Tattler's Branch

Skip Rock #2

by Jan Watson

Lilly Corbett Still has grown to love her life as the small-town doctor of Skip Rock, a tiny coal community in the Kentucky mountains. Though her husband, Tern, is away for a few months at a mining job, Lilly keeps busy with her patients and her younger sister visiting for the summer.

Her hands full, Lilly turns to her good friend and neighbor, Armina, to help keep things in order. But when a mysterious chain of events leaves Armina bedridden and an orphaned baby on her doorstep, Lilly must trust in God and her resilient country neighbors to help her uncover the truth.

While working late one night, Lilly cares for a patient whose odd behavior sets her on edge, but she’s unaware of what a mess she’s found herself in until a break-in at her office puts her on high alert. Struggling between what is right and what is safe, Lilly discovers the strength of her neighbors, her God, and herself.

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

375 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

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 4 out of 5]

Having read Skip Rock Shallows, I was looking forward to "Tattler's Branch." I enjoyed Lilly Corbett in Skip Rock, and enjoyed her again in the this second book. As with Skip Rock, I enjoyed all of the medical tid-bits of the 1800's and found it to be very well-researched.

Overall the storyline was interesting--with a little disturbing thread, just because I like people to be sweet. :) But it was well-developed.

As for the Christian theme, I'd say that the MC was definitely a Christian, and verses would pop up throughout the entire book. At the same time, it didn't strike me as "if the Christian thread were out, the book would fall apart." (not trying to be harsh here)

I would recommend this for 18+ due to some marriage references.

*I received this book from Tyndale Rewards and happily provided my review*

[Lydia Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I didn't write this review soon enough after reading the book, so this review is going to be rather brief.

Thoughts I remember from when I was reading the book:

* This is interesting
* Yay! Not too much romance and no stupid insta love (I read the first book in the series like four years ago and yeah, annoying insta-love-alert)
* The medical side of the book was intriguing
* Sister relationship = very realistic = yay
* The whole sickness/trauma angle was annoying cause I JUST WANTED HER TO REMEMBER , so annoying in a good way
* The end was surprising, and again in a good way

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tattler’s Branch by Jan Watson
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction
Format: Kindle
Timeframe: 1911
Location: Skip Rock, Kentucky
Characters:
Lilly Gray Still: Doctor at Skip Rock
Mazy Pelfrey: Lilly’s sister, visiting for the summer
Armina Tippen: Lilly’s best friend (20 years old)
Hannah: Lillly’s office nurse watching out for Armina
Ann: Another of Lilly’s office nurses who is also a wet nurse for a foundling
Chanis Clay: Skip Rock’s sheriff, always there to help Lilly, attracted to Mazy
Tern Still: Lilly’s husband, government employed absent the whole book
Ned Tippen: Armina’s husband away at nursing school

Armina has been suffering strange after-effects from “the quinsy” (a complication from tonsillitis) months before. She was suffering soreness in limbs and loss of consciousness, which Lilly attributed to epilepsy, but other effects she attributed to Saint Vitus dance. Whichever the case, Armina was left needing assistance nearly 24/7 for quite a while. The odd part of this was Armina doesn’t remember the event that lead her to bring a newborn home. She had complete amnesia about that day.

The baby had two significant physical issues that Lilly needed to research. She also kept close tabs on Armina’s treatment. Meanwhile, they never probed about the events of that day, feeling that leaving her to remember on her own was the best way for the events to come out without agitation which could exacerbate Armina’s condition.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Lilly is being stalked, and until a break-in, she’s unaware of any danger she might be in.

Very good book, possibly one of my favorite in these Jan Watson books. I love all the medical issues, I love that the baby is unusual and taken care of with all the love the community can offer her. I love how much prayer and scripture is valued in the lives of the main characters.

Clean with a wonderful plot.

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really have enjoyed this series by Jan Watson.
Lilly, small town doctor has her share of interesting patients and events in her life. Just after her husband has to leave for his work, she discovered she was pregnant. She is so enthusiastic to share the news with him.
Second in the series, I’m reading backwards since I started with book number 3 not realizing it was a series. Lol now that I’ve read 2 and 3, I found the first book available through Libby/ overdrive. After the holiday is over I will tackle this.

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful story, historical fiction at its best!

Jan Watson’s novels have a quality I haven’t found in hardly any other historical fiction books; and it draws me in again and again. Tattler’s Branch was brilliant. The characters, as always, unusual and unforgettable. I loved reading more of Lilly and Tern, Armina and Ned, Mazy, the young sheriff, and all the others, and their interesting, every-day escapades. As well as the not-so-every-day escapades that had me on edge and guessing!

A wonderful story. Jan Watson brings the “olden days” to life! I can’t say enough … She weaves together epic, seemingly real-life tales of days we can only imagine.

Tattler’s Branch was probably my favorite out of the all the TROUBLESOME CREEK and COPPER BROWN books. I would love to read more!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I discovered Jan Watson and this cast of characters that I have come to appreciate. Jan has quite a way with words. I'm completely drawn up the mountain and settled on the front porch for a lovely read every time.

[Stephanie Ziegler · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is 1911 in Skip Rock, Kentucky. Armina Tippen decides to pick blueberries along Tattler's Branch Road. She has an episode where black spot appear before her eyes and she blacks out. When she wakes, Armina sees a man and a woman physically fighting. The two fall into the river. Then, in horror, Armina watches as the man raises a large rock and hits the woman in the head, blood flying everywhere. She watches as the man gets a shovel and supplies for what Armina assumes is to dig a grave when she hears a baby cry. While the killer is digging, Armina sneaks to an open window in the bedroom where she finds the baby in a basket. Armina takes the basket, grabs some cloth diapers off the clothes line and runs as fast as the dickens can carry her.

When Dr. Lilly Corbett Still arrives home from work, she finds her kitchen table is empty. Lilly's little sister has not seen Armina since breakfast. Worried, Lilly sends Mazy to Armina's house to check on her. Mazy finds Armina lying on the floor making an awful gurgling sound. With the help of a neighbor, they carry Armina to Doc Lilly's house. A quick exam proves Armina is suffering from "Saint Vitus' dance brought on by untreated rheumatic fever." Armina is in for a rough few days.

When Lilly is ready for bed, her dog begs to be taken out. Usually Kip is good about staying in the yard without a leash, but tonight he makes a mad dash to Armina's house. When Lilly enters, she hears a baby cry. Confused as to why Armina would have a baby, Doc Lilly sets out to exam and feed her. She finds that the baby girl has a weak heart, a cleft palate and is a mongoloid. Three strikes against this baby's life. She brings the baby to her clinic where one of her night nurses offered to take the baby home and act as her wet nurse. Armina's memory is foggy at best. She does not remember the day she took the baby. No one in town is looking for a baby, so who does she belong to?

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 3 Stars

While this story only lasts for a week, it is slow going. I had an ARC eBook and it was not unto 40% into the book that we find out if someone is looking for the baby.

I found the description of things to be confusing. I could not visualize anything. The personality of the baby's father does not match his actions and I did not find it believable. Yet everything gets tied up with a bow at the end. This book, simple as it was, just did not sit right with me.

Until next time, live life one page at a time!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age Appropriate For: 15 and up for reading level, murder, mild romance, and mildly scary scenes
Best for Ages: 18 and up

Last year, a friend was kind enough to lend me Skip Rock Shallows and I really enjoyed that story. When I saw that Tattler's Branch was more of Lilly’s story, I jumped at the chance to review it.
This book was a real page turner. Although it was over 300 pages, I finished it in two days because I was so eager to see what happened. It combined personal struggles, and medical as well as murder mystery. Yes, this book kept me turning pages.

I have to admit though, I really found myself liking Lilly less in this book. She has secrets and her husband was far from home. I could say more about it, but I don’t want to give away any of the book. However, the secrets and the absence of Tern detracted from the book in my opinion.

The setting of the book still has the same, strong historical backdrop. It captures both the harshness and the beauty of life in the Kentucky mountains. For those who enjoyed both Christy, and/or Skip Rock Shallows.

Jan Watson has an amazing style. She really knows how to tell a story. Which is why, even though I didn’t like some of what she did to the characters, I am giving this book four stars.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed Christy, what to finds out what happened after Skip Rock Shallows, or just want a book that keeps you turning pages.

I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can honestly say that seeing as its historical fiction, which I haven't read for a very long time, this was an enjoyable read. I got myself into the time zone and was well into it.

I hadn't read the first book in the series, and quite honestly I didn't realize this until I started to read this one. Doing some research I realised that I am missing some of the storyline which does make a difference, I can't say this could be read easily without reading the first book of this series. I'd highly recommend it.

Saying that, by the time I got half way through I was able to piece more and more together. It was an enjoyable read and I'd read another book by this author in a heart beat.

I got this as a complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers via Net Galley.

[Tecky A. Rusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! The characters were well developed, the story unpredictable, and the morals solid!! would definitely recommend it!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. Jan Watson creates likeable characters and well-written story lines. I've read all of her books, but her first was the best.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book by Jan Watson that I have read. I didn't realize until I was looking through reviews after finishing it that there this novel was a sequel to a previous book. It wasn't indicated anywhere on the book that it was part of a series and it isn't labeled as such on Goodreads. However, I eventually did find the book which held the back stories of the two main characters in this novel. I wish I had read it first because it would have helped me to understand this novel much better. The two main characters of this novel set in 1910 in the tiny Kentucky mountain coal community of Skip Rock, KY are are Dr. Lilly Corbet Still, a young doctor, and her friend and neighbor, Armina Tippen. Lilly did not grow up in this area but Armina is a native of the community. In the novel, both of their husbands are alluded but are temporarily gone, one with a government job related to mining and the other husband has gone to nursing school.

The plot starts out with Armina going to blackberry picking and accidentally witnessing a crime and then kidnapping an infant. However, before she can tell anyone about it, she loses consciousness as a result of a disease she has come down with as a complication of an earlier bout of sore throat. Fortunately, Lilly finds the baby in Armina's home and provides care for it until it can be determined who the baby belongs to. Meanwhile, the father of the baby is trying to find it.

Although the plot is interesting, I did not care for the style of writing. The author has attempted to be too 'folksy' in her writing style in an apparent attempt to authenticate the setting, conversation, and lifestyle of these mountain people. I have to admit that although I enjoyed the character of Lilly, I found myself very annoyed with the character of Armina. I think she is supposed to represent a typical 'mountain person from Appalachia' in the early 1900's but I felt her character was too abrasive. My husband's family lived in the mountains of East Tennessee and some of the
language and behavior shown by Armina but none of them were as obnoxious as she is portrayed.

Being a former pediatric nurse, I was surprised to find out about a disease I had never heard of in spite of many years working in a large pediatric clinic in South Carolina. The author uses the term 'Vitas' dance' to refer to Armina's condition as a complication of a sore throat. I knew I had never heard of the neurological symptoms described as being a complication of strep throat. However, I looked it up although it known by a different name and was interested to learn more about this particular complication caused by the bacteria which causes strep throat along with rheumatic fever.

This is Christian fiction and there are scriptural references in it but it is not a 'preachy' novel.

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was honestly very torn on this book. There were definitely elements I liked about this book, but it was not a page-turner for me, either.

What I Liked: This author did a fantastic job with her character development. I felt like I could envision all of the characters very well.

Even though most of this book went by pretty slowly, it really picked up 3/4 of the way through and I enjoyed seeing the ending of it all. There was even a bit of sadness in the end and my heart broke for the main character, Lilly.

I also really liked all the Scriptures included in this story. This was definitely a strong Christian book and that was refreshing for me to see. I liked seeing how Lilly clung to her faith throughout this book.

What I Didn't Like: I'm afraid there are just a couple things that threw me off. First, I got this book from a thrift store and I could not find anywhere in the book itself whether there were more books in this series. Usually it's printed on the spine or just inside the cover, but I could not find head nor tails of a list of previous books in the series. Later, when I began reading the book, I finally found a list in the back and discovered that this was the LAST book in this series. Maybe since it wasn't listed a series on the cover or the inside on the front of the book these are stand alone novels about the same character? I'm really not sure, because I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything in the previous books because this author did a good job explaining what happened in previous books.

Also, while I really enjoyed the main character, Lilly, I also disliked her a bit. Throughout the book I felt like she was a bit too perfect. It's hard to describe...amongst all of the country folk that appeared kinda "dumb" throughout the book Lilly appeared to be the person who knew everything (for lack of better words to describe it.) It's hard to say, I just felt like she was a bit too perfect and it made me cringe the least bit.

But, as a disclaimer, neither of these two things are major dislikes. I still enjoyed the story and would highly recommend it. These issues were just things I felt like I could not ignore. :) But please, if this story sounds intriguing to you, go ahead and read it and the things that bothered me might not even bother you. I am grateful for books such as these that are clean and have good Christian values in them.

I give this book 3/5 stars for a sweet, enjoyable, and encouraging story.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you enjoy historical novels that take the time to paint a vivid picture of the story world?

I do. I love to immerse myself in the story world as I read! However, I have done it again - I have read the second novel in a series before reading the first. 🙄 I borrowed this one from my mother and did not realize that Skip Rock Shallows is the first in the series. However, not having read the first one did not make me feel lost. This is a nice, leisurely-paced, Christian novel about a female doctor living in a small town in the early 20th century. There is a mystery element as well — about a murder and an abandoned baby. Lilly Still, the doctor, is pregnant, but her husband is away and she hasn’t had a chance to tell him. Her sister is staying with her and she cares for and interacts with an interesting set of characters in the coal mining town of Skip Rock. If you prefer a fast-paced, exciting-adventure–type story, this may not be for you. However, if you enjoy rich world building, memorable characters, and a wholesome, historical story, Jan Watson’s novel could be just the ticket!

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the early 1900's in the hills of Kentucky, Tattler's Branch, captured my attention right away. The descriptions were perfect and made me feel like I had stepped back into that coal mining community long ago. Back when neighbors leaned on each other and God for help.

I felt and understood all the characters but Lilly and Armina were two I would love to talk to! They both cared about others and were down to earth. My kind of people. Lilly stood out the most to me though because she was a woman doctor at a time when it was unheard of. She was brave but yet she missed her husband terribly. I love the letters she exchanged with her Mom asking her for advice.

Tattler's Branch had history, mystery, and romance all rolled into one making it a wonderful read!

[Jane Combs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

The story demonstrated that raising your children in a gentle God centered home provides the tools that children need to become wholesome adults. Lilly knew what she wanted from a very young age and worked toward that goal keeping the lord close and turning to Him for His plan. Mazy, her younger sister was more of a free spirit, beautiful and charming. She did however, a bit flighty. She did learn through many experiences in Skip Rock growing both in maturity and spirituality.

[ABookAddictHere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lilly's husband is away at a mine for his doctoral practice helping and she finds out she is pregnant along with one of her town friends , Armina finding a baby. The baby has a weak heart ans a cleft lip so its very under malnurious. Trying to get the little one to feed and solve the mystery of who it was that Armina saw that killed the women in the stream , leaves the towns sheriff on his toes, along with who is the babys father. Will the town find out the babys secrets?

[Tabitha Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights:

*A really well-written, realistic female protagonist (who is also a doctor.)

*Fun and unique side characters who all have very distinct personalities and roles within the story.

*A morally gray antagonist who makes you wonder if he should actually be labeled an antagonist.

*I had a great time reading everything that happened and at the end was ready for more.

*Also, the writing style was fantastic imo.

08-29-2022

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small village in the 1900 story tells of a woman doctor ,and her friend and neighbor Armina. Mystery that is around her, and the baby that she found, she doesn’t recall what happened. a mysterious man is now around trying to find the infant. This story was slow paced, the plot was good, as well as the main one, Lily.

[Dana McReynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all of her books so much. Sadly this is the last one for me. I read Buttermilk Sky first because someone gave it to me, then played catch up with the series. I tried to limit myself to one per month to make them last. I appreciate these inspirational and interesting books. The Kentucky history is fascinating and the message is full of truth.

[Earlene Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tern and Lilly

This is a slightly strange tale and is especially exciting and adventurous. Term works for the government mining department and travels a great deal . Lilly is the town doctor and busy constantly. Her friend finds a sickly newborn and everything is tipsy turvey from then on. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.

[Mary Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice view into our American past and the lives of women during the time my grandmothers were also young women.

[GJ S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful clean historical,inspirational novel

I loved this story it had a lot of drama and Christ like attributes. I think I have read the two I read out of sequence but I will get on track. The characters are are easy to connect with. I recommend the books and the author.
.

[Lisa N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #7 in the Troublesome Creek/Copper Brown series. Christian historical fiction taking place in Kentucky in the early 1900’s. Colorful characters add charm to this cute series. Good when you need something simple and wholesome to read.

[henry smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Good story content. Never leaving God out. Small Kentucky mining town. Small town lady doctor and has humor ,life’s tragedy and closeness of a small community. Events that could easily be true to life in the early 1900’

[Little Red Readinghood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written story. It may be the second of a series because of the plot. There is a mystery in the story. The Christian elements are relevant and well thought out.

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good and it never preaches. Liked the characters.

[Salinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It kept me guessing to the end, which I love in a book! Highly would recommend to any historical fiction reader who enjoys very little suspense and romance.

[Sherri Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story! I have devoured every one of her books.

[Brenda L Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent story by Jan Watson... I couldn't put it down once I picked it up..