Reviewed by phyllish on
When God didn’t heal Thor of his deafness, the preacher who prayed for him blamed it on a lack of faith, leaving the young boy hurt and bitter. And thus at a young age, he turned to the cider that his father sought for solace from his grief. My heart was broken for Thor as he fought his addiction.
I loved Aven. She had experienced so much hardship in her life and while many would have become bitter, she still had such a tender and gentle heart. Despite her past, she allowed herself to take time to get to know Thor in a way very few ever had. She saw past his addiction, past his inability to hear or speak and truly learned to listen to him.
If you have read many reviews I have written, you may know that I don’t like books that are dark or depressing. It isn’t that I’m hesitant to read about difficult subjects – I just prefer to end my reading on a high note. One of the reasons I rushed to sign up for this blog tour is that I am familiar with the author’s work. I know that she tackles difficult subjects in a sensitive and compelling way without leaving the reader feeling helpless and hopeless. Compelling. Insightful. Thoughtful. Hopeful. Before I even picked up Sons of Blackbird Mountain to read, I knew that is what I could expect. I was not disappointed.
In addition to the issues related to deafness and to alcoholism, Sons of Blackbird Mountain addressed the prejudice and hate that arose in the form of the Ku Klux Klan at the end of the Civil War. The Norgaard brothers were targets of “demonstrations” as a result of their refusal to discriminate. Which, of course, had me loving them even more.
If you are looking for a historical novel that will touch your heart in a significant way, do not hesitate to pick up a copy of this story, or any other that Joanne Bischof has written. You will not regret it!
This review was originally posted on Among the Reads
Get a preview of Sons of Blackbird Mountain at amongTheReads.net
I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 4 July, 2018: Reviewed