Name: Bloodroot
ISBN: 9780307390578

Amy Greene

Follows a family from the Great Depression to the present, describing the experiences of a wild young mountain girl, her protective grandmother, the men who love her, and the children who struggle to manage her legacy.

Bloodroot

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Bloodroot started off strong and pulled me right into the multi-generational story of an Appalachian family beset by poverty, dysfunction, and superstition. Set on a farm on Bloodroot Mountain, the story is told by multiple characters in first person narration. At times, the mountain serves as sanctuary and other times as prison, depending on the character and each character has almost a mystical connection to the mountain.

The story spans from the Depression Era to current time but is told out of sequence. Using multiple narrators and non-linear time to tell a story takes skill. While the author certainly pulled it off, I‚Äôm not sure that the suspense created by the shifting timeline was worth the sense of disorientation.

Once I got past the beginning, the story started to flag and I contemplated putting the book aside. I‚Äôm glad I didn‚Äôt. The characters are richly drawn and the harshness of life farming on the mountain is shown through carefully crafted detail that sets the mood and tone of the novel. The characters seem to recognize the futility of fighting against their circumstances and the tragedy that follows this family from one generation to the next. Perhaps it‚Äôs the family curse, perhaps just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is a stark, and at times dark, portrayal of rural Appalachian life but it is compelling in its honesty. While it wasn‚Äôt an easy story to read, it merits a re-read simply to appreciate and digest its many layers. This is a story that will stay with you long after you read the last page.

Myra Lamb of Bloodroot Mountain has troubling "haint" blue eyes and a grandma whose touch charms people and animals alike. When their neighbor John Odom tries to tame Myra, he meets a with shocking, violent disaster.

A Novel

Bloodroot  started off strong and pulled me right into the multi-generational story of an Appalachian family beset by poverty, dysfunction, and superstition. Set on a farm on Bloodroot Mountain, the story is told by multiple characters in first person narration. At times, the mountain serves as sanctuary and other times as prison, depending on the character and each character has almost a mystical connection to the mountain.

The story spans from the Depression Era to current time but is told out of sequence. Using multiple narrators and non-linear time to tell a story takes skill. While the author certainly pulled it off, I‚Äôm not sure that the suspense created by the shifting timeline was worth the sense of disorientation. 

Once I got past the beginning, the story started to flag and I contemplated putting the book aside. I‚Äôm glad I didn‚Äôt. The characters are richly drawn and the harshness of life farming on the mountain is shown through carefully crafted detail that sets the mood and tone of the novel. The characters seem to recognize the futility of fighting against their circumstances and the tragedy that follows this family from one generation to the next. Perhaps it‚Äôs the family curse, perhaps just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is a stark, and at times dark, portrayal of rural Appalachian life but it is compelling in its honesty. While it wasn‚Äôt an easy story to read, it merits a re-read simply to appreciate and digest its many layers. This is a story that will stay with you long after you read the last page.

Bloodroot

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