Whispering Winds of Appalachia

by John Ellington, Joe Pierson (editor), Sarah Lahay (illustrator)

Nestled between the smoky, rolling peaks of Southern Appalachia lies the town of Brevard, North Carolina. When Chris Atwell’s family moves to Brevard in the early 1970s, Chris quickly becomes immersed in a world untouched by the mire of life outside the mountains.As a young boy, Chris meets the son of the struggling dairy farmer next door, Walker Davis, and Walker’s best friend, Brook Palmer. The three of them become as bonded to each other as they are to the vibrant world in which their lives unfold, spending the formative years of their childhood wandering in the woods chasing waterfalls and brook trout. During their last year of college, while they enjoy the potentially fleeting moments still together in the mountains, a pre-medical transfer student named Paul Wright turns their intimate trio into a quartette.What once seemed like Heaven is hopelessly ripped apart at the seams when one of the characters commits an irrevocable mistake that challenges friendship, love, and Chris’s understanding of even himself. Grasping at straws of a fractured past, Chris is forced to pit his conscience against the people he loves, all while listening to the subtle, haunting voices laced in the wind.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Coming Of Age, Audiobook, Adult

282 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2024

About the author

John Ellington hopes to be living, authentic proof to his readers that dreams are worth chasing, no matter how outlandish or unrealistic. As a practicing veterinarian with a background in biology, John is not your prototypical author. He has no formal training in literature or publishing. He spends the majority of his time calculating drug doses and peering through the lenses of microscopes. However, since a young age the creative side of his brain has been unsatisfied by science alone. He spends his free time exploring nature and writing songs. One particular dream of his was always to craft a story that would be worth sharing. His first novel, "Whispering Winds of Appalachia", is an expression of his innermost thoughts and feelings and was fully inspired by his hopelessly romantic spirit. There is more to the world around us than purely what meets our eyes, and he hopes his readers can not only sense that but feel it in the depths of their souls.

During veterinary school and the following few years Ellington spent his time exploring creeks in the Appalachian Mountains searching for trout and other evidence of the soft hand God uses to paint nature. At the age of 29, around the time he completed his first novel, a major life change led to him moving from South Carolina to Montana, where he currently resides. He continues to practice veterinary medicine and spends his free time fly fishing, hunting, and snow skiing. His Beagle, Milly, is the current love of his life and accompanies him on all adventures that allow a furry companion.

Reviews

[Roni Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please give up your day job!!!

John Ellington is a wordsmith like no one I have read in such a long time! Pure poetry! Because of his mastery with words, I could see and smell the Appalachian area in all it's beauty. The story is about the kind of friendship that we all dream of having, but few get to experience, in my opinion. You absolutely won't be able to put this one down.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes indeed! It’s Southern gothic well done. It’s atmospheric and brings Appalachian nature vividly to life.

If you liked A Broken Country, you might like this too for narration and mystery elements.

If you love the outdoors, you will feel at home in this novel.

There is just nothing wrong to tell you about.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished listening to the brilliant audio version of this brilliant book. Absolutely heart-wrenching! Bring your hankies, folks.

I love stories that take place in my home state of NC, and even though I'm not from the mountains, of course I love them, as all North Carolina natives do. The actor who narrated this book had the accents absolutely down pat, and his emotional reading made this story even more difficult to listen to at times.

I'm always so happy when the name of the Appalachian mountains are pronounced in the southern way, with the short "a" and the "ch" sound, instead of the long "a" and the "sh" sound. It does make a difference in how authentic a North Carolina accent sounds.

A retired librarian friend of mine recommended this book. She just happens to live in western NC so is even closer to this kind of story than I. I couldn't have loved it more.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for choosing me.

John Ellington is an incredibly gifted writer.

Every moment from the very first word until the last, I felt like I was walking next to Chris, Walker and Brook. This is a stunning work of art and I won't ever forget it. Tears are still streaming as I sit here thinking of Walk, Brook and Chris. Their beautiful friendship, their love for one another, their unwavering support is absolutely beautiful. I was not expecting to be this affected by these characters or their stories, yet I sit here with a tear-streaked face and red eyes wishing it didn't happen to them. I so wish I could have stopped Walk and Brook, I would do anything to have been able to stop them from going down those paths. I wish I could've screamed in their faces to stop, to turn around before it was too late. If there was anything I could've done, I would've just to save them from themselves, because I am so sure that they deserved so much more than the cards they were dealt.

My heart is completely shattered for the tree of them. My heart aches for Grady and for Paul too. I admire Chris for stepping up the way he did. I admire Walker for taking responsibility and being honest. I admire Brook for sticking by them, even when she was falling apart she was still there. Always strong, right up until the very end.

These characters have become such a big part of me, that I know I'll never stop thinking of them. Although, its full of heartache and tragedy this is at its heart a book about unconditional love, friendship and the beauty of life. It will forever have a special place in my heart.

I'll be listening for Chris, Walker and Brook in the breeze for the rest of my life.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is a quiet peace and feeling of safety in the mountains." This was a bittersweet book for me. In 1975, we moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia as soon as we graduated from college to teach and stayed until just a few years ago. Mr. Ellington perfectly captures the very essence of the mountains, from the loamy scent of the deep woods to the quality of light as it bounces off a clear running stream and the magical mists of early mornings. Added to the exquisite setting is a coming-of-age tale full of firsts, tragedy, and reconciliation. Reading this was a little like going home for me and validation for why I miss the mountains every single day.

"The quietest place a soul can find itself is in the mountains during a winter snow."

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5. Beautiful descriptions of the area and believable young characters. Loved their relationship thru the years.

Major flaws with Maddy and her not knowing she was Chris's alibi! Hard to believe they would not have her or Brook as a witness! Or even talk about it!

[Donna Bletz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting for this book is Brevard, NC. The author’s description of the mountains, trails, and streams makes you believe you are seeing them in real life. This story is about 3 friends and the event that changed everything.

[Tammi Ihlenfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true novel

This book had and held me throughout. I feel the same way about nature and friendship. Very gripping. An amazing story.

[Teresa Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved thus book

I loved the way the story flowed and enveloped you and it was like
being part of the story. Very powerful.

[Glenda O'quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wind

This one brought me to tears. I am a proud Appalachian, one who will listen to the wind more closely.

[Megan Baertlein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every page. Fantastic. If Demon Copperhead and Stand With Me had a baby, it would be this book. So good.

[Kathryn Spurgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

A touching, haunting story of friendship, young love, and mistakes. Also, regret and sorrow. I could go on because so many emotions are involved. Has coarse language.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for providing me with a Kindle version of this fictional account of a group of friends (Chris Avery, Walker Davis, and Brook Palmer) living in Transylvania County, North Carolina near the city of Brevard. This novel is written in the first person from Chris’ perspective in a series of flashbacks covering May 1973 through August 1985 with particular emphasis on the years 1983, 1984, and 1985.

Chris’ family moved in May 1973 from Raleigh, North Carolina to an old farmhouse with acres of woods on an Appalachian mountainside just outside of the city of Brevard. A young Chris eventually meets and befriends Walker of like age. Walker’s widowed father runs a struggling dairy farm that is next to where Chris lives. Though skeptical of an outsider from the big city of Raleigh, Chris and Walker eventually become good friends. Walker’s other friend, a girl named Brook, is the other primary character of this novel. Walker’s father struggles with running a dairy farm that faced increased competition from large scale production dairy farms while Brook’s father struggles with alcohol to cope with his wife leaving the family and town after having an extramarital affair. The three friends support each other and grow remarkably close.

Brook and Chris leave the town to go to college while Walker stays behind to help his father with the dairy farm. Life on the farm is difficult for Walker as it requires long hours of very hard work and does not provide financial rewards to build a sustainable life for himself and his desired future bride, Brook. Walker turns to fishing and exploring nature but also drugs and alcohol to cope with the lack of future economic opportunities. During the summer of 1984, the three close-knit young adult friends are introduced to Paul Wright, a peer from a wealthy background. Will Paul disrupt the close bond of the three friends? Does Walker end up marrying Brook? Can the friendship of Chris, Walker, and Brook survive into adulthood? Does the dairy farm survive? These are just a few of the questions answered in this engaging novel.

First time author John Ellington describes in detail the atmosphere and beauty of Appalachia and tackles issues such as the importance of friendship, locals vs. outsiders, social class, economic opportunity and hardship, loss, regret, memories, honesty, deceitfulness, and reconciliation. This novel has many of the same themes as and the feel of the 1971 movie “The Last Picture Show,” which was based on a novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry. This is a strong debut novel by Ellington.

[Emma Brauneller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and yet heartbreaking - paired with stunningly written imagery that will leave you longing to be in the mountains of North Carolina. This story exemplifies how emotions and feelings can be so complicated, even in the face of what we know is right and wrong. From love, loss, grief, nostalgia, longing, regret, sorrow -- this novel will tug at your heart. I started and finished this in one night because I couldn’t put it down.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

John did an excellent job capturing the character of both the landscape and the people of southern Appalachia. As more and more folks relocate and are drawn to the area I call home, I appreciated John’s explanation of some of the character’s hesitance to accept newcomers. I was also immediately transported back home with the detail and attention with which John described the southern Appalachian landscape. I could close my eyes and picture the trails and rivers that I grew up hiking and kayaking. Above all, as both someone from the region and someone who is involved in agriculture, I loved the explanation of farming practices and the real look into how folks from Appalachia (or rural areas in general) make their living. I would not be who I am today without my upbringing in the North GA hills and I am moved to see such honest and detailed representation of an area that means the world to me.

Great debut novel and I look forward to reading the next one!

[Rebecca Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving, sad story

I always enjoy reading books set in North Carolina, my birth state. This book showed the depth of friendship when you are young and the heartache that friends can cause each other.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Really good book! Loved the descriptions of rural Appalachia & vivid imagery. Felt like I was right beside them.

[Jamie Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book of 2025 so far! audiobook was fantastic!!

[Haley Durbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful novel that reminded me a lot of Where the Crawdads Sing. I loved the talk of nature and friendship as well as John’s writing. A great debut!

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just shy of 4 stars but I rounded up because the story stuck with me and I truly “felt it” if that makes any sense.
A coming of age, especially set in dire times or the south, is my weakness. So I knew this story would be up my alley. It was beautifully written and gets praised for so, but that’s actually my knock on it. It was so heavy in the beginning of description, I almost couldn’t concentrate. It felt like a teenager trying to fluff their essay with every adverb and adjective you could find. This either calmed down or I got use to it, because I did immerse myself In the writing and ended up enjoying it.
Also wish we had some more time watching them grow close as children. We do not get many chapters on this and have to just understand that they are all soulmates.
But overall, a very good story that I’ll be thinking about for a while.

[Turtle Wingate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - this was an enjoyable read. It captured my attention well. I really appreciate how vividly the scenery is described throughout the book, making me wish I could be there. I'm not well-versed in fly fishing, so much of that information went over my head, haha. I can't imagine being in Chris's shoes, having to keep such a significant secret. That would have eaten me up inside. I can see that for Chris, it indeed did just that. I adore the connection he shares with his best friend's dad. I loved how he embraced the life and culture of the place he found himself in. Despite the immense sorrow in his life, he managed to discover happiness. The themes of murder and suicide are prevalent. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Trinity Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

unbelievable

Three stars for prose. Words are put together beautifully, and the only reason I didn’t give up on it.
The mountains have mountain people. With mountain problems. Mountain people are hillbillies. They have accents.
I wanted to read about the mountains my ancestors are from with some good fiction.
Unfortunately the story is flat.
And Chris would have been better as a girl. Because he’s really good at not minding his own business. He was very unlikable. Mr Grady…I definitely would have liked to read his point of view.
I would have liked for the book to have been more authentic, and a little less sophisticated.
I definitely would enjoy reading Mr Ellingtons poetry.

[Tim Schiraldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful story! Mr Ellington did a fabulous job of making me feel like I was there, whether it Brevard, NC, fishing for Brook Trout in Lonesome Valley, working an Appalachian dairy farm, or listening to the whispers of the mountains, trees, and rivers while walking a trail in Pisgah National Forest. The character development was excellent. I felt like I was right there in the back seat of a Ford Bronco, drinking whisky or sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories in the woods.

[Lia DeVries · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully written, heart-wrenching, coming-of-age story. As an avid outdoorswoman, I related so much to the way John described the characters’ connection to nature, wildlife, and the powerful bond between like-minded individuals that share those experiences. The imagery totally transported me to the rivers, streams, and acres of woods I’ve explored and ultimately found peace in. Exceptional.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

Put it down. Was this a first novel? Self published perhaps? A saccharine sweet story looking back on growing up in the mountains of NC. The dialogue more than anything signaled the author’s inexperience (people just aren’t that explicit) and caused me to lose faith in his capacity to craft a story that would end me up in any place I would want to be. Let me out here, thanks. I’d rather walk.

[Lisa M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review. I thought this book was very well written. His descriptions of Appalachia took me right there. The story of friendship, love and loss pulled me right in from beginning to end. I will definitely look for this author’s next book.

[Brian Welsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is fairly straightforward, but Ellington makes the characters and setting come alive. The writing is often poetic, but without being too flowery and purple. I'm familiar with Western NC and look forward to more of Ellington's stories.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of beautifully written prose and strong characters with interesting relationships that were well written - however the first half of the book really dragged for me and I found it a real slog - the 2nd half was better and I enjoyed it more.

[KK Willett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story of a coming of age novel. Listened to this book and finished in 2 days, was sobbing at the end! Great read

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25