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When Butterflies Cry
What could possibly be sad enough to make butterflies cry?
A soldier returns to find his wife in his brother's arms. And that's not even the worst thing he's come home to.
And just so you know going in—that dam holding back a 300-million-gallon lake on the mountainside above the little coal camp town of Saddler Hollow—that dam’s going to blow.
Grayson Addington comes home to Saddler Hollow, West Virginia, from Vietnam a broken man, ravaged by post traumatic stress syndrome, a chaplain who left his faith in the jungle mud with his massacred unit. His wife, Piper, doesn’t know her husband anymore. In his absence, she turned to his brother Carter for support. Now, she must choose between them—and Carter will stop at nothing to have her.
And into this family torn apart by jealousy, deceit and clan loyalties comes a mysterious little girl. Maggie, a battered child with amnesia, shows up on the Addington's front porch and instantly bonds to Sadie, Piper and Grayson’s cripplingly shy toddler. When Maggie runs away and takes Sadie with her, the warring brothers must team up to search for them.
But something more than chance has brought the child called Maggie to this wounded family. And nothing less than destiny will be fulfilled by her incredible act of love--on the foggy morning when the coal slag dam at the top of the hollow explodes.
Interview with the author:
Q. What’s so special about When Butterflies Cry?
A. It’s real life on paper. It’s been a Kindle bestseller because the characters in the novel come to life on the page—like the family next door in a small town. The story is gripping, the action nail-biting.
Q. Is this a Christian book?
A. There’s no religion in it. But there is spirituality--themes of love and sacrifice that touch the soul of readers of any faith—or no faith at all.
Q. Why should readers give this book a try?
A. Because it’s a book that will break your heart, and then put it back together again.
Goodreads and Amazon Reader Reviews
Wow. I have found a new favourite author. She is so good and I’ve been burned a lot lately by really bad free books, written poorly and full of mistakes. This is the kind of contemporary women’s fiction I want but usually don’t find in a free book. A (no spoilers) sacrifice makes the book inspirational, but its filled with suspense too. Even though its during the 60's or 70s war in Vietnam, the story itself felt timeless and contemporary and so real I forgot it was fiction and it kept me in suspense way past my bedtime to find out what happened. Sarah Bridges
I’m a city girl and I never thought my heart would break over a story about a small town in West Virginia. Not what I expected from a typical paranormal thriller--its a mystery with lots of suspense, like other reviewers said, it was unique. But it is during the Viet Nam war times, and not contemporary fiction like it said. You should read it, but have lots of tissues handy. It was inspirational to me how the chaplain kept hanging on and "doin’ the necessary" and then got home and found his brother with his wife—but I won’t spoil the suspense. I think the mystery about the butterflies landing on her was she was paranormal.
A soldier returns to find his wife in his brother's arms. And that's not even the worst thing he's come home to.
And just so you know going in—that dam holding back a 300-million-gallon lake on the mountainside above the little coal camp town of Saddler Hollow—that dam’s going to blow.
Grayson Addington comes home to Saddler Hollow, West Virginia, from Vietnam a broken man, ravaged by post traumatic stress syndrome, a chaplain who left his faith in the jungle mud with his massacred unit. His wife, Piper, doesn’t know her husband anymore. In his absence, she turned to his brother Carter for support. Now, she must choose between them—and Carter will stop at nothing to have her.
And into this family torn apart by jealousy, deceit and clan loyalties comes a mysterious little girl. Maggie, a battered child with amnesia, shows up on the Addington's front porch and instantly bonds to Sadie, Piper and Grayson’s cripplingly shy toddler. When Maggie runs away and takes Sadie with her, the warring brothers must team up to search for them.
But something more than chance has brought the child called Maggie to this wounded family. And nothing less than destiny will be fulfilled by her incredible act of love--on the foggy morning when the coal slag dam at the top of the hollow explodes.
Interview with the author:
Q. What’s so special about When Butterflies Cry?
A. It’s real life on paper. It’s been a Kindle bestseller because the characters in the novel come to life on the page—like the family next door in a small town. The story is gripping, the action nail-biting.
Q. Is this a Christian book?
A. There’s no religion in it. But there is spirituality--themes of love and sacrifice that touch the soul of readers of any faith—or no faith at all.
Q. Why should readers give this book a try?
A. Because it’s a book that will break your heart, and then put it back together again.
Goodreads and Amazon Reader Reviews
Wow. I have found a new favourite author. She is so good and I’ve been burned a lot lately by really bad free books, written poorly and full of mistakes. This is the kind of contemporary women’s fiction I want but usually don’t find in a free book. A (no spoilers) sacrifice makes the book inspirational, but its filled with suspense too. Even though its during the 60's or 70s war in Vietnam, the story itself felt timeless and contemporary and so real I forgot it was fiction and it kept me in suspense way past my bedtime to find out what happened. Sarah Bridges
I’m a city girl and I never thought my heart would break over a story about a small town in West Virginia. Not what I expected from a typical paranormal thriller--its a mystery with lots of suspense, like other reviewers said, it was unique. But it is during the Viet Nam war times, and not contemporary fiction like it said. You should read it, but have lots of tissues handy. It was inspirational to me how the chaplain kept hanging on and "doin’ the necessary" and then got home and found his brother with his wife—but I won’t spoil the suspense. I think the mystery about the butterflies landing on her was she was paranormal.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2014
127 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Ninie Hammon
48 books240 followersI was born in Socorro, New Mexico, sometime shortly after the earth cooled off. It’s clear that from the outset my parents never intended for me to amount to anything. How could I? With a name like “Ninie?” Please.
Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.
If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:
“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”
I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn't know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn't write the rest of it didn't matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.
Now, I write suspense--every flavor except pistachio: psychological suspense, inspirational suspense, suspense thrillers, paranormal suspense, suspense mysteries.
In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you'll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are--people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable--and it's always the game-changer."
Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.
If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:
“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”
I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn't know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn't write the rest of it didn't matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.
Now, I write suspense--every flavor except pistachio: psychological suspense, inspirational suspense, suspense thrillers, paranormal suspense, suspense mysteries.
In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you'll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are--people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable--and it's always the game-changer."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 25, 2014
I’m a city girl and I never thought my heart would break over a story about a small town in WV. Not what I expected from a typical paranormal thrillers--its a mystery with lots of suspense. Like other reviewers said, it was unique, with such in-depth character development I fell in love with all of them and couldn't wait to find out what happened to them. But it is during the Viet Nam war times, and not contemporary fiction like it said in the category listing. I didn't mind a bit, though I was looking for something set in 2014. You should read it but have a tissue handy. It was inspirational to me how the chaplain kept hanging on and doin’ the necessary and then got home and found his brother with his wife—but I won’t spoil the suspense. I particularly liked the character of Maggie and wondered about her through the whole book. I think the mystery about the butterflies landing on her was she was paranormal, but in the end I found out what the real deal was. I won't spoil the suspense about that, either. All in all a terrific book. I will read everything this author writes.
October 26, 2016
What Butterflies will you find lurking in the shadows
I walked away from this book with more opened eyes and passion for characters than I have been before with other books and characters. I don't remember exactly how I came across this book but I had it sitting on my unlimited kindle books for awhile and I'm glad I finally took the chance to read it. This is a story back in long ago times 1968 I think it was and even before that. It is like a Hatfield and McCoy battle but one that will leave you with passion and love for both sides especially the children and the main characters in this book. There were just a couple of characters I really didn't care for but once you read this you will find out why and I do hope that you will give this book and author a chance because now I'm going to try and go find a few of her other books and read them.
I walked away from this book with more opened eyes and passion for characters than I have been before with other books and characters. I don't remember exactly how I came across this book but I had it sitting on my unlimited kindle books for awhile and I'm glad I finally took the chance to read it. This is a story back in long ago times 1968 I think it was and even before that. It is like a Hatfield and McCoy battle but one that will leave you with passion and love for both sides especially the children and the main characters in this book. There were just a couple of characters I really didn't care for but once you read this you will find out why and I do hope that you will give this book and author a chance because now I'm going to try and go find a few of her other books and read them.
November 23, 2014
Wow. I have found a new favourite author. I downloaded the book because it was a new release and sat down to read it. I couldn't put it down until I was finished. Literally read straight through it. I'd never heard of this author until this summer and after I read a couple of her books I started looking for more and this is her latest. She is so good and I’ve been burned a lot lately by free books that're really bad, written poorly and full of mistakes. This is the kind of contemporary women’s fiction I want but usually don’t find in a free book. A (no spoilers) sacrifice makes the book inspirational, but its filled with suspense too. Even thouth its during the 60's or 70s war in Vietnam, the story itself felt timeless and contemporary and so real I forgot it was fiction and it kept me in suspense way past my bedtime to find out what happened.
November 23, 2014
When Butterflies Cry is based on a true story I remember in the news when I was a kid about a dam flooding a small West Virginia town, but it felt like today, very contemporary. Women will identify with the wife who doesn’t know her husband anymore, men will identify with the psychological issues of a soldier coming home suffering with PTSD and every reader will be set on edge by the suspense in this fiction thriller. I loved the characters. They were so real that you loved them one minute and hated them the next. It is a good thing I got this book on Saturday because I haven't done anything but read this whole weekend. I will definitely look for more book by Ninie Hammon.
March 2, 2015
A great read!!!
I have to say that at first I had a hard time getting into the story. Do not know now ( after completing ) why. Once I fully committed to read it to the end ,at about the 2nd or 3rd chapter, I could not stop!! Lots of action and she kept you up to date on all characters during the story , Loved that !!! Great story !!
I have to say that at first I had a hard time getting into the story. Do not know now ( after completing ) why. Once I fully committed to read it to the end ,at about the 2nd or 3rd chapter, I could not stop!! Lots of action and she kept you up to date on all characters during the story , Loved that !!! Great story !!
December 6, 2014
Ninie Hammon is my new favorite author, and this is one of her best. The depth of her charactar development, speech patterns, actions, etc. shows research/knowledge of her subjects.
December 11, 2014
Loved this book
Humanity at its best and worst. Awesome characters, wonderfully written. This author has yet to disappoint. When butterflies cry.. Enjoy
Humanity at its best and worst. Awesome characters, wonderfully written. This author has yet to disappoint. When butterflies cry.. Enjoy
May 27, 2016
This book is intense. Loved it. New favorite author. This book is about Viet Nam and the soldier from a small coal mining town...
April 23, 2019
Brief synopsis from the book cover:
Grayson Addington comes home to Saddler Hollow, West Virginia, from Vietnam a broken man, ravaged by post traumatic stress syndrome, a chaplain who left his faith in the jungle mud with his massacred unit. His wife, Piper, doesn’t know her husband anymore. In his absence, she turned to his brother Carter for support. Now, she must choose between them—and Carter will stop at nothing to have her.
And into this family torn apart by jealousy, deceit and clan loyalties comes a mysterious little girl. Maggie, a battered child with amnesia, shows up on the Addington's front porch and instantly bonds to Sadie, Piper and Grayson’s cripplingly shy toddler. When Maggie runs away and takes Sadie with her, the warring brothers must team up to search for them.
But something more than chance has brought the child called Maggie to this wounded family. And nothing less than destiny will be fulfilled by her incredible act of love--on the foggy morning when the coal slag dam at the top of the hollow explodes.
My rating:
Story: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Review:
This is surprisingly good. I had mixed feelings starting this book as I read a previous book by the same author that I did not enjoy as much. However this is a great story. Very well written, it’s captivating and intriguing but also full of hope and love. The characters are portrait authentic and realistic. You feel their struggle, pain and confusion. You will find that, you can’t stop yourself hoping that things turn out well for them. I really enjoyed it.
January 29, 2022
Intense! This story is nothing if it’s not intense. War is ugly, but the war in Viet Nam was exceptionally so. Atrocities no human should ever witness. The things Grayson Addington saw, lived, imprinted on his brain. Changed him forever.
Meanwhile, back in West Virginia, the mining communities live under a threat of a different kind. Driven by money hungry moguls with nearly as little regard for human life as the enemy Grayson was fighting.
Ms. Hammon digs deep into the soul of man, unearthing the layers we all would rather keep hidden, the things we deny, and exposes an ugliness more hideous than war.
Characters with honest emotions, authentic dialogue, real situations and struggles. And Maggie, [SPOILER.]
Intense, yes, and gripping, riveting, I couldn’t read it fast enough. And the ending!! It gave me chills!
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
ALL | THE | FEATHERS!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Friday, #TRD, Book Review, When Butterflies Cry, Ninie Hammon
Meanwhile, back in West Virginia, the mining communities live under a threat of a different kind. Driven by money hungry moguls with nearly as little regard for human life as the enemy Grayson was fighting.
Ms. Hammon digs deep into the soul of man, unearthing the layers we all would rather keep hidden, the things we deny, and exposes an ugliness more hideous than war.
Characters with honest emotions, authentic dialogue, real situations and struggles. And Maggie, [SPOILER.]
Intense, yes, and gripping, riveting, I couldn’t read it fast enough. And the ending!! It gave me chills!
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
ALL | THE | FEATHERS!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Friday, #TRD, Book Review, When Butterflies Cry, Ninie Hammon
August 18, 2019
Give it a 4 star took alot to figure out story line.
Its was a good book, it was hard to get into for awhile. The book after chapter 20 was hard to put down wanted to see what happens.
The dialect was hard to read sometimes.
It was sad how so many people died. Didnt really find out about what happened to some of the characters. Never read from this author. Might try another book.
Its was a good book, it was hard to get into for awhile. The book after chapter 20 was hard to put down wanted to see what happens.
The dialect was hard to read sometimes.
It was sad how so many people died. Didnt really find out about what happened to some of the characters. Never read from this author. Might try another book.
September 3, 2020
A beautiful, yet tragic story of a family struggling with the aftermath of the Viet Nam war when the father returns, the loss and regaining of faith, and the interaction of two siblings who love the same woman. Two little girls figure prominently in the story as well as the machinations of an industrial concern and how it impacted a small West Virginia town. The character development was remarkable. This is a riviting read. Enjoy!
September 22, 2017
Oh my god!
When Butterflies Cry is the best book I've come across in a very long time. I laughed, I cried, and I got upset in several areas in there story. The character development is amazing and the storyline stats true throughout. By the time I finished the last sentence I was emotionally exhausted and I loved it!
When Butterflies Cry is the best book I've come across in a very long time. I laughed, I cried, and I got upset in several areas in there story. The character development is amazing and the storyline stats true throughout. By the time I finished the last sentence I was emotionally exhausted and I loved it!
October 15, 2018
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The story is engaging from beginning to end with all the pieces nicely integrated. I definitely recommend reading it.
August 26, 2020
Amazing book filled with characters that are so realistic you can feel their emotions! Another great story by Ninie!
January 1, 2026
Took me a few chapters to get sucked in. The beginning was a bit scattered and confusing. What an ending, it got me.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
March 12, 2015
When Butterflies Cry is the second book I have read by Ninie Hammon and it will not be the last. Ninie Hammon has an incredible gift with language. For example, a line from the second page says, “But the smile that started on Andy’s face melted like wax beneath a candle flame.” Can’t you just see that smile disappear?
The book When Butterflies Cry is based in Wales, Vietnam and West Virginia. An event in time pulls them all together. An unknown girl shows up at the door. She has been badly beaten by someone but no one reports her missing. A few days later a shell-shocked soldier comes home from the war in Vietnam to find his brother making moves on his wife. Meanwhile, above their home the dam built to hold back toxic waste from coal mining is about to let go.
In Ninie’s book she mentions the United States Bureau of Mines, the agency that is supposed to exercise regulatory control over the mining industry. She says that in practice, the USBM was more of an extension of the industry than a watchdog. I found this particularly interesting because in the Canadian province I live in we have recently had a dam give way that contained toxic sludge from the Mount Polley mine. One of the reasons why this happened was poor government oversight. The buzz-word here is self-regulating. There were no towns beneath the massive spill that happened in BC, but there was a pristine wilderness which up until now has boasted the largest run of sockeye salmon.
I would highly recommend Ninie’s book. It is not so much a social commentary as a wonderful story of love and loss and what it means to be family. There is enough drama in this book to keep a reader missing sleep to keep on turning pages until they have finished a remarkable book.
The book When Butterflies Cry is based in Wales, Vietnam and West Virginia. An event in time pulls them all together. An unknown girl shows up at the door. She has been badly beaten by someone but no one reports her missing. A few days later a shell-shocked soldier comes home from the war in Vietnam to find his brother making moves on his wife. Meanwhile, above their home the dam built to hold back toxic waste from coal mining is about to let go.
In Ninie’s book she mentions the United States Bureau of Mines, the agency that is supposed to exercise regulatory control over the mining industry. She says that in practice, the USBM was more of an extension of the industry than a watchdog. I found this particularly interesting because in the Canadian province I live in we have recently had a dam give way that contained toxic sludge from the Mount Polley mine. One of the reasons why this happened was poor government oversight. The buzz-word here is self-regulating. There were no towns beneath the massive spill that happened in BC, but there was a pristine wilderness which up until now has boasted the largest run of sockeye salmon.
I would highly recommend Ninie’s book. It is not so much a social commentary as a wonderful story of love and loss and what it means to be family. There is enough drama in this book to keep a reader missing sleep to keep on turning pages until they have finished a remarkable book.
February 17, 2017
Stunned
I. Am sitting here speechless. Finding the words is what this author does very well. From smiles at
Sadie and her sweet ways to feeling so sad for poor little Maggie with no one to call her own. She fits in like she had always been Sadie's caretaker. She overflows with love for the small girl. She slowly earns the love of everyone in the family.
There are several wonderful and sorrowful stories woven into Butterfies Cry.
I loved the book and went through so many different emotions.
This author really has a gift.
Phyl
ao
d
I. Am sitting here speechless. Finding the words is what this author does very well. From smiles at
Sadie and her sweet ways to feeling so sad for poor little Maggie with no one to call her own. She fits in like she had always been Sadie's caretaker. She overflows with love for the small girl. She slowly earns the love of everyone in the family.
There are several wonderful and sorrowful stories woven into Butterfies Cry.
I loved the book and went through so many different emotions.
This author really has a gift.
Phyl
ao
d
January 18, 2016
In 2015 I read 108 books. I gave only 12 of these a 5 star review. I begin with this to say this is one of my rarely offered 5 star reviews and the first for 2016. It is difficult to summarize this powerful story in a short review. From the opening pages you realize the story is special. You sense that two cataclysmic events have occurred in two different parts of the world that are somehow connected. You spend the rest of the book trying to figure out how. This is the story of a soldier's return from Vietnam to his home in West Virginia...to a wife who loves him but who has grown attached to his brother, to a small daughter who does not know him, to a mother who is dying and to a town that remembers him as a Pastor although after what he has witnessed, he no longer believes in anything. Most importantly he returns to find a strange new child in his home who mysteriously appears and evokes flashbacks of a Vietnamese child who had saved his life only to lose hers. The characters are so well defined that you will feel like you know them. The final scenes are so suspense filled and dramatic that you will not be able to put the book down.
There are several stories within this story, woven together so cleverly that I marveled at the creative mind of Ninie Hammon.
There are several stories within this story, woven together so cleverly that I marveled at the creative mind of Ninie Hammon.
May 12, 2015
This was so good, a real hold on to your seat read, and I definately will read other books by this new-to-me author, Ninie Hammon.
From Amazon:
Grayson Addington comes home to Saddler Hollow, West Virginia, from Vietnam a broken man, ravaged by post traumatic stress syndrome, a chaplain who left his faith in the jungle mud with his massacred unit. His wife, Piper, doesn’t know her husband anymore. In his absence, she turned to his brother Carter for support. Now, she must choose between them—and Carter will stop at nothing to have her.
And into this family torn apart by jealousy, deceit and clan loyalties comes a mysterious little girl. Maggie, a battered child with amnesia, shows up on the Addington's front porch and instantly bonds to Sadie, Piper and Grayson’s cripplingly shy toddler. When Maggie runs away and takes Sadie with her, the warring brothers must team up to search for them.
But something more than chance has brought the child called Maggie to this wounded family. And nothing less than destiny will be fulfilled by her incredible act of love--on the foggy morning when the coal slag dam at the top of the hollow explodes.
From Amazon:
Grayson Addington comes home to Saddler Hollow, West Virginia, from Vietnam a broken man, ravaged by post traumatic stress syndrome, a chaplain who left his faith in the jungle mud with his massacred unit. His wife, Piper, doesn’t know her husband anymore. In his absence, she turned to his brother Carter for support. Now, she must choose between them—and Carter will stop at nothing to have her.
And into this family torn apart by jealousy, deceit and clan loyalties comes a mysterious little girl. Maggie, a battered child with amnesia, shows up on the Addington's front porch and instantly bonds to Sadie, Piper and Grayson’s cripplingly shy toddler. When Maggie runs away and takes Sadie with her, the warring brothers must team up to search for them.
But something more than chance has brought the child called Maggie to this wounded family. And nothing less than destiny will be fulfilled by her incredible act of love--on the foggy morning when the coal slag dam at the top of the hollow explodes.
June 20, 2015
This is the first novel I have read from this author and really loved it.
This is set in the the 1960's - in West Virginia. Grayson Addington, preacher, has been called by the National Guard to serve time in Vietnam. He is faced with all the horrors of war and comes home with all the things he had to deal with in this war.
When he arrives homes, he finds his wife in the arms of his brother, Carter. Piper and Grayson have a daughter - Sadie. When Grayson was in Vietnam, a young girl showed up at Piper's door. She had been beaten and didn't know where she came from or anything about her family. Her name was Maggie. Piper has been taking care of Grayson's mother who is very sick and when Maggie shows up, she helps out with Sadie. Piper does go to the police to let them know about Maggie, but no one knows anything about her.
This is a great novel and the paranormal - where did Maggie come from. Who is she and how does she know things?
This will not be my last read from this author. Loved the way she writes!!
This is set in the the 1960's - in West Virginia. Grayson Addington, preacher, has been called by the National Guard to serve time in Vietnam. He is faced with all the horrors of war and comes home with all the things he had to deal with in this war.
When he arrives homes, he finds his wife in the arms of his brother, Carter. Piper and Grayson have a daughter - Sadie. When Grayson was in Vietnam, a young girl showed up at Piper's door. She had been beaten and didn't know where she came from or anything about her family. Her name was Maggie. Piper has been taking care of Grayson's mother who is very sick and when Maggie shows up, she helps out with Sadie. Piper does go to the police to let them know about Maggie, but no one knows anything about her.
This is a great novel and the paranormal - where did Maggie come from. Who is she and how does she know things?
This will not be my last read from this author. Loved the way she writes!!
May 1, 2015
Ninie Hammon has packed so much into one book that it's hard to narrow it down to a simple synopsis. Every ounce of the novel is bursting at the seams. Vietnam & Sadler Hollow are spilt into 2 settings with flashbacks as well as present tense. Both are almost characters themselves. Some elements of the book are deeply emotional, especially the scenes in Vietnam. The author evenly portrays feelings of the War in a bi-partisan way. Grayson's PTSD is accurately portrayed as well.
Though at times, the book was a bit more lengthy than it needed to be, it was very hard to put down. Each character forces the reader into an emotional attachment. It's well worth any investment in time spent reading it. In fact, the plot & characters will stay with you for days after the last page. There are a lot of 'oh, my gosh' moments. Definitely, a recommended read, I have to award it 5 stars.
Though at times, the book was a bit more lengthy than it needed to be, it was very hard to put down. Each character forces the reader into an emotional attachment. It's well worth any investment in time spent reading it. In fact, the plot & characters will stay with you for days after the last page. There are a lot of 'oh, my gosh' moments. Definitely, a recommended read, I have to award it 5 stars.
February 7, 2017
Could not put it down.
You feel like you are there as you read about these characters and the struggles they face and the unanswered questions just out of reach. You experience a different life than your own.
You feel like you are there as you read about these characters and the struggles they face and the unanswered questions just out of reach. You experience a different life than your own.
January 28, 2016
Wow, another great book by Ninie Hammon. She grabs you by the collar and drags you into her books from the very start. I was hooked by the end of the first page. She gave me characters to love, hate and mistrust and then changed it all up during the story. At the end I was cheering for the guy I hated in the beginning. In this story, you actually feel the chill of the disaster in this small WV town, as if you've known these people personally. I have read all her books with the exception of Sudan (yet to read) and have enjoyed everyone. My favorite was the Memory Closet (I think because that was my first book I read of hers). You are missing out on a great read if you have not picked up a Ninie Hammon book and read it. Choose anyone, they are all great stories.
January 6, 2016
Another winner!
Ninie Hammon has done it again only this book is much more emotion charged than her others I've read.
Grayson went to serve the army as a chaplain only to return a hardened scarred soldier. Just before his return a little girl named Maggie turns up on the doorstep of Piper, Grayson's wife, but this girl isn't just a runaway.
Seems there's 2 stories in 1 in this book. The story of Grayson and the story (smaller substitute) of Carter and his boss Warren.
Definitely a great read with all the feels.
Ninie Hammon has done it again only this book is much more emotion charged than her others I've read.
Grayson went to serve the army as a chaplain only to return a hardened scarred soldier. Just before his return a little girl named Maggie turns up on the doorstep of Piper, Grayson's wife, but this girl isn't just a runaway.
Seems there's 2 stories in 1 in this book. The story of Grayson and the story (smaller substitute) of Carter and his boss Warren.
Definitely a great read with all the feels.
March 29, 2016
Another good book by Ninie. A womans husband is off in Viet Nam and his brother and mother live with her and her daughter while he is serving his country. His brother had this thing for his wife and set up a plan on how to get rid of him so he could have her.The day he came home for good was a shock all around.They lived in this little town in the mountains with the mines and dams. One day this little girl "Maggie" showed up from where - no one knew so they took her in. The story gets more involved toward the end. Maggie did her best. Lots of destruction and lives lost in the end. Enjoy
June 11, 2016
Fantastic novel ! This is the first time that I have read any of Ninie Hammon's novels, and would like to invite everyone that loves to read, try her book, When Butterflies Cry ! The story is so believable, and the caricatures are so easy to connect with! Thank You, Ninie Hammon !
Fantastic novel ! This is the first time that I've read one of Ninie Hammon's novels, and invite anyone who loves to read to try her novel, When Butterflies Cry. It was so believable, that you could almost put yourself into their positions in the story. Thank You, Ninie Hammond !
Fantastic novel ! This is the first time that I've read one of Ninie Hammon's novels, and invite anyone who loves to read to try her novel, When Butterflies Cry. It was so believable, that you could almost put yourself into their positions in the story. Thank You, Ninie Hammond !
September 30, 2015
I liked this novel but it had some flaws. The characters were good and the story was okay although it jumped between three locations that didn't have much of a connection until the end. There were many typos which surprised me. I've read other books by Ms. Hammon that were well edited and much better written than this one. I can't recommend this novel, but I will read others because I know she can write much better.
September 3, 2015
This is my second book of Ninie's that I have read and I am still reeling a little. I was old enough for the draft during Viet Nam. I saw the eyes of the boys returning home. I was also in the military and was spit on while in uniform. I have worked with people from the coal mine areas of West Virginia. I have seen the future before it happened and I have heard butterflies cry.
This felt real. Too real almost. Fantastic read.
This felt real. Too real almost. Fantastic read.
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