This is a beautifully written, beautifully told story of Vine, a young Cherokee woman in Kentucky of the early 1900's. Vine is a three dimensional character, well-defined and very real.

While the story is slowly paced, it does not lag in any way. House does a great job of describing what "Holler" life was like during that period of time, and especially what life was like for Native Americans. Esme, Aidia and Serena are also well written characters and add a great dynamic to the story.

I did find that the characters of Saul and Aaron needed a little bit more defining for me. Why did Aaron become the type of person that he did? Other than Saul being described as a man of few words, I never got a good sense of him. I'm not sure it was an entirely good idea to have written him out of so much of the book. I would have liked to have read more about the relationship between him and Vine. Regardless, this is still a great book that I highly recommend.

One of the best novels I have ever read. This book has everything a good read should: characters that become real to the reader, a wonderful sense of place, a sense of history and knowledge. Not only do you get completely wrapped up in the world of Vine Sullivan, but you also learn more about yourself in the process. A truly beautiful book that I can't recommend highly enough. I've bought a copy for everyone I love.

I read this book during a rainy weekend and loved it. House's familiarity with Kentucky and his love for the hills and the heritage of the area resound in this tale. I was amazed that a male writer could get into the hearts and souls of the female characters he created. Bravo!

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