies in the newly formed KKK groups who are easily swayed to believe that Maddie's herbs are witchcraft and that segregation should be violently enforced.
Winter's Reckoning is a timely historical fiction story melding together medicine, magic and community for an exciting story. I loved Maddie's character immediately as she treated a bullet wound while showing her relationship and standing with the people of the town. I liked that Maddie and Ren had a dynamic relationship, they weren't perfect, but definitely had a mutual respect for one another and had each other's backs. Maddie's granddaughter, Hannah was enchanting and I knew she would be of importance as the book progressed. The setting of Jamesville was perfect and through the writing I could imagine the dusty streets with closed shops, the small homesteads and the parsonage. This was a seemingly perfect place for a person like Carl to take hold. The pacing of the story was a little slow in the beginning as everything was being set up; however, once Carl's intentions were clear and Maddie began to figure him out, I was enveloped in the many twists and turns. With an unexpected ending, Winter's Reckoning is an intriguing and hopeful read.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
March 27, 2022
Today she’d learned that you can’t always follow your heart. Sometimes you have to give up a piece of yourself by following rules you don’t like, if that’s what’s best for someone else. But you should never stop trying to change those wrong rules.
Tear out a page of Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, add in a mix of Deliverance and The Apostle, along with a dash of Nell... and you have yourself a die-hard Appalachian story set so far back in the woods and so backwards in their thinking, that Madeline Fairbanks, the local healer, must find an inner strength to fight the racial and misogynistic prejudice permeating the town.
Between the layers of characters weaving through this story, the reader is given a rare glimpse into the minds of these mountain people, all who view themselves as superior in so many ways – the white community, the KKK – while Maddie, a Northern transplant from Boston, and her Black assistant, Ren Morgan, look beyond the color of skin to doctor the people both physically, emotionally, and sometimes, spiritually. But Maddie hides a secret, a secret kept in a leather box in her room, of all the healing recipes and stories of her ancestors as far back as the old country. She questions her own abilities to heal, relying more on the concoctions than any innate spiritual connection since not being able to save someone very dear to her. Yet, she can teach, and she sets about teaching the ways of healing to her granddaughter, Hannah, whose Alice-in-Wonderland imagination and desire to learn the craft draws the two of them together in a most special bond. Not to mention, Hannah watches everything; a little fly on the wall as she learns from her grandmother about looking beyond color and treating people as equals.
Hannah was a very in-depth character and the sections in the book which switched to her POV came alive in unexpected ways – like seeing the world through youthful eyes – and attached me to her right from the get-go.
Ren Morgan is a different kettle of fish. Her friendship to Maddie reminded me so much of Ada and Ruby in Cold Mountain, or maybe a combination of Ruby with Celie from The Color Purple. Ren’s attachment to Maddie is not as grounded as Maddie hopes, especially when a new preacher breezes into town – the narcissistic, arrogant white man who loves his horse, supports the Jim Crow laws from the pulpit, and hides his white KKK robes in the closet as he seduces Ren... a black girl. What is his ultimate goal? Power and control over the town, over Maddie’s headstrong ways, and satiating his own lusts on Ren completely uncaring of the consequences.
Even the horses wore white garments with masks, but no pointed tops. Guess the horses are smarter. They don’t have to wear the dunce caps.
And the consequences of this man’s actions are vast. All Maddie desires to do is help the poor mountain people of her town with their illnesses or birthing their babies... but Reverend Carl Howard (called “Coward” by Hannah) in his quest for power seeks to displace these women who are in his way towards his goal. Little by little, his influence over Ren causes a rift between the two friends.
And then, a winter’s reckoning sweeps across the mountains – icy, cold, chest-high snow drifts which isolate people for weeks on end. Maddie discovers her granddaughter near frozen to death in the storm, her head gashed open by some wild thing in the woods. Enter the “Deliverance” character into the story, one referred to throughout, but whose presence haunts the town, yet he manages to bring Maddie, Ren, and Hannah together as they fight for survival in a lone log cabin surrounded by snow. For a while, the three women are protected from the wheedling of the preacher, from the clicking tongues of the townspeople who think whites and blacks should not mingle, as Ren and Maddie restore Hannah’s health using their doctoring ways. But as the snow starts to melt, and as secrets are revealed, Maddie takes her husband’s Winchester and does an unspeakable thing – all for protection; and yet, quite unsure if she did the right thing.
The midmorning sky looked as black as sin. The house pitched in the wind as a boat in a hurricane. Precipitous white whirled deception over the landscape, disguising ugliness as beauty, taintedness as purity, and treachery as truth. Death came quicker than Maddie could have imagined... clawing, scratching, pounding... Satan’s hellhounds would soon gain entry. The howl of the ghoul became a pitiful gurgle and then quieted but for breathing as heavy as a handsaw at work. In and out, back and forth, sliding down the door... Maddie knew it was the rabid Harris man.
The perfect scenario for the preacher to blackmail her... and he does this by pressing his influence in the local KKK group, ordering Maddie to stop her doctoring or be accused of witchcraft, along with the demand to stop associating with her black friends, else someone’s neck will find the noose; and last, she has a time limit to leave town or her secret sin will be revealed. Hannah watches her grandmother vacillate between acquiescence and fight, and when Ren reveals a very painful secret to Maddie, they all make a plan to bring the preacher to his knees.
“Being convicted by humans does not always make one a criminal,” Maddie whispered. “It’s not following the convictions of your own heart that might deliver a more unbearable sentence than any verdict from a court of law.”
Honestly, I must admit hearing “Goodbye, Earl” by the Dixie Chicks in the back of my head as they laid out the plan and brought it to fruition... however, with Maddie’s instinctive desire to heal instead of kill... well, you’ll just have to read this to see what happens to the pompous preacher... and to his horse. For the most part, the beginning was a little slow and muddled as I tried to make the connections between the families and friendships, but the story settles into a fine pace, building steam as the snow blankets over the town and characters. Watching the characters (just like Hannah watches) dig themselves out of the situations and the snow storm, not to mention the old-time way of thinking lends to a worthwhile tale.
*****
“Winter’s Reckoning” by Adele Holmes receives four stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
Tear out a page of Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, add in a mix of Deliverance and The Apostle, along with a dash of Nell... and you have yourself a die-hard Appalachian story set so far back in the woods and so backwards in their thinking, that Madeline Fairbanks, the local healer, must find an inner strength to fight the racial and misogynistic prejudice permeating the town.
Between the layers of characters weaving through this story, the reader is given a rare glimpse into the minds of these mountain people, all who view themselves as superior in so many ways – the white community, the KKK – while Maddie, a Northern transplant from Boston, and her Black assistant, Ren Morgan, look beyond the color of skin to doctor the people both physically, emotionally, and sometimes, spiritually. But Maddie hides a secret, a secret kept in a leather box in her room, of all the healing recipes and stories of her ancestors as far back as the old country. She questions her own abilities to heal, relying more on the concoctions than any innate spiritual connection since not being able to save someone very dear to her. Yet, she can teach, and she sets about teaching the ways of healing to her granddaughter, Hannah, whose Alice-in-Wonderland imagination and desire to learn the craft draws the two of them together in a most special bond. Not to mention, Hannah watches everything; a little fly on the wall as she learns from her grandmother about looking beyond color and treating people as equals.
Hannah was a very in-depth character and the sections in the book which switched to her POV came alive in unexpected ways – like seeing the world through youthful eyes – and attached me to her right from the get-go.
Ren Morgan is a different kettle of fish. Her friendship to Maddie reminded me so much of Ada and Ruby in Cold Mountain, or maybe a combination of Ruby with Celie from The Color Purple. Ren’s attachment to Maddie is not as grounded as Maddie hopes, especially when a new preacher breezes into town – the narcissistic, arrogant white man who loves his horse, supports the Jim Crow laws from the pulpit, and hides his white KKK robes in the closet as he seduces Ren... a black girl. What is his ultimate goal? Power and control over the town, over Maddie’s headstrong ways, and satiating his own lusts on Ren completely uncaring of the consequences.
Even the horses wore white garments with masks, but no pointed tops. Guess the horses are smarter. They don’t have to wear the dunce caps.
And the consequences of this man’s actions are vast. All Maddie desires to do is help the poor mountain people of her town with their illnesses or birthing their babies... but Reverend Carl Howard (called “Coward” by Hannah) in his quest for power seeks to displace these women who are in his way towards his goal. Little by little, his influence over Ren causes a rift between the two friends.
And then, a winter’s reckoning sweeps across the mountains – icy, cold, chest-high snow drifts which isolate people for weeks on end. Maddie discovers her granddaughter near frozen to death in the storm, her head gashed open by some wild thing in the woods. Enter the “Deliverance” character into the story, one referred to throughout, but whose presence haunts the town, yet he manages to bring Maddie, Ren, and Hannah together as they fight for survival in a lone log cabin surrounded by snow. For a while, the three women are protected from the wheedling of the preacher, from the clicking tongues of the townspeople who think whites and blacks should not mingle, as Ren and Maddie restore Hannah’s health using their doctoring ways. But as the snow starts to melt, and as secrets are revealed, Maddie takes her husband’s Winchester and does an unspeakable thing – all for protection; and yet, quite unsure if she did the right thing.
The midmorning sky looked as black as sin. The house pitched in the wind as a boat in a hurricane. Precipitous white whirled deception over the landscape, disguising ugliness as beauty, taintedness as purity, and treachery as truth. Death came quicker than Maddie could have imagined... clawing, scratching, pounding... Satan’s hellhounds would soon gain entry. The howl of the ghoul became a pitiful gurgle and then quieted but for breathing as heavy as a handsaw at work. In and out, back and forth, sliding down the door... Maddie knew it was the rabid Harris man.
The perfect scenario for the preacher to blackmail her... and he does this by pressing his influence in the local KKK group, ordering Maddie to stop her doctoring or be accused of witchcraft, along with the demand to stop associating with her black friends, else someone’s neck will find the noose; and last, she has a time limit to leave town or her secret sin will be revealed. Hannah watches her grandmother vacillate between acquiescence and fight, and when Ren reveals a very painful secret to Maddie, they all make a plan to bring the preacher to his knees.
“Being convicted by humans does not always make one a criminal,” Maddie whispered. “It’s not following the convictions of your own heart that might deliver a more unbearable sentence than any verdict from a court of law.”
Honestly, I must admit hearing “Goodbye, Earl” by the Dixie Chicks in the back of my head as they laid out the plan and brought it to fruition... however, with Maddie’s instinctive desire to heal instead of kill... well, you’ll just have to read this to see what happens to the pompous preacher... and to his horse. For the most part, the beginning was a little slow and muddled as I tried to make the connections between the families and friendships, but the story settles into a fine pace, building steam as the snow blankets over the town and characters. Watching the characters (just like Hannah watches) dig themselves out of the situations and the snow storm, not to mention the old-time way of thinking lends to a worthwhile tale.
*****
“Winter’s Reckoning” by Adele Holmes receives four stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
December 14, 2022
It's 1917 and Madeline comes from a long line of healers in this southern Appalachian town with people who don't share her views on healing or social standards. Especially when Maddie hires a black apprentice named Ren. Maddie is also teaching her granddaughter Hannah the healing arts. Hannah is intrigued by her family legacy of healers. When a greedy, power hungry preacher shows up in town he stirs the pot of racial divide in the community causing problems for Maddie and Ren. Southern fiction is my favorite genre and I really love stories placed in the Appalachians. I loved how strong willed and nonconforming Maddie was. This was a deeply felt story about family, traditions, racial and social injustice. Excellent read. I highly recommend. This is a great book for Book Clubs.
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
June 10, 2022
Adele Holmes has presented us with a historical family saga in a small Southern town that is dying from economic challenges and remoteness. The protagonist Maddie a healer who rides a circuit of the surrounding hills delivering babies and saying good-bye to the dying. Dr Holmes knowledge of medicine and herbal healing informs the story with rich texture in the vernacular of Maddie's times. A second narrator Reverend Carl Howard is not only a racist bigot but an evil person on many levels. Holmes handles the multiple narrators (thank you for those chapter headings) with skill and the plot points are sadly too real and unfortunately still part of our national narrative.
June 23, 2022
Winter's Reckoning is a beautifully written, stirring novel with a timely message. Through language, dialogue, and pace, the author transports the reader to a backwoods town in Appalachia in 1917. The endearing and courageous protagonist, Maddie, is well drawn and easy to root for, and the story's plot twists are riveting. Highly recommended.
November 25, 2022
Historical fiction with themes and attitudes still relevant today.
It's 1917 in a small town in the Appalachians where Maddie Fairbanks, the latest of a long line of herbalist healers, is tending to the needs of the community. It's a time where befriending a person of color is looked down upon if you're white. So when Maddie takes on an apprentice, Ren, who is black, it gets the town's britches in a twist but neither woman is one to back down. That is until a new pastor rides into town stirring up trouble, claiming power and riling up the KKK. Whatever could go wrong, right? Well, what follows is a compelling story that had me turning the pages way past my bedtime.
This well crafted novel is told through the POV's of Maddie, the pastor, Carl, and Maddie's granddaughter, Hannah, who aims to be the next herbalist healer. The characters were wonderfully developed giving each their own voice. I really enjoyed how this one tackled the issues of bigotry, race and false prophets in a way that reminded me of today's societal issues without it seeming preachy or insensitive. I think this one will appeal to those of you who enjoy reading stories that are set at the turn of the century and have strong women protagonists.
Thank you to the author, She Writes Press and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.
It's 1917 in a small town in the Appalachians where Maddie Fairbanks, the latest of a long line of herbalist healers, is tending to the needs of the community. It's a time where befriending a person of color is looked down upon if you're white. So when Maddie takes on an apprentice, Ren, who is black, it gets the town's britches in a twist but neither woman is one to back down. That is until a new pastor rides into town stirring up trouble, claiming power and riling up the KKK. Whatever could go wrong, right? Well, what follows is a compelling story that had me turning the pages way past my bedtime.
This well crafted novel is told through the POV's of Maddie, the pastor, Carl, and Maddie's granddaughter, Hannah, who aims to be the next herbalist healer. The characters were wonderfully developed giving each their own voice. I really enjoyed how this one tackled the issues of bigotry, race and false prophets in a way that reminded me of today's societal issues without it seeming preachy or insensitive. I think this one will appeal to those of you who enjoy reading stories that are set at the turn of the century and have strong women protagonists.
Thank you to the author, She Writes Press and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.
July 12, 2022
From plot twist to plot twist we follow Maddie, Adele Holmes’s protagonist in "Winter’s Reckoning." The story, set in 1917 Appalachia, is told from three points of view: Maddie, an herbalist, and healer; her granddaughter Hannah; and Carl, a new pastor with less than honorable intentions. The story is at once a historical novel, a mystery, and a commentary on racial prejudice and women’s rights. Maddie, her African American apprentice Ren, and Hannah are strong, capable women with the courage to stand up to injustice. The book is a reminder that without a new generation of courageous women, our country could easily fall back into those dark days of ignorance.
July 12, 2022
I loved this page-turner of a book with its colorful characters and compelling story. Maddie Fairbanks is a white herbal healer in a 1917 southern Appalachian town, who works with a Black apprentice, Ren, and her granddaughter to provide medical care to this rural community. When a new charismatic, racist pastor comes to town and fires up the townspeople and the dormant KKK to threaten the women and their work, Maddie must use all her wits to fight back and keep those she loves from harm. But will her pluck be enough to check the hatred, fear , and violence the pastor has unleashed? Beautifully written, and with a timeless theme of the importance of resisting the forces of darkness.
February 12, 2023
While the writing was a bit awkward and stilted in places, the story was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages.
June 25, 2022
Written with authenticity and heart, Winter's Reckoning paints a rich and poignant tapestry of southern life in a small town in turn-of-the-century Appalachia. When Maddie Fairbanks, a widow and local healer, takes a younger black woman as an apprentice to learn the herbal apothecary arts, she finds herself in the crosshairs of an ambitious new preacher and the local, somnolent revenant of the Ku Klux Klan. The patriarchs of the town demand she quit consorting with Blacks, give up her apprentice, and leave town.
Her heart tells her she cannot give up on her beliefs and abandon the healing knowledge entrusted to her by generations of ancestors ... but can she put her family at risk? Old hatreds die hard, and the animosity and wounds left over from the Civil War still fester. Maddie is torn between her fear, and the desire to teach her granddaughter, Hannah, the healing arts passed down from generations of their ancestors. She believes in healing the sick no matter their race, but her attempts to protect her apprentice, Ren, from the town's animosity only create resentment between the two women.
Maddie's story is riveting and compelling and destined to become a classic.
Her heart tells her she cannot give up on her beliefs and abandon the healing knowledge entrusted to her by generations of ancestors ... but can she put her family at risk? Old hatreds die hard, and the animosity and wounds left over from the Civil War still fester. Maddie is torn between her fear, and the desire to teach her granddaughter, Hannah, the healing arts passed down from generations of their ancestors. She believes in healing the sick no matter their race, but her attempts to protect her apprentice, Ren, from the town's animosity only create resentment between the two women.
Maddie's story is riveting and compelling and destined to become a classic.
June 27, 2022
A winning portrayal of southern Appalachia a century ago, this story has at its heart a woman who knows the secret to living—tolerance and open-mindedness. Maddie is the self-assured town healer, a mother and grandmother who nurtures the people around her and refuses to allow others to push her toward narrow-mindedness. When she faces off with a powerful new arrival who’s determined to poison the town with his prejudices and his greed, you will cheer.
December 22, 2022
TITLE: Winter's Reckoning: A Novel
AUTHOR: Adele Holmes MD
PUB DATE: 08.09.2022 Now Available
The Winter’s Reckoning is a powerful historical fiction novel set during a dark time in our nation’s history where segregation, racism, and misogyny ran rampant, and power garnered through evil and fear. I love a story about good winning over evil, and as a nurse enjoy reading about healers and people that care for communities through inclusion, friendship, and love. As difficult as it is to read about some of the heartbreaking events that happened in our history, it is unfortunately still an issue we experience in this very current existence we are all living in.
Holmes deftly wrote a powerful debut that offers hope, a believable and immersive story, and how good overcomes evil and atrocities. I highly recommend! Be sure to add this to your TBR.
AUTHOR: Adele Holmes MD
PUB DATE: 08.09.2022 Now Available
The Winter’s Reckoning is a powerful historical fiction novel set during a dark time in our nation’s history where segregation, racism, and misogyny ran rampant, and power garnered through evil and fear. I love a story about good winning over evil, and as a nurse enjoy reading about healers and people that care for communities through inclusion, friendship, and love. As difficult as it is to read about some of the heartbreaking events that happened in our history, it is unfortunately still an issue we experience in this very current existence we are all living in.
Holmes deftly wrote a powerful debut that offers hope, a believable and immersive story, and how good overcomes evil and atrocities. I highly recommend! Be sure to add this to your TBR.
June 15, 2022
Winter’s Reckoning is more than a tale about the struggle with racism and sexism in Jim Crow Appalachia. It is the story of three women fighting prejudice and intolerance in their small town to not only gain their own independence and ensure their safety, but, as importantly, make a lasting impact on the townspeople they care about deeply. The author’s Southern and pediatric background is evident, as she infuses the novel throughout with tidbits of Southern folklore and medical knowledge (both charming and horrific) making for a believable and vivid read. We root for each of these women, Maddie, Ren, and especially young Hannah—a child when the novel begins—as they fight for a future as bright as the Southern sky.
May 30, 2022
In Winter’s Reckoning, Dr. Adele Holmes skillfully combines the elements of herbal medical traditions, women’s empowerment, and protagonist Maddie Fairbanks’s sheer grit and determination to show how one Southern community fights back against the evils of Jim Crow and the KKK in the World War I era. Winter’s Reckoning is a beautifully written, heartfelt account to remind us that, even in the darkest and scariest times, good people can and must resist despair. Highly recommended!
August 10, 2022
This story had many elements that I love: the historical US south, strong women, and witchy things ✨
MC, Maddie, comes from a line of herbalists/healers. She is responsible for caring for the people of her small town since an MD only comes by every few months. She does this alongside her apprentice, Ren, and granddaughter, Hannah. Ren is black and it’s the early 1900s, so Maddie’s relationship with her is frowned upon, especially when a new pastor with ulterior motives comes to town. The KKK plays a big part in this book. It’s unsettling, but the ultimate outcome is satisfying.
That said, I seemed to have a hard time getting invested in this one. It started out pretty strong, but it had a slower pace than I typically prefer. The storyline was promising, but I just didn’t feel as connected to it as I would have liked. But because I love this genre and type of story, I’m still glad to have read it.
I recommend this to historical fiction lovers, especially those that like a hint of ✨magic✨
MC, Maddie, comes from a line of herbalists/healers. She is responsible for caring for the people of her small town since an MD only comes by every few months. She does this alongside her apprentice, Ren, and granddaughter, Hannah. Ren is black and it’s the early 1900s, so Maddie’s relationship with her is frowned upon, especially when a new pastor with ulterior motives comes to town. The KKK plays a big part in this book. It’s unsettling, but the ultimate outcome is satisfying.
That said, I seemed to have a hard time getting invested in this one. It started out pretty strong, but it had a slower pace than I typically prefer. The storyline was promising, but I just didn’t feel as connected to it as I would have liked. But because I love this genre and type of story, I’m still glad to have read it.
I recommend this to historical fiction lovers, especially those that like a hint of ✨magic✨
April 24, 2022
I got to do an early read of Adele Holmes' Winter's Reckoning. With southern charm, Dr. Holmes spins a yarn of a middle-aged woman from Boston living in a dying Southern Appalachian town in 1917. She is a healer using herbs, potions, and spiritual energy as she confronts issues of race and misogyny still relevant today. Her nemesis is a charismatic preacher who espouses separation of the races and the subjugation of women. He fires up the long dormant KKK against her and her Black protégé. In this classic tale of good vs. evil, Winter’s Reckoning will keep you avidly turning the page as you encounter one twist and turn after another in her cleverly woven plot. A great read for a winter’s evening.
May 16, 2022
When plucky herbal healer Maddie Fairbanks takes on the racist, sexist new preacher in her struggling Appalachian town, she quickly finds out how fear can turn friends into enemies. Trying to serve the needs of the poor and struggling, she butts up against the intractable illogic of those who don’t like her training a Black woman to help them. Maddie has allies, including her young granddaughter, who has the gift of healing herself, but will that be enough when the KKK reappears and threatens those she loves? A cautionary tale about how the forces of ignorance and hate can take root in any community, Winter’s Reckoning grapples with timeless issues and offers a heroine to emulate.
September 9, 2022
I really, really wanted to love this book. I love historical fiction and everything in the synopsis made me think I'd love it. However, there were improbable happenings, plot twists that didn't make sense, and uneven writing that nagged at me throughout the book. Perhaps I'm being hard on it because of the books I read just before and just after turned out to be near-masterpieces. I understand that this is the author's debut novel and there is so much potential here, so it really seems to me that the editors did not complete their jobs.
June 13, 2023
Maddie Fairbanks is her dying Southern Appalachian town’s skilled herbal healer, something that, along with the influence of her late husband, has allowed her to have socially progressive views; including taking on a Black apprentice, Ren Morgan. Members of the town may grumble about it, but they know they need them both.
That is until a new reverend blows into town in 1917 and begins to preach on both the importance of racial segregation and the dangers of the harmful “herbal witchcraft” Maddie and Ren partake in. These teachings respark the local KKK chapter and they begin to threaten Maddie and Ren’s family’s - stop what you’re doing and leave town, or there will be trouble.
Will Maddie follow their demands or will she stay and fight to keep the home she’s created in Jamesville.
This took me a little to get into it, but once I did, I got lost in it quite quickly. I’m always interested in herbal medicine and especially the history of it as well, which is why I was interested and picked this book up.
This novel is told in third person, but would focus alternatively between Maddie, Ren, Hannah (Maddie’s granddaughter), and Carol. I could not stand Carol - very narcissistic and it drove me nuts. Of course, once we found out more and more about him, it explained a lot but when we first started out I could tell something was off with him and would roll my eyes every time his section would come up in the reading. Adele Holmes did a fantastic job at writing a despising character.
Overall, I can see those who enjoyed historical fiction enjoying this intriguing story about a herbalist living in a small, southern Appalachian town in 1917. It’s a great insight into that life and the history of women who couldn’t yet be doctor’s, but could mix herbs to keep their loved ones and community going.
*Thank you She Writes Press and Publisher’s Weekly for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
That is until a new reverend blows into town in 1917 and begins to preach on both the importance of racial segregation and the dangers of the harmful “herbal witchcraft” Maddie and Ren partake in. These teachings respark the local KKK chapter and they begin to threaten Maddie and Ren’s family’s - stop what you’re doing and leave town, or there will be trouble.
Will Maddie follow their demands or will she stay and fight to keep the home she’s created in Jamesville.
This took me a little to get into it, but once I did, I got lost in it quite quickly. I’m always interested in herbal medicine and especially the history of it as well, which is why I was interested and picked this book up.
This novel is told in third person, but would focus alternatively between Maddie, Ren, Hannah (Maddie’s granddaughter), and Carol. I could not stand Carol - very narcissistic and it drove me nuts. Of course, once we found out more and more about him, it explained a lot but when we first started out I could tell something was off with him and would roll my eyes every time his section would come up in the reading. Adele Holmes did a fantastic job at writing a despising character.
Overall, I can see those who enjoyed historical fiction enjoying this intriguing story about a herbalist living in a small, southern Appalachian town in 1917. It’s a great insight into that life and the history of women who couldn’t yet be doctor’s, but could mix herbs to keep their loved ones and community going.
*Thank you She Writes Press and Publisher’s Weekly for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
August 13, 2022
I love when a book takes me by surprise. I knew I would enjoy it from the synopsis. But this was so much more. The book is enticing, demanding to be devoured. The characters are fantastically written, layered, and rich. The women are powerful and demand justice and respect from one and all. You are smacked in the face with the realities of what life was like for a woman in the early 1900's in Appalachia. Not only did they have their everyday worries. The KKK was starting to grow in number and in strength. Leading to more divisions within the community. All of this combines for one astounding read that you will fly through.
Maddie has descended from a long line of healers; it is deep within her blood to help one and all. No matter who they are or what they represent. Maddie has been trying to bring education to this town, the rights to every man, woman, and child no matter what color they are. Maddie is filled with ideas to make Jamesville a better place. She runs into one obstacle after another, since she is a woman. The people of Jamesville get along for the most part. Until a man upon a giant stallion, prances into town. Claiming to be the new pastor, but there is something off about him. He is looking for trouble, and a way for himself to become the hero and the new leader of Jamesville. Will they be able to uncover this man's story before he does real damage to their town?
Adele Holmes is a gifted storyteller who has woven together a masterpiece. I loved everything about this book. She brings up issues that are still plaguing us to this day. You will fall in love with Maddie, her young granddaughter Hannah, and her apprentice Ren. Each bring their own unique story to the book. Thank you to Adele Holmes, She Writes Press, and TLC Book Tours for gifting me this book that I will be recommending to everyone!
Maddie has descended from a long line of healers; it is deep within her blood to help one and all. No matter who they are or what they represent. Maddie has been trying to bring education to this town, the rights to every man, woman, and child no matter what color they are. Maddie is filled with ideas to make Jamesville a better place. She runs into one obstacle after another, since she is a woman. The people of Jamesville get along for the most part. Until a man upon a giant stallion, prances into town. Claiming to be the new pastor, but there is something off about him. He is looking for trouble, and a way for himself to become the hero and the new leader of Jamesville. Will they be able to uncover this man's story before he does real damage to their town?
Adele Holmes is a gifted storyteller who has woven together a masterpiece. I loved everything about this book. She brings up issues that are still plaguing us to this day. You will fall in love with Maddie, her young granddaughter Hannah, and her apprentice Ren. Each bring their own unique story to the book. Thank you to Adele Holmes, She Writes Press, and TLC Book Tours for gifting me this book that I will be recommending to everyone!
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April 7, 2023Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Winter's Reckoning is a very well written southern gothic historical novel set in 1917 by Dr. Adele Holmes. Released 9th Aug 2022 by hybrid indie publisher She Writes Press, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a relevant and melancholy read; sadly all too resonant even today. Set in Appalachia during the years of the first world war, an isolated community falls prey to a con-man preacher stirring up racial strife and facilitating the resurgence of the KKK. Main protagonists, both healers, one white, one black are threatened and harassed to stop associating with one another and to stop helping the town's inhabitants. Mired in ignorance and racial hate, it's difficult and uncomfortable in places.
The overweening ignorance, and the inevitable denouement and resolution (although mostly uplifting), make for gloomy reading. Although it's not derivative at all, in a lot of ways it reminded me of the "it book" of 2019, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek .
Four and a half stars. Not an easy read, but very very well written. The author is erudite, intelligent, and thoughtful and those qualities indelibly imprint the work.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Winter's Reckoning is a very well written southern gothic historical novel set in 1917 by Dr. Adele Holmes. Released 9th Aug 2022 by hybrid indie publisher She Writes Press, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a relevant and melancholy read; sadly all too resonant even today. Set in Appalachia during the years of the first world war, an isolated community falls prey to a con-man preacher stirring up racial strife and facilitating the resurgence of the KKK. Main protagonists, both healers, one white, one black are threatened and harassed to stop associating with one another and to stop helping the town's inhabitants. Mired in ignorance and racial hate, it's difficult and uncomfortable in places.
The overweening ignorance, and the inevitable denouement and resolution (although mostly uplifting), make for gloomy reading. Although it's not derivative at all, in a lot of ways it reminded me of the "it book" of 2019, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek .
Four and a half stars. Not an easy read, but very very well written. The author is erudite, intelligent, and thoughtful and those qualities indelibly imprint the work.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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August 18, 2022
Winter’s Reckoning follows the journey of herbalist, Maddie Fairbanks, her apprentice, Ren and granddaughter, Hannah. Located in the Appalachian Mountains region in the early 1900s, the KKK and Jim Crow laws work to segregate whites and colored people. When a new preacher comes to town, does he use his position to help or divide the town of Jamesville?
The story has a lot of moving pieces and the use of three points of view, a tactic I'd normally find clunky but didn't this time, kept the story from stalling. The characters were multidimensional and the thrilling and suspenseful parts came from multiple angles to keep the pages turning.
Holmes is a retired Pediatrician and the medical accuracy brought depth and realism throughout the story. From birthing babies to identifying rabies, the medical needs of the community are as part of the story as the characters and the conflicts they find themselves in.
With that said I have a minor critique. Historical fictions can be tricky because they need to be written with the terminology and wording of the time, but a character was referred to as a narcissist which was not period accurate. Though the diagnosis of narcissism was dated before this story was written, it did not enter the DSM manual until the third edition in the 1980s. The area of Jamesville was pretty remote and removed from the larger cities so it's unlikely that terminology would have reached that area.
Otherwise I liked the book and I finished it in a single day cover to cover.
I received Winter's Reckoning as part of a book tour, these opinions are my own.
The story has a lot of moving pieces and the use of three points of view, a tactic I'd normally find clunky but didn't this time, kept the story from stalling. The characters were multidimensional and the thrilling and suspenseful parts came from multiple angles to keep the pages turning.
Holmes is a retired Pediatrician and the medical accuracy brought depth and realism throughout the story. From birthing babies to identifying rabies, the medical needs of the community are as part of the story as the characters and the conflicts they find themselves in.
With that said I have a minor critique. Historical fictions can be tricky because they need to be written with the terminology and wording of the time, but a character was referred to as a narcissist which was not period accurate. Though the diagnosis of narcissism was dated before this story was written, it did not enter the DSM manual until the third edition in the 1980s. The area of Jamesville was pretty remote and removed from the larger cities so it's unlikely that terminology would have reached that area.
Otherwise I liked the book and I finished it in a single day cover to cover.
I received Winter's Reckoning as part of a book tour, these opinions are my own.
December 1, 2022
Set in 1917 in the Southern Appalachians, WINTER’S RECKONING tells the story of a town in conflict and the strong women determined to save their homes and families.
Madeline Fairbanks, a white herbalist healer spends her time tending to the sick in town with the help of her apprentice Ren, a black woman. When a stranger rides into town on his horse, the town receives him as the new pastor, however, his intentions go far beyond offering religious support to the community as he begins to incite hatred, fueling racial conflict and oppression of women. Madeline is threatened by the KKK and accused of witchcraft.
WINTER’S RECKONING was beautifully written. I absolutely loved the strong characters of Madeline, Ren, and Madeline’s granddaughter Hannah. Despite all of their hardships, they found ways to persevere and I was rooting for them through the entire book. The plot contained plenty of small twists that made it a very exciting read, holding my attention throughout. The detail given to the herbal and medical treatment descriptions was enough to inform the reader without overwhelming and distracting from the thick of the story.
Despite being set in 1917, much of this book is relevant to today’s world. Ignorance breeding fear. Fear breeding hate. This continues to be our current reality. There’s still widespread racism. There’s still oppression of women. I enjoyed the themes of family, friendship, and tradition and the positivity of these aspects balanced some of the negative feelings provoked by the evil characters and themes. The book concludes with a satisfying ending which leaves hope for both the fictional characters and today’s humanity.
I’d recommend WINTER’S RECKONING to fans of historical fiction. I will keep an eye out for future works by this author.
Thank you to Adele Holmes, MD for the giveaway copy.
Madeline Fairbanks, a white herbalist healer spends her time tending to the sick in town with the help of her apprentice Ren, a black woman. When a stranger rides into town on his horse, the town receives him as the new pastor, however, his intentions go far beyond offering religious support to the community as he begins to incite hatred, fueling racial conflict and oppression of women. Madeline is threatened by the KKK and accused of witchcraft.
WINTER’S RECKONING was beautifully written. I absolutely loved the strong characters of Madeline, Ren, and Madeline’s granddaughter Hannah. Despite all of their hardships, they found ways to persevere and I was rooting for them through the entire book. The plot contained plenty of small twists that made it a very exciting read, holding my attention throughout. The detail given to the herbal and medical treatment descriptions was enough to inform the reader without overwhelming and distracting from the thick of the story.
Despite being set in 1917, much of this book is relevant to today’s world. Ignorance breeding fear. Fear breeding hate. This continues to be our current reality. There’s still widespread racism. There’s still oppression of women. I enjoyed the themes of family, friendship, and tradition and the positivity of these aspects balanced some of the negative feelings provoked by the evil characters and themes. The book concludes with a satisfying ending which leaves hope for both the fictional characters and today’s humanity.
I’d recommend WINTER’S RECKONING to fans of historical fiction. I will keep an eye out for future works by this author.
Thank you to Adele Holmes, MD for the giveaway copy.
November 16, 2022
Winter's Reckoning is the story of a woman herbalist/healer Maddie Fairbanks, her black female apprentice Renetta Morgan in the winter of 1917. It is set in the rural Appalachian town of Jamesville at a time when the KKK is returning to power due to ignorance, hatred and mainly fear directed at progressive notions such as education and equality of men, women, and blacks and whites. Maddie is a learned woman who takes care of her community through her knowledge of herbal medicine. She is training Ren, a young black woman and her granddaughter, Hannah with her craft. Her skills are much needed in their small community and she is highly thought of and admired. Enter a charismatic newcomer claiming to be the new reverend, Carl Howard. Maddie instantly dislikes him. He is pompous, arrogant and misogynistic. But he is also cunning and bowls over the towns people with his airs and charms. He is the ultimate con man who begins to turn the people against Maddie, her family and friends so that he may control the town and its wealth. Maddie, Ren and Hannah must band together and fight this evil, for that is what it is in order to protect and save their loved ones and their community. This book has a lot in common with where our world stands today, so Maddies story and triumph gives me hope. It took a few pages for me to get hooked in to the story but once I was there I could not put it down. Highly recommended.
December 8, 2022
It's been a while since a historical fiction felt so relevant and fresh. This book is all about a couple of women in a southern town - one black, one white - who face struggles and hardships brought about by a charismatic minister and the KKK.
Maddie Fairbanks, an elder white healer who uses herbal remedies handed down from her ancestors, is an important part of her community. With a strong mind and desire to go against the stigmas that separate many, she works with an apprentice, Ren, who is as smart and headstrong as she is. The fact that she is black holds no bearing until a new minister comes to town and riles up the KKK to recommit to the separation of the races. In the process, as tensions mount, they escalate threats in an attempt to run the women out of town. As the two women try to do what's best for their families, they are able to devise a plan that will overcome this hardship without losing what they value most.
I loved this book! It was such an important read! Such a vivid depiction of characters makes this novel a real page-turner, and though the topic of race hasn't improved much since 1917 (the year in which this book was set), it still gives hope for what strength of character can do to change the world...even if it's only a small corner of the world.
Maddie Fairbanks, an elder white healer who uses herbal remedies handed down from her ancestors, is an important part of her community. With a strong mind and desire to go against the stigmas that separate many, she works with an apprentice, Ren, who is as smart and headstrong as she is. The fact that she is black holds no bearing until a new minister comes to town and riles up the KKK to recommit to the separation of the races. In the process, as tensions mount, they escalate threats in an attempt to run the women out of town. As the two women try to do what's best for their families, they are able to devise a plan that will overcome this hardship without losing what they value most.
I loved this book! It was such an important read! Such a vivid depiction of characters makes this novel a real page-turner, and though the topic of race hasn't improved much since 1917 (the year in which this book was set), it still gives hope for what strength of character can do to change the world...even if it's only a small corner of the world.
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