By Jan Watson Troublesome Creek (Troublesome Creek Series #1) (Home Library Book Club) [Hardcover]

Troublesome Creek #1

by Jan Watson

A charming historical novel set in the late 1800s. Born and raised in the hills of Kentucky, Laura “Copper” Grace loves the wilderness of her home in Troublesome Creek. But when her stepmother threatens to send her away to boarding school to become a lady, Copper faces the possibility of losing everything that is precious to her. Copper must come to terms with her family and discover the true meaning of home. Nothing can drag her off the mountain, until the day she realizes that God has other plans for her life.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Ebooks

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Jan Watson won the 2004 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest for her first novel, Troublesome Creek. Her other awards include a nomination for the Kentucky Literary Award in 2006 and second place in the 2006 Inspirational Readers Choice Contest sponsored by the Faith, Hope, and Love Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Willow Springs and Torrent Falls are the sequels to Troublesome Creek. Jan was a registered nurse for 25 years at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. She incorporated her nursing experience in the hospital's mother/baby unit into her novels. Jan resides in Kentucky.

Reviews

[Amanda Tero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally liked "Skip Rock Shallows" much better than this book. I enjoy Jan Watson's writing style -- and the way she tastefully weaves in details and historical tidbits throughout the story. But I think I just didn't like the overall storyline. There were also some things that made me a little uncomfortable, such as an old woman's superstition, a few mentions of "going further than kissing," and a scene with a camp meeting in which the preacher handled snakes (this was never directly resolved but the characters were like, "Some people show faith in different ways."). I guess all of that gave me the impression of dark undertones that I just didn't care for.

I did really like Copper and her naivety. And her little brothers were adorable. I guess this is a book in which the things I didn't care for stand out more than what I liked.

*I received this book from the Tyndale Rewards program*

[Darby Stouffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've tried to like Christian fiction. I really have. I feel that I'm too cynical for it, and the fault must surely lie with me. But then I read books like this, and I realize that while it partially may be my fault, that this is truly a woeful genre. Especially when romance is added. The "sparks" that must fly in order for a woman to love a man in these stories makes me angry. That's not what love is about. Nice? Sure, but not the be all and end all.
The random Scripture quotations are seemingly thrown in there just to make it Christian, because there surely isn't anything else redeeming about these trite stories. Christians, please learn to write with beauty, and learn the difference between a story and a sermon.

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troublesome Creek by Jan Watson
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction
Format: Kindle
Timeframe: Late 1800s
Location: Hills of Kentucky
Characters:
Copper Brown: Main character, AKA Laura Grace Brown
Will and Grace Brown: father and step-mother
Willy and Danny: younger twin brothers
John Pelfrey: Childhood frienda intent on marrying Copper
Remy: Young albino girl hiding out from her father alone, trusted no one

I hadn’t realized when I chose this book that I had ever read a Jan Watson book before. But I was pleasantly surprised that I had given Skip Rock Shallows five stars years ago. Also I read in the blurb that Troublesome Creek was her debut novel, so I didn’t expect much. Well, I underestimated this new author. She packed a punch!

Troublesome Creek is Copper Brown’s home, her true love, the place she never wants to leave, no matter how much her step-mom wants to see her get a “proper lady” education at a boarding school. That was just not going to happen, even if it meant running away.

Copper is a 14 year old who simply wants to stay a kid and watch out after her young twin brothers, and always keep the simple life with an adoring father and only-mother-she’s-ever-known. Life is full of chores, but it’s also full of beauty and love and familiarity. But, much to her dismay, she’s growing up, and things have a way of changing.

I loved this book. It's sweet and interesting as well. I so enjoyed the characters, from her lighthearted father, to her sweet adventurous brothers, to her childhood friends. The book included another storyline that was quite interesting about an albino girl who lived by herself, hiding from her daddy in a cave above Troublesome Creek, not far from the graveyard where her real mother was buried. The story of her mother’s death, and how her step-mother (her natural mother’s sister) came to be with them was great too.

I am really looking forward to more books by Jan Watson.

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing historical, draws you right in!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freebie from kindle store. I really liked this book. Lots of nice descriptions of life in the 1800s. I will probably read the next in the series.

[Marinda Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting, and the characters very much.
A few parts (like snake handling) rubbed me weird, but it did not ruin the book.
I really like how she describes places.
Definitely a "curl up with coffee" kind of book 📖

[Leya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this book from a friend. This was a bit of a tough read for me. i really didnt connect with the charators in the story, so was always putting the book down to read others.

[Dana McReynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Can’t wait to continue the series. Copper is a great character, so strong and resilient and wise beyond her years.

[Susan P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, well-written Appalachian Mountains story.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not until about page 320 that I began to enjoy this book. Usually, I read Christian Fiction because of its uplifting reminders that you are not alone and that in the midst of struggle God prevails. Christian Fiction for me is usually my antidepressant... but it just was not working with this book. The book starts with Copper, a girl in her late teens and then flashes back to when her parents met and her mother died. It goes on to show her grow up practically over night to realize choices for her future. The first two thirds of this book were just really depressing and if it wasn't for a book club I'm not sure I would have gone on. In finishing the book I'm glad I read it, but I just felt that there wasn't much enjoyment until late in the game. That said, I do still plan to go on and read the sequels.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Main character set boundaries for the man. He kept breaking them because he just couldn't help it. I'm so sick of this being an excuse for men in fiction or real life. Men are not animals. They can honor boundaries and should be expected to, not rewarded when they do not and heralded as the hero the woman ends up with.

Main character is told she has to sleep with her husband. That it is not really that bad, but that she must do it to obey. This advice is coming from a woman in a seemingly loving, Godly marriage. Really? What a damaging and false message for women. Sex is meant to pleasurable for husband and wife - not something the wife must just bear. If that is the sex being offered by the man, then he does not understand how to love the way Jesus intended.

Are we still peddling this false narrative to women? Do better, Christian fiction.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 3 out of 5]

Troublesome Creek was a wild place. Mountains, deep ravines, harsh weather, all witness by Will and Julia.
Three of their babies died, then with their fourth child, they were caught in a bad storm. Will and the baby survived, Julia did not.
Will asked Julia's sister to care for the baby in Troublesome Creek. Will and Grace had a family now two twin boys are added to the family.
Years passed, then Copper the daughter met a new Doctor in town. She fell in love and they married. Grace wanted the best for Copper

[Victoria Bylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a different kind of read for me. It's set in the hills of eastern Kentucky and has a little bit of everything -- a young adult heroine, a touch of romance, drama, humor and a writing style that's both sparse and lyrical. I liked it alot! Looking forward to the other two books in the series.

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the storyline and characters in this book, but found it rather slow moving overall. Also thought the romance between Copper and Dr. Corbett was rather rushed.

[Goldenrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first seven chapters were unnecessarily sad for me. I don't need such a downer. I skimmed until I found a point where the plot became tolerably balanced instead of constantly heartwremching or meandering.

The plot was unclear at times... No, a lot of the time. It felt like the author didn't decide on the ending until it happened. "Will she marry Simon or John? Who knows? Maybe in the next five chapters we'll all find out together. Let's see what happens if I keep writing from here."

The big question for Copper to decide is whether to stay in the land she loves, or allow herself to be enticed away from it for the sake of someone else. I kept hoping she would find what felt to me like the right answer, but in her youthful confusion, she lost sight of who she was at the core of herself. She decided to give up her beloved lifestyle because so many others did so before her, that this was a sacrifice that ought to be made.

Her stepmother, Grace, also gives in to the lifelong temptation to make something of Copper that isn't truly "her". She made the same mistake years ago with Julie... Why must we watch history repeat itself?

She doesn't like the fancy clothes prepared for her city life. Even her fiancé prefers he barefoot. He loves her wildness. He will make her as comfortable as possible in the city, or so he says, including making a place for her cow and her garden, but he doesn't understand her. Case in point: he expects to hire someone to milk her cow. Copper knows she won't abide by anyone else milking HER cow, but she doesn't say anything. There's a whole lot of misunderstanding being swept under the rug by the stirring passions of their whirlwind romance. He won't even call her by her preferred name!!

The wedding felt wrong. It felt like the sealing of a regrettable fate. If I were to dictate the plot of the next book to redeem the choices made in this one, Copper would find that she had ignored a lot of signs that city life was not the right choice for her, and neither would mountain life suit Simon. One way or another I would hope to see her honorably released from marriage - either by Simon turning out to be some kind of low down skunk and divorcing her, or maybe after some time has passed he would die an honorable death, leaving her free to return to her beloved mountains. And I would hope that she and John could marry at last.

I'm not invested in Simon. He's ten years her senior and far more socially experienced than our sheltered, innocent Copper, yet he rushes her and pressures her. He does not stop writing when she tells him to. He visits against her expressed wishes. Yes, he wins her over, just as she knew he could... But she wasn't sure that would be right for her, and she couldn't think straight when he was around. That's why she wanted more space.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked everything about this book, even the cover! I was impressed that this was Jan Watson’s first novel, since she doesn’t write like a novice. Perhaps it’s her nurse’s training that helped.

This story is set around the 1800s in a coal town in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky. I got a real feel for life there through Mrs. Watson’s well turned phrases and descriptive words. This is a clean, Christian historical fiction novel, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a really good book to read.

I enjoyed learning about the simple life of a young girl named Copper, her fairly carefree life in the mountains of Kentucky, living with her dad and her stepmother. The author really knows how to pull you into the story, and identify easily with the characters. I felt the warm summers, the bitter cold winters, I got anxious when one of the family got ill, was happy when good things happened, enjoyed hunting in the woods, and the story about Copper’s background was engrossing, I could not get enough of the rich details and even the heartbreak. The good relationship she had with her dad was comforting, and the closeness of the family in general was very upbeat and encouraging. Their Christian faith was solid and enduring.

This is the first of Jan Watson’s books, and I’m already reading the second of the series, called Willow Springs, which is a continuation of Copper’s journey through life, and the many changes and adjustments of new surroundings.
Product details

File Size: 20517 KB
Print Length: 380 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (December 16, 2010)
Publication Date: December 16, 2010
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B004GHNLMM

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was one of the most wonderful historical books I have read! It was a little like Janet Oke, but also different... it was real. One part was so sad I cried, others were funny, still others interesting and sweet. There was such a mixture of things in this book.

Troublesome Creek tells a story about a growing up young woman, Copper Brown. It tells of her life, of her growing up, and falling in love. Her struggles, and the struggles of others living in the country hills of Kentucky. Jan Watson shows you REAL things some people have to live with and go through. This story isn't sugarcoated like other historical fiction. There was a large part of the beginning that told about how Copper's parents met, and their marriage and such. Even though it wasn't about the MAIN character, this backstory part was so sad for me! (Copper's pretty much the main character, though it's sometimes from her parent's and other's point of view).

But I loved it! :D The book was truly a great read, and I have to read the rest of the series! And don't worry, the whole books isn't sad. It was just real. ;)

Willy and Daniel *chuckles* Oh my, they're SUCH boys. Such cute little boys, and they say the funniest things! <3

The romance was kind of hard to figure out! It was a bit different than what you might expect... or what I would. There were two guys. *sighs* I'm not SURE if I like how this all turned out, but I suppose... Simon! I didn't really like him that much. He seemed like he was trying to force Copper to marry him, and he didn't say he'd give her more time. What a scoundrel. But I guess I liked him more once I knew she was going to marry him. But he should've been more considerate! John was nice though. Why not John?

So yes, I enjoyed this story a lot! *grins*

I recommend this book to those who love historical books set in the later 1800's, and for about 14-15+

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troublesome Creek was a wonderful read. In parts of this book I felt my heart break with the tragedies that were described, other parts I bubbled up with laughter, and then I became involved in the sweet romances.

I was so impressed with Cooper's knowledge. She knew how to take care of herself and wanted to help others. She loved God and her family. She especially loved the mountains and didn't want to leave.

There was a lot of great research in this book about Kentucky in the 1800's. Some of the descriptions are still true today. So, I bubbled up with laughter when the preacher was described as taking a "hop-step, hop-step, stroll." I myself have seen that. Perfect!


What a wonderful read!

[henry smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book by an excellent writer. Reminds me of years ago when I was young and people still lived like mountain people. We were 20 miles from Bristol which was a long ways at that time. Never saw indoor plumbing till I went to school. We thought we were poor but we had everything a happy family could want. Now we have nice roads nice vehicles and nice houses and never realized how good life was till a few years ago. Nothing matters except being at peace with yourself and God. Stuff meanns nothing in the end. We went to church roamed the hills. Grew our food. Life was good with good memories. Tell my grand daughter to make good memories because some day that may be all you have this time period was 50 years before my birth but a lot hadn’t changed. Excellent writer

[Cathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copper Brown is a young woman torn. She would like nothing more than to stay the free spirit roaming the woods surrounding her family farm, but she is no longer a child and expectations are changing. Her stepmother wants to send her away to become a proper lady to increase her marriage prospects, her best friend John wants to change their relationship, and her Daddy wants to allow her to make up her own mind with no pressure. This historic novel set in the late 1800s is well written and an enjoyable read.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Late 1800's, we find Copper living with her family in the hills of Kentucky. A coming of age story as she is late teens. The first half of the book flashes back to when she was born and how her mom was killed.

Her stepmom/aunt wants more for her, education, experience, culture, etc. similar to what she and her mom came from. Her dad just wants the best. There's a couple love triangle. You can feel the rough/hard living and her care of her younger twin brothers. Some parts are slow moving and then the end felt a little rushed.

It does leave me wanting to finish the series.

[Marjorie Cavalier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book like Jojo Moyes' The Giver of Stars is set during the Great Depression and focuses on the WPA lending library program in Kentucky. Richardson's book also provides background on a health condition, congenital methemoglobinemia, which I had never heard of. This book is still relevant because of intolerance in our society.
Wrong title - Should be The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I am trying to change it.

[Stephanie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could give it a 3.5. There were parts of this book that were enjoyable, but there were also some very boring parts. I found myself skipping sections because I didn’t want to read 2-3 pages on how she milked the cow or churned butter. Some of the descriptions on her daily chores were just too much. I’m intrigued on reading the second one, but I’m not in a rush since the first book didn’t overly excite me.

[GJ S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good clean christian historical novel

I loved the story of Coppers life and the family and friends . I had all ready read the extended series connected to them later on. But when I found out the first series was available I had to read it even if it was going back. I hated for it to end. Wonderful godly series. I recommend this book and author.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming!

If you like reading books by Jannette Oke, you'll love the Troublesome Creek series! Copper is a young girl that is struggling with the task of becoming a young woman. Living on the mountain, continuing in her ancestors footsteps, experiencing life in these backwoods is a struggle but they all trust God to see them through.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love comes in all forms and this story is filled with those different loves. Young love, family love, romantic love, first love. There is sadness, happiness, joy, and heartbreak abundant in Watson's story of a family's journey through life. Copper Brown and her family touch your heartstrings with their hopes, dreams, and sorrows of everyday life in the 1800s, in the mountains of Kentucky.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up by mistaken title but I read it and found it to be an interesting book about early life in Kentucky - Christian fiction and a common sense book with trials and problems authentically portrayed . I also found the author’s life interesting too and how she began her writing career. I would recommend this book as a good book to read to anyone who loves pioneer style stories.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This richly nuanced story sparkles like sunshine on Troublesome Creek with its deep strong current. I was so impressed this novel I was thinking about the review I'd write before the middle of the book was read. What a powerful beginning to ithe trilogy! I am pleased to start this new year off with this series. Loved it!

[Charity Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author of this series Troublesome Creek is Jan Watson. Christian Writers Guild guy Jerry B Jenkins edited this first book of her series also named Troublesome Creek. This book was a "Winner" of 2014. Interesting perspective of a pioneer woman's life & marriage

[Susie Ryman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had My Heart

This story touched me as a real story that I heard tell in Emmalena, Ky. Troublesome Creek has been known to flood. I felt I was there on everypage. Copper is not imaginary to me I knew that little girl who didnt what to leave the mountains!