In this masterful new novel, set in 1950s North Carolina, the acclaimed author of The Road to Bittersweet and The Education of Dixie Dupree brings to life an unforgettable young heroine and a moving story of family love tested to its limits. For twelve-year-old Martha “Sonny” Creech, there is no place more beautiful than her family’s cotton farm. She, her two brothers, and her parents work … farm. She, her two brothers, and her parents work hard on their land—hoeing, planting, picking—but only Sonny loves the rich, dark earth the way her father does. When a tragic accident claims his life, her stricken family struggles to fend off ruin—until their rich, reclusive neighbor offers to help finance that year’s cotton crop.
Sonny is dismayed when her mama accepts Frank Fowler’s offer; even more so when Sonny’s best friend, Daniel, points out that the man has ulterior motives. Sonny has a talent for divining water—an ability she shared with her father and earns her the hated nickname “water witch” in school. But uncanny as that skill may be, it won’t be enough to offset Mr. Fowler’s disturbing influence in her world. Even her bond with Daniel begins to collapse under the weight of Mr. Fowler’s bigoted taunts. Though she tries to bury her misgivings for the sake of her mama’s happiness, Sonny doesn’t need a willow branch to divine that a reckoning is coming, bringing with it heartache, violence—and perhaps, a fitting and surprising measure of justice.
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Beautifully written, Donna Everhart tells a story of loss and resilience through the eyes and voice of 12 yr old Sonny Creech. Set in 1955 on a southern cotton farm, all feels right with the world for Sonny. She loves working the cotton as much as her Daddy and like her Daddy, is blessed with the gift of divining water. She has the love of her family and a strong bond with her best friend Daniel, but suddenly tragedy coils up and strikes her family, forever changing her life and stealing the innocence of her childhood. Every once in a while you come across a book that has guts and just sticks with you.The Forgiving Kind is that book. I was captivated by Sonny’s voice and her journey. The story is so wonderfully written with such depth that days later I’m still thinking about it. Donna Everhart masterfully tells this story and you will not want to miss it! It’s AMAZING!
This book by Donna Everhart was beautifully written. A heart wrenching but warming story of a family trying to overcome a death of a loved one while trying to stay on their feet. Family trials and tribulations in this book are those of somethings that we all deal with on a daily basis!! Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours and Donna Everhart for the wonderful opportunity to read and review this book!!
I fell in love with 12 year old Sonny and the whole Creech family from the very beginning of this story. This sweet and loving family are forced to deal with a devastating loss from the outset. When they accept help from a wealthy neighbor their lives are drastically changed, and not for the better. I did not want to put this book down from the moment I opened it. I was up until 3 AM finishing it because I could not stop reading. My first by this author, it definitely won’t be my last.
Wow! Donna Everhart does not just right books, she is a storyteller! I thought her first 2 books were great, but this one is the best. It tells the story of a family, a family you would want to be part of. This family is close, so when the father dies you feel it in your soul. You mourn with them, you want to hug and hold them and tell them everything will be ok, but having gone through this myself at the age of 17 I know all to well that nothing will ever be the same again. There mother is devastated but she has a farm and three children to raise, no money and only debt, which comes from having a farm. The next door neighbor enters the story and well you will just have to read it and find out what that entails. No words can do this book justice, you will pick it up and not want to put it down. Sonny especially will stay in your mind and heart, long after you finish and put it down. You will want to buy copies for all your friends, you will want to tell everyone you know how good this book is, you will want more! I could go on reading about this family for ever. This books is so vivid that it is like watching a movie, and what a great movie it would make but I already know in my heart no movie maker could do this justice. Thank you Donna Everhart, thank you.
I would give this beautiful novel 7 or 8 stars if I could. It was the perfect piece of Southern fiction– full of struggle, sass, and soul. Sonny Creech gives Scout Finch a run for her money in terms of my favorite young Southern character, and I found the whole Creech family to be easy to love. I actually cheered out loud at the ending, despite wanting this book never to end.
I love this book! I was addicted to this story from the opening pages! The book starts off very grounded and family-oriented. But just wait – there is a whole lot more to this book than what initially meets the eye.
This book is beautifully written and rich with detail. I was right there in North Carolina on the cotton farm with the Creech’s.
This book is intense, raw, and heartbreaking. If you are expecting a light and fluffy read this is not it! It is a book about family and loss, but it also quite dark and tackles tough issues like bigotry and racism. The characters are unforgettable and it is a testament of a mother’s love and how far she will go for her children.
The Forgiving Kind will no doubt make my top ten list of the year. It is one of those books that I will not soon forget. This is my first book by Donna Everhart and I cannot wait to read more of her books in the future!
In 1950 North Carolina , Sonny Creech “Water Witch” is twelve years old living on her families Cotten farm she has the ability of divining water . The Creech family work together on the farm and Sonny loves the farm and her family. One day the Creech family suffers a horrible tragedy Sonny’s father suddenly dies. As the grieving family tries to move forward and continue farming their Cotten farm, their greedy neighbor Mr. Fowler moves in and tries to make a deal he will finance the Cotten crop for that year. Sonny and her best friend Daniel know that this greedy neighbor has ulterior motives. With a sudden drought happening comes a fear they may lose everything. Sonny doesn’t want her mother to accept Mr. Fowler’s offer she’s afraid her mom is making wrong choices for the family. Mr. Fowler is horrible he bosses them around , makes fun of Sonny’s friend Daniel and even goes to the point of not allowing him to come over anymore. This is a coming of an age story but so much more! The loving parents who try to teach their children to treat eachother with respect while Mr. Fowler is ignorant and prejudice and uses violence. This book was filled with so many lessons and my heart broke for the Creech family. This was a beautifully written book filled with so many lessons highly recommend four stars.
I think that Donna Everhart deserves Kudos for this incredible work of research and art. I loved the story and became part of it through her research and development of characters. This book is a MUST READ! A tactful and beautiful story of life in the South at a time of bigotry, old boy networks and coming of age by a young girl. How homosexuals were treated at the time was done with decorum and grace. How life turns on a dime and we are left to wonder. Kudos to Donna Everhart. I will be following this author.
Sad. Heartwarming. Tragic.
The Forgiving Kind is a coming of age novel and Southern fiction, for sure. But it is a whole lot more. Set in rural, cotton-farming North Carolina in the 1950s, it is also a novel about the culture of that time and place. Racism and homophobia and the power of the Klan are woven into the story in an organic way—there is no polemic here, but rather, a depiction of the way it was and how people coped. Ms. Everhart has wisely and effectively let a dramatic, powerful, and well-written story carry her theme. Her narrator, on the cusp-of adolescence, Sonny, is smart and engaging as she grapples with increasingly adult questions including: why do people make inscrutable choices, such as overlooking what they should see in a man who proposes marriage? What economic and societal pressures are, in the end, unbearable? Sonny will learn that only some segments of society are able to change their circumstances, but even they need to be willing to act. Given her determination, we know she’ll be likely not only to survive, but to thrive. .
Wow! The Forgiving Kind is a page turning coming of age story set in the South in the 1950’s. I loved the story of Sonny and her family. Donna Everhart did a magnificent job bringing the characters to life for me with the dialect and descriptive writing. I found myself glued to the pages, reading furiously yet not wanting the story to end. Five stars!!!
A wonderfully written story where the descriptions are an integral part to the bigger picture. It’s the story of the Creech family, their struggle to survive in the face of adversity, to retain their values , and to persevere against the struggles.
The use of vernacular specific to the period helps to tell a story told through the eyes of a 12 year old girl. The characters are so well developed, you feel and understand their plight.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I had many emotional ups and downs. I rooted for some characters and despised others. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you #Netgalley and #KensingtonBooks for approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
I’ve been a fan of this author for awhile, and this book did not disappoint. Such difficult times for adults and kids on a cotton farm in the 50s; admist times of the KKK and cruelty. It was a page turner for me; watching it unfold and wanting to jump in the book and help this struggling family from all they endured. This authors writing enevelopes you into the scenes where you feel like you are right there experiencing it real time. It will tug at your heart strings and have you cheering for the characters until the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC
This book had me transported back to the 1950’s in North Carolina, on a cotton farm. It was a time when life was a struggle.
Sonny is a 12 year old girl who loves her family. She loves her Dad. He is her hero!
He unexpectedly dies one day and she is lost. Her family is devastated, and unsure how they will make ends meet. Can the farm survive? Can her family survive?
Her Mama, in her grief and fear, accepts the friendship of her neighbor who has offered help her.
Sonny knows this is not a positive decision and she is worried about her family. Mr Fowler is downright vindictive. He makes it known that he is in charge and will not stand for anyone or anything that is different to be in his home or on his property. Punishments will ensue!
This is a story of family, friendship, prejudice and resilience and the details in this novel, will have you cheering for Sonny and her family, and holding your breath at times as you turn the pages!
Donna Everhart has a fabulous way with words. Excellent!