Set in North Carolina in 1960 and brimming with authenticity and grit, The Moonshiner’s Daughter evokes the singular life of sixteen-year-old Jessie Sasser, a young woman determined to escape her family’s past . . . Generations of Sassers have made moonshine in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Their history is recorded in a leather-bound journal that belongs to Jessie … journal that belongs to Jessie Sasser’s daddy, but Jessie wants no part of it. As far as she’s concerned, moonshine caused her mother’s death a dozen years ago.
Her father refuses to speak about her mama, or about the day she died. But Jessie has a gnawing hunger for the truth—one that compels her to seek comfort in food. Yet all her self-destructive behavior seems to do is feed what her school’s gruff but compassionate nurse describes as the “monster” inside Jessie.
Resenting her father’s insistence that moonshining runs in her veins, Jessie makes a plan to destroy the stills, using their neighbors as scapegoats. Instead, her scheme escalates an old rivalry and reveals
long-held grudges. As she endeavors to right wrongs old and new, Jessie’s loyalties will bring her to unexpected revelations about her family, her strengths—and a legacy that may provide her with the answers she has been longing for.
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I just loved this book. It was very well written and I remember back in the days about a movie about moonshine runners it was called Thinder road. The leader actor my Robert Mitchum, which at that time I thought he was a hunk. This book is about the moonshiners and much more, but you have to read it to find out more, I dare you cause you will enjoy it I’m sure of it.
I love Donna Everhart’s writing. Her books always leave me with many feelings. This one left me in tears. From the start to the end it’s a good story. Lots of history and family involved. Also the young girl in the book has an eating disorder. No one seems to notice this though.
After losing her mother Jessie Sasser swore she would have nothing to do with the moon shining business. She blamed it and her daddy for her mother’s death. She hated anything and everything to do with moon shining. He daddy was determined that she would help though and tried to make her understand that it was what kept them in a home and with food to eat. She didn’t want anything, not even the food, that came from moonshining though. To her it was pure evil.
Lots of things happen in this book that will keep you turning the pages. From family members turning on each other in ways that cost them plenty to kids being bullied in school. It was a very well written story and obviously well researched. I’m never disappointed in a book by this author and this one is possible my favorite one yet. It certainly made me cry in many places and laugh in a few too.
Most of the characters are so likable and so well developed. There are some you won’t like at all for obvious reasons. I absolutely loved Mrs Brewer. She was like the most helpful person to the Sasser children when they needed it most. The ending left me in big tears but it somehow seemed just right. This book held a bit of a mystery for a while but you will find answers too. I did at least.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #Kensington and #DonnaEverhart for this ARC. This is my own review.
I give it a huge 5 stars and a very high recommendation.
Southern fiction at its finest…
This was my initial thought when I picked up Donna Everhart’s new novel, The Moonshiner’s Daughter.
(from cover) Generations of Sassers have made moonshine in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Their history is recorded in a leather-bound journal that belongs to Jessie Sasser’s daddy, but Jessie wants no part of it. As far as she’s concerned, moonshine caused her mother’s death a dozen years ago. Her father refuses to speak about her mama, or about the day she died. But Jessie has a gnawing hunger for the truth–one that compels her to seek comfort in food. Yet all her self-destructive behavior seems to do is feed what her school’s gruff but compassionate nurse describes as the “monster” inside Jessie. Resenting her father’s insistence that moonshining runs in her veins, Jessie makes a plan to destroy the stills, using their neighbors as scapegoats. Instead, her scheme escalates an old rivalry and reveals long-held grudges. As she endeavors to right wrongs old and new, Jessie’s loyalties will bring her to unexpected revelations about her family, her strengths—and a legacy that may provide her with the answers she has been longing for.
After reading a slew of rom coms and domestic thrillers, I craved to read a much more insightful and touching story about real people. The Moonshiner’s Daughter satisfied my need for a wonderfully in-depth story. Everhart’s writing was seasoned and strong with characters that could have been pulled out of my own Southern family. The story was the perfect mixture of hopeful discovery and heart-wrenching reality. Jessie’s struggle with her weight on top of her finding out the truth of her mother’s death tugged at my heart. Her inner thoughts are extremely raw and real for a teenage girl. Overall, the themes brought up many valuable questions, including “Is it okay to separate from a family’s legacy and go on your own?” and “How far is too far when destroying what hurts you most?”
As a southern woman, I appreciated a gritty, yet beautiful story that portrays the duality and incentrices of this region without being stereotypical and cartoonish. I would recommend this book to any of my southern fiction and women’s fiction-loving friends.
The Moonshiner’s Daughter will be published on December 31, 2019.
Thank you Kensington Publishing, Donna Everhart, and Suzy Approved Book Tours for providing me with an advanced copy of The Moonshiner’s Daughter in exchange for my honest review.
“The Moonshiner’s Daughter” by Donna Everhart was a fabulous novel! When I started this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it and then about 10% into it,I couldn’t put it down. It grabbed me and sucked me right into that rollercoaster of a story. Oh my goodness you just have to go along for the ride.
I wanted to hug Jessie Sasser. She was a girl who thought she knew what she stood for and fought for her convictions with all of her might. I was right there rooting for her through the whole story. I loved the school nurse Mrs. Brewer. It felt like she was the only one that took an interest in Jessie a majority of the time.
Have you ever put a book down because you thought you knew how it was going to end and you didn’t want to see it end that way? I did with this book. About an hour later, I couldn’t stand it any longer and I had to know how it all wound up. I don’t want to give away the ending but, it was a perfect ending to the story.
This book was so different than what I expected and I highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Jessie Sasser is the main character in this well written historical fiction novel.
Taking place in the mountains of North Carolina, Jessie and her family have long made their living in the “moonshine” business.
Jessie absolutely despises this. Why?
Her mama died when Jessie was four and all that she can recall is that her death was caused by this awful illegal line of work at the stills.
When she asks her dad, he refuses to talk about her mother or give her any answers about her death.
The “need to know” causes severe psychological troubles for this teenager and a slow self destruction of oneself as well as anger and hurt in her family.
The descriptions in this book are amazing! I felt as though I was walking in the woods to the stills, smelling the moonshine and living back in the 1960’s. The suspense at times had me racing through the pages
I could feel Jessie’s pain and lack of power as she tried to gain control of her life in her own way.
The Moonshiner’s Daughter by Donna Everhart is an all-encompassing Southern Historical Fiction novel that is one of those once in a blue moon novels that only comes around once in a while that makes one stop and think, like actually contemplate life. This novel is amazing.
We see Jessie Sasser a 16 y/o misunderstood teenager growing up in the rural foothills of NC in 1960 with her collection of outcast family members whom all work in the “family business” of moonshine and her life over the next 2 years.
This is a story about so much. It is a coming of age story, a story of personal angst and demons, a story of bulimia and ED, a story of acceptance, a story of wanting to fit in, but yet not wanting to be a part of the crowd, a story of being lost only to finally find what one was looking for all along at the bitter end, and a story of just wanting to be loved.
My heart goes out to Jessie. I cried with her, and hurt along with her through her journey. I felt pride when she grew up and came into her own. I felt her losses as she did, as well as her triumphs. This was a hard story to read, so raw, rough, and real, but worth every moment. The ending is bittersweet, imperfect, like life itself is, and was fitting for Jessie’s journey.
This novel will stick with me for many days to come. Just stunning.
5/5 stars
This novel is set in 1960 in N. Wilksboro, NC, the leading area for the making of moonshine in the south. The Sasser family were one of the main makers and distributors of moonshine during this time. The secrets for making good shine had been passed down from generation and the current family is made up of Easton, his daughter Jessie and son Merritt. Lydia, the wife and mother, had died in an accident while making moonshine twelve years earlier. This is Jessie’s story.
Jessie really resonated with me as the main character. She is only 16 and at times is wise beyond her years while at other times you can see her lack of maturity. This is basically a coming of age novel and her pain and conflicting attitudes are evident throughout it. When she seeks solace in food, you just want to talk to her and tell her that life will get better, but she is so filled with shame and disgust at her life that she could only find relief in food – something that she felt like she could control but eventually turned on her and became her master.
Donna Everhart has proved once more that she is the Author of Southern Novels with Authenticity and Grit. She has brought her readers a wonderful, well researched novel full of likable (and a few unlikable) characters. My prediction is that this will be THE winter book that everyone will be reading and discussing.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read an review.
I was fortunate to win this ARC, that said go buy it or borrow it as soon as available. Was a great book. Highly recommend.
Set in North Carolina, early 60′ s 16 y.o. Jessie Sasser is the main character. She grows up in a moonshine family. Her mother dies in a fire when she is 4 and her brother is two. Her memories of that day color her preception of the family business. Her father refuses to speak about her mama and what happened that day. As the story goes on and Jessie experiences more of life ,learning more of the past her legacy and shiner blood comes thru.