The moment I read the back cover copy of Appalachian Song, a Christian historical fiction by Michelle Shocklee, I knew I had to read it. As a Tennessee girl, there is something mystical and alluring about the Appalachian Mountains—the culture, history, and mystery. Plus, it’s always fun to read about places you’re familiar with. Am I right? I was also drawn to the unique dual timeline. It’s unusual for an author to set a story in 1943 without World War II being the focus or 1973 unless it’s heavy with post-Vietnam War flavor. But that’s what Ms. Shocklee did.
About the book: Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.
Thirty years later, the day after his father’s funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. With the only clue he has in hand, Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife who holds the secrets to Walker’s past.
It’s not often a book can bring me to tears. Movies? Yes. Books? Not so much. But I have to admit to shedding a few at the end of this novel. The story is rich with emotion and Biblical themes. The characters are flawed and believable, and I was rooting for them from the very first page.
It’s written in third-person past tense with three points of view—Bertie Jenkins, Walker Wylie, and Reese Chandler. My favorite character is Bertie. She’s a strong, warm-hearted spinster who devoted her life to helping the backwoods women birth their babies. The relationship between her and the four sisters she lives with in the Appalachian Mountains is rich with the culture and prejudices of the time.
I’m always a sucker for a little romance, no matter the genre of book. This one did not disappoint. I won’t go into more detail because it would be a spoiler alert. Suffice it to say if you enjoy good writing, rich characters, and emotional depth, you’ll thoroughly enjoy Appalachian Song. Just a sidenote: have a box of tissues handy.
