Winter's Reckoning

by Adele Holmes

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Winter's Reckoning is a very well written southern gothic historical novel set in 1917 by Dr. Adele Holmes. Released 9th Aug 2022 by hybrid indie publisher She Writes Press, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a relevant and melancholy read; sadly all too resonant even today. Set in Appalachia during the years of the first world war, an isolated community falls prey to a con-man preacher stirring up racial strife and facilitating the resurgence of the KKK. Main protagonists, both healers, one white, one black are threatened and harassed to stop associating with one another and to stop helping the town's inhabitants. Mired in ignorance and racial hate, it's difficult and uncomfortable in places.

The overweening ignorance, and the inevitable denouement and resolution (although mostly uplifting), make for gloomy reading. Although it's not derivative at all, in a lot of ways it reminded me of the "it book" of 2019, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek . 

Four and a half stars. Not an easy read, but very very well written. The author is erudite, intelligent, and thoughtful and those qualities indelibly imprint the work. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.