Ghost on Black Mountain by Ann Hite

This story is filled with ghosts of the past.  You hear the voices of five women talk about one man's influence on their lives...

Simon and Schuster will be publishing this book in mid-September.  I grabbed an egalley for review (thank you).  Check with your local bookstore to grab a copy.

The heart of this story is set in the Appalachian hills during the depression.  Everyone is struggling.  Nellie is working in a soup kitchen with her mother when she sees Hobb.  She falls immediately and madly in love with him.  He marries her and takes her home.  Her mother tells her she sees death in her tea leaves and begs her not to go, but she's in love...

One of the main points this author seemed to be making was that you should not love a man so completely, you don't save any love for yourself.  That will eventually destroy you.

Hobb was not a good man.  He was an even worse husband.  And while he was the catalyst for the tragedy that happened, he's not the most important part of this story.  The important parts are the women who were involved.

Each woman has her own segment of the book and tells her unique story of the life she's led.  These stories merge together to make a complete life circle around Nellie and Hobb's relationship.  I found this a fascinating way to present the story and I enjoyed reading this book.  It's not a cheery book by any means, but it's about life as it is, not a fairy tale.  The ghosts just add to the flavor of the story and the mystery of Black Mountain.

This story has stuck with me after I finished reading it.  It makes you think.  Why not get a copy for yourself and see if it does that to you?

Happy reading.