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The Tulip Poplars
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The Tulip Poplars is an epic and lush story of forbidden love set in the early 1900s and across decades, for fans of Tom Crewe and Heated Rivalry.
Amos and Tom fall in love while working in the tobacco fields during the hot summers of the early 1900s, but it will be decades before they can truly be together.
Tom cannot shake the strict religious code he was raised by nor the responsibilities of his family’s farm, and he ultimately marries his longtime friend Maeve; while Amos goes to New York City to find the anonymity required to live his life openly.
And though Maeve pines for Paschal rather than Tom, the strict Jim Crow laws prevent her and Paschal from being together.
The Tulip Poplars is a sweeping novel--intimate in its storytelling and epic in its scope--spanning most of the 20th century, centering on four people trying to find happiness in a world that demands conventional choices. It is an examination of faith and doubt, race and class, and desire—not just sexual desire, but also the longing to be good when the whole world is telling you are evil for loving who you love. Deeply moving and based on both his ancestors and his own life, as well as the history of the small Kentucky towns he knows so well, House’s new novel will leave you with a bigger heart.
Amos and Tom fall in love while working in the tobacco fields during the hot summers of the early 1900s, but it will be decades before they can truly be together.
Tom cannot shake the strict religious code he was raised by nor the responsibilities of his family’s farm, and he ultimately marries his longtime friend Maeve; while Amos goes to New York City to find the anonymity required to live his life openly.
And though Maeve pines for Paschal rather than Tom, the strict Jim Crow laws prevent her and Paschal from being together.
The Tulip Poplars is a sweeping novel--intimate in its storytelling and epic in its scope--spanning most of the 20th century, centering on four people trying to find happiness in a world that demands conventional choices. It is an examination of faith and doubt, race and class, and desire—not just sexual desire, but also the longing to be good when the whole world is telling you are evil for loving who you love. Deeply moving and based on both his ancestors and his own life, as well as the history of the small Kentucky towns he knows so well, House’s new novel will leave you with a bigger heart.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Silas House
40 books1,716 followersSilas House is the nationally bestselling author of six novels--Clay's Quilt, 2001; A Parchment of Leaves, 2003; The Coal Tattoo, 2005; Eli the Good, 2009; Same Sun Here (co-authored with Neela Vaswani) 2012; Southernmost (2018), as well as a book of creative nonfiction, Something's Rising, co-authored with Jason Howard, 2009; and three plays.
His work frequently appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Salon. He is former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered". His writing has appeared in recently in Time, Ecotone, Oxford American, Garden and Gun, and many other publications.
House serves on the fiction faculty at the Spalding School of Writing and as the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair at Berea College.
As a music writer House has worked with artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, The Judds, Jim James, and many others.
House is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Appalachian Book of the Year, and many other honors.
His work frequently appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Salon. He is former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered". His writing has appeared in recently in Time, Ecotone, Oxford American, Garden and Gun, and many other publications.
House serves on the fiction faculty at the Spalding School of Writing and as the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair at Berea College.
As a music writer House has worked with artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, The Judds, Jim James, and many others.
House is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Appalachian Book of the Year, and many other honors.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 15, 2026
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this masterpiece.
Mr. Silas House, I was not familiar with your messy game, but I am absolutely here for it. Once again, you've written a love letter to my beloved Appalachia.
This book is a journey filled with so many highs and lows. My favorite kinds of stories are the ones that span years because they feel more intimate, allowing me to truly know the characters as they grow. This novel is, at its heart, about longing and pining—the ache of yearning for someone you can't have because of law, faith, and the expectations of the world around you. Yet it beautifully reminds us that true love cannot die, no matter how hard people try to bury it.
The characters were beautifully three-dimensional. Tom and Amos's love was unbreakable, and I found myself rooting for them through every season of their lives. Paschal's story was fascinating, but my dear Maeve stole my heart. She was, without question, my favorite character.
What struck me was how unflinchingly this story portrays the suffering the LGBTQ+ community has endured throughout history. There were so many heartbreaking chapters that, while fictional, undoubtedly echo experiences that countless real people lived through. The novel also shines a light on the experiences of Black Appalachians, showing how racism could force someone to leave the only home they had ever known, separating them from their home and sense of belonging. Those realities make this story all the more powerful.
Silas House has written another unforgettable Appalachian novel—one that honors the beauty of the region while refusing to look away from its painful history. This is a story that will stay with me long after I turned the final page.
Mr. Silas House, I was not familiar with your messy game, but I am absolutely here for it. Once again, you've written a love letter to my beloved Appalachia.
This book is a journey filled with so many highs and lows. My favorite kinds of stories are the ones that span years because they feel more intimate, allowing me to truly know the characters as they grow. This novel is, at its heart, about longing and pining—the ache of yearning for someone you can't have because of law, faith, and the expectations of the world around you. Yet it beautifully reminds us that true love cannot die, no matter how hard people try to bury it.
The characters were beautifully three-dimensional. Tom and Amos's love was unbreakable, and I found myself rooting for them through every season of their lives. Paschal's story was fascinating, but my dear Maeve stole my heart. She was, without question, my favorite character.
What struck me was how unflinchingly this story portrays the suffering the LGBTQ+ community has endured throughout history. There were so many heartbreaking chapters that, while fictional, undoubtedly echo experiences that countless real people lived through. The novel also shines a light on the experiences of Black Appalachians, showing how racism could force someone to leave the only home they had ever known, separating them from their home and sense of belonging. Those realities make this story all the more powerful.
Silas House has written another unforgettable Appalachian novel—one that honors the beauty of the region while refusing to look away from its painful history. This is a story that will stay with me long after I turned the final page.
July 31, 2026
Oh I loved this beautiful coming of age/life in review. Silas House gives us two pairs of star-crossed lovers in early 20th century Kentucky: Tom and Amos, and Maeve and Paschal. Tom and Amos are in love, but can't be together because they're both men. Maeve and Paschal are in love, but can't be together because Maeve is white and Paschal is Black. I loved each of them.
There's a lot of stolen moments and yearning in their youth, and our four main characters end up not quite alone, but not with the ones they want to be with. Tom and Maeve are lifelong friends who decide to get married, but of course they're not satisfied. Amos explores the more open lifestyle opportunities of New York City, but always feels called back home. Paschal finds love, but his wife doesn't want the same things out of life that he does. Silas House weaves historic events like race riots and raids on queer and gender non-conforming spaces into the storyline. There are villains, beautiful landscapes with the titular tulip poplars (one of my favorite trees), and a lovely mule named Daisy.
Without spoiling anything, I will say that this is not an overall tragic story, despite the hardships. I only cried a couple of times. Recommended for fans of historical fiction like Kristin Hannah, sweeping stories of a life lived like John Irving, or emotional historical queer romances like Brokeback Mountain.
There's a lot of stolen moments and yearning in their youth, and our four main characters end up not quite alone, but not with the ones they want to be with. Tom and Maeve are lifelong friends who decide to get married, but of course they're not satisfied. Amos explores the more open lifestyle opportunities of New York City, but always feels called back home. Paschal finds love, but his wife doesn't want the same things out of life that he does. Silas House weaves historic events like race riots and raids on queer and gender non-conforming spaces into the storyline. There are villains, beautiful landscapes with the titular tulip poplars (one of my favorite trees), and a lovely mule named Daisy.
Without spoiling anything, I will say that this is not an overall tragic story, despite the hardships. I only cried a couple of times. Recommended for fans of historical fiction like Kristin Hannah, sweeping stories of a life lived like John Irving, or emotional historical queer romances like Brokeback Mountain.
June 29, 2026
“Love without acceptance is not love at all.”
This was my first Silas House novel, but it certainly won’t be my last. In this captivating yet heartbreaking novel, House does an incredible job of showing the duality of human beings. A tale of four friends set to the backdrop of early 1900s Appalachia, this story begs us to consider what we give up when we are forced to hide our true selves.
*** Special thanks to the publisher for sending a physical ARC to the bookstore I work at. ***
This was my first Silas House novel, but it certainly won’t be my last. In this captivating yet heartbreaking novel, House does an incredible job of showing the duality of human beings. A tale of four friends set to the backdrop of early 1900s Appalachia, this story begs us to consider what we give up when we are forced to hide our true selves.
*** Special thanks to the publisher for sending a physical ARC to the bookstore I work at. ***
August 27, 2026
Silas House has done it once again. The Tulip Poplars continues his streak of engrossing, beautiful Appalachian storytelling. These characters are so likable (even when they make questionable decisions). While I do not think that this novel quite lives up to some of his other works, I find it to be a worthy addition to his bibliography.
July 20, 2026
I finished this on a plane, and had to ask a flight attendant for a napkin to sob into. Such a beautiful portrait of four young people who struggled to be who they were and love who they loved. Most of us have no idea how difficult that can be in a time and place different from our own. The writing is simple and gorgeous. Very highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Sentimental in the positive sense of the word.
At its heart, The Tulip Poplars is about four characters, Tom, Amos, Maeve, and Paschal navigating the strictures of small town life in early 1900’s Kentucky. Each of them desires something not permitted by their society, and they feel stifled by the social mores of the town of Bright Star, even as they relish the vibrant natural beauty of the land they call home. It’s a double bind familiar to many inhabitants of socially oppressive rural communities. They can’t quite be themselves there, yet nowhere else feels quite like home. Trying to build a life amid this tension, to be true to themselves while not losing their sense of place, is the crux of the novel.
The writing is picturesque and fluid. It’s really more of a character study than a plot driven narrative. Though there were a handful of unexpected moments, generally the tone of the book was contemplative and wistful, a love letter to Appalachia wrapped in historical fiction. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I found it worked well. Particularly since the author portrays each character so distinctly and adeptly. I really felt like I knew these people after only a few chapters and it was riveting to see them conflict with the outside world and even amongst themselves. I appreciated as well that each character was genuinely trying their best almost all the time, yet none of them were perfect caricatures. They each had moments of messy jealousy, episodes of thoughtlessness; just like real people.
This was my first book by this author and I would gladly try anything else by this author. 3.5 (Bright) Stars.
Sentimental in the positive sense of the word.
At its heart, The Tulip Poplars is about four characters, Tom, Amos, Maeve, and Paschal navigating the strictures of small town life in early 1900’s Kentucky. Each of them desires something not permitted by their society, and they feel stifled by the social mores of the town of Bright Star, even as they relish the vibrant natural beauty of the land they call home. It’s a double bind familiar to many inhabitants of socially oppressive rural communities. They can’t quite be themselves there, yet nowhere else feels quite like home. Trying to build a life amid this tension, to be true to themselves while not losing their sense of place, is the crux of the novel.
The writing is picturesque and fluid. It’s really more of a character study than a plot driven narrative. Though there were a handful of unexpected moments, generally the tone of the book was contemplative and wistful, a love letter to Appalachia wrapped in historical fiction. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I found it worked well. Particularly since the author portrays each character so distinctly and adeptly. I really felt like I knew these people after only a few chapters and it was riveting to see them conflict with the outside world and even amongst themselves. I appreciated as well that each character was genuinely trying their best almost all the time, yet none of them were perfect caricatures. They each had moments of messy jealousy, episodes of thoughtlessness; just like real people.
This was my first book by this author and I would gladly try anything else by this author. 3.5 (Bright) Stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I haven’t been pulled through a novel this quickly in years. Having read every book Silas House has written—from CLAY'S QUILT to LARK ASCENDING - I can confidently say THE TULIP POPLARS feels like his most ambitious and, in many ways, his most fully realized work.
House’s prose remains as lyrical and compassionate as ever. He writes small-town Southern life with a rare attentiveness, capturing both its beauty and its weight, especially in how it shapes questions of faith, identity, and belonging. What continues to set his work apart is his refusal to rely on easy stereotypes; instead, he offers deeply humane portraits of people navigating complicated lives, often under pressure from their communities, histories, and beliefs.
This novel spans much of the twentieth century and follows four interconnected characters whose lives are bound to a particular rural place that both anchors and calls them back. At its heart is a sweeping story that begins in the early 1900s tobacco fields, where Tom and Amos fall in love in a world that offers them little safety or permission. Their story is rendered with care and restraint, unfolding alongside broader explorations of race, class, queer identity, and the enduring tensions between staying and leaving home.
Without giving too much away, the novel thoughtfully traces how faith can both wound and sustain, and how desire, memory, and place shape the ways people endure and resist. It’s immersive in the truest sense - rooted in landscape and voice, but always attentive to the inner lives of its characters.
THE TULIP POPLARS is, quite simply, Silas House at his most expansive.
House’s prose remains as lyrical and compassionate as ever. He writes small-town Southern life with a rare attentiveness, capturing both its beauty and its weight, especially in how it shapes questions of faith, identity, and belonging. What continues to set his work apart is his refusal to rely on easy stereotypes; instead, he offers deeply humane portraits of people navigating complicated lives, often under pressure from their communities, histories, and beliefs.
This novel spans much of the twentieth century and follows four interconnected characters whose lives are bound to a particular rural place that both anchors and calls them back. At its heart is a sweeping story that begins in the early 1900s tobacco fields, where Tom and Amos fall in love in a world that offers them little safety or permission. Their story is rendered with care and restraint, unfolding alongside broader explorations of race, class, queer identity, and the enduring tensions between staying and leaving home.
Without giving too much away, the novel thoughtfully traces how faith can both wound and sustain, and how desire, memory, and place shape the ways people endure and resist. It’s immersive in the truest sense - rooted in landscape and voice, but always attentive to the inner lives of its characters.
THE TULIP POPLARS is, quite simply, Silas House at his most expansive.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This year has been filled with extraordinary books for me, and this one may have just topped the charts. This was my first Silas House novel, and after reading it, I’m ready to work my way through his entire collection.
The writing is incredible, and the descriptions of the Kentucky landscape, the small-town atmosphere, and the people who call it home are so vivid that I finished the book feeling like I’ve been there. The author explores the hardships so many people have endured, and continue to endure, simply to exist as themselves and openly love the person they love. He perfectly describes how our external identities, internal struggles, and personal experiences affect how we view (and oftentimes treat) others. Some are capable of change; others struggle against it. Some grow to accept and even appreciate the many differences in people, while others remain constrained by fear, tradition, religion, prejudices, or societal pressure and expectations.
One quote that seems so simple on the surface but will stay with me for a very long time is
"Love without acceptance is not love at all."
Now that I've finished, I have a new problem. One of my current top ten books of all time must be demoted, because there is no chance this one isn't earning a place there. I'm not an influencer or a well-known book reviewer but trust me when I say either pre-order or put this one on your library's hold list asap!
Thank you to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and the author for an advanced digital copy of this remarkable book!
The writing is incredible, and the descriptions of the Kentucky landscape, the small-town atmosphere, and the people who call it home are so vivid that I finished the book feeling like I’ve been there. The author explores the hardships so many people have endured, and continue to endure, simply to exist as themselves and openly love the person they love. He perfectly describes how our external identities, internal struggles, and personal experiences affect how we view (and oftentimes treat) others. Some are capable of change; others struggle against it. Some grow to accept and even appreciate the many differences in people, while others remain constrained by fear, tradition, religion, prejudices, or societal pressure and expectations.
One quote that seems so simple on the surface but will stay with me for a very long time is
"Love without acceptance is not love at all."
Now that I've finished, I have a new problem. One of my current top ten books of all time must be demoted, because there is no chance this one isn't earning a place there. I'm not an influencer or a well-known book reviewer but trust me when I say either pre-order or put this one on your library's hold list asap!
Thank you to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and the author for an advanced digital copy of this remarkable book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Silas House’s *The Tulip Populars* has deeply affected me, both destroying and rebuilding me. This novel spans the last century and is mostly set in a small town in Kentucky. In this fictional setting, we follow the lives of four individuals connected by love and societal constraints.
Like the Tulip Poplar trees that are grafted and raised, this story explores possibility, the passage of time, and growth. House’s atmospheric prose provides a beautiful backdrop for this transformative era marked by changing social norms, economic shifts, war, and civil rights.
Much like Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies, House evokes a haunting sense of longing—a struggle between fulfillment and safety. While some elements are based on his real-life ancestor, it serves as a reminder of how fresh and relevant this history remains. Given recent SCOTUS rulings and our current political climate, it prompts us to consider how much we can take our freedoms for granted. It underscores the importance of staying vigilant and grateful for our rights and loved ones.
Read this if you enjoy films or stories like Train Dreams, Brokeback Mountain, and Another Country. I will be thinking about this book for quite a while. Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing this beautiful, well-written book in exchange for an honest review.
Like the Tulip Poplar trees that are grafted and raised, this story explores possibility, the passage of time, and growth. House’s atmospheric prose provides a beautiful backdrop for this transformative era marked by changing social norms, economic shifts, war, and civil rights.
Much like Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies, House evokes a haunting sense of longing—a struggle between fulfillment and safety. While some elements are based on his real-life ancestor, it serves as a reminder of how fresh and relevant this history remains. Given recent SCOTUS rulings and our current political climate, it prompts us to consider how much we can take our freedoms for granted. It underscores the importance of staying vigilant and grateful for our rights and loved ones.
Read this if you enjoy films or stories like Train Dreams, Brokeback Mountain, and Another Country. I will be thinking about this book for quite a while. Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing this beautiful, well-written book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Silas House became one of my favorite authors with “Lark Ascending“ and “A Parchment of Leaves.” I will now add his newest title to these books that I enjoyed immensely. “Tulip Poplars” has four main characters: Maeve, a minister’s daughter: Paschal, an orphaned Black youth; Amos, who lives with Paschal in the church-run orphanage and Tom, son of a local farmer who falls in love with Amos. But their relationships are far more complex than that simple summary. House traces their stories through the rising South after WWI through the 20th century with stops in the countryside, the dynamics of NYC, the Midwest and places in between. His descriptions of the land are a homage to its beauty and the effect it has upon those willing to acknowledge its importance. But the author is far from satisfied with only that. Beneath the beauty there is racism, classicism, church doctrine , education, women’s roles and social movements. House always returns to the characters who forge new ways of learning about themselves, their relationships and how to become the persons they were meant to be through love and understanding. A masterpiece! Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this title.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Silas House is an insta-read/buy author for me and this book reinforced why I love this author so much. I have a feeling that this book came from the beautiful story that House wrote to go with Tyler Childer's music video "In Your Love".
Two men fall in love during the 1920s in rural Kentucky and this book spans the years after Tom & Amos met, fall in love and how their lives play out. Alongside their story you meet Maeve & Paschal, a white woman and a black man, that fall in love as well. These four people are complex characters, sometimes I loved them and sometimes I hated them...but House is able to write so well that at the end of the book I was crying and hugging the book, I loved it so much. You can tell that House is a poet because his writing is so lyrical, beautiful and clear....I hope that makes sense. I could go on and on about this book and author, but I'll stop...just buy this book from your local Indie when it comes out..you won't be disappointed.
Thanks to Hachette for the ARC!
Two men fall in love during the 1920s in rural Kentucky and this book spans the years after Tom & Amos met, fall in love and how their lives play out. Alongside their story you meet Maeve & Paschal, a white woman and a black man, that fall in love as well. These four people are complex characters, sometimes I loved them and sometimes I hated them...but House is able to write so well that at the end of the book I was crying and hugging the book, I loved it so much. You can tell that House is a poet because his writing is so lyrical, beautiful and clear....I hope that makes sense. I could go on and on about this book and author, but I'll stop...just buy this book from your local Indie when it comes out..you won't be disappointed.
Thanks to Hachette for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a journey this book was. A love letter to place as much as people, it followed the lives of Maeve, Paschal, Amos, and Tom as they grew up in Bright Star. A historical novel, initially I felt the characters were a bit too modern, but as the story unfolded, it felt right. Reading the afterward, put things in more perspective why he chose the particular journey for this group. Maeve is in love with Paschal, but their color keeps them apart. Amos and Tom are also struggling with forbidden love. Things get more complicated when Maeve becomes pregnant out of wedlock. The book spans almost their entire lives. It switches perspectives from each of the four protagonists, which provides a sweeping view of their lives, but limits seeing the full depth of each of them. It is a beautifully written, emotional love story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for the advance reader copy.
Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for the advance reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first encounter with a Silas House novel, and I found “The Tulip Poplars” quite engaging. If you were a fan of “Buckeye” by Patrick Ryan, you’ll love this book!
The narrative follows two couples—Tom and Amos, Pascal and Maeve—weaving a complex tale of forbidden love across the first seven decades of the twentieth century.
I anticipated a more historical tone, yet the writing felt contemporary despite the era depicted.
Overall, I appreciated the book; it might have earned five stars, but I felt less connected to Pascal and Maeve’s storyline. Amos and Tom’s story seemed stronger, so greater focus there might have improved the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the advance copy of this upcoming novel releasing on October 13, 2026.
The narrative follows two couples—Tom and Amos, Pascal and Maeve—weaving a complex tale of forbidden love across the first seven decades of the twentieth century.
I anticipated a more historical tone, yet the writing felt contemporary despite the era depicted.
Overall, I appreciated the book; it might have earned five stars, but I felt less connected to Pascal and Maeve’s storyline. Amos and Tom’s story seemed stronger, so greater focus there might have improved the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the advance copy of this upcoming novel releasing on October 13, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I am so lucky to have received an advance copy of this novel prior to its publication in October. This is my first book by Silas House, and it has easily become one of my favorite novels. It made me laugh, smile, and cry. I couldn’t help but be reminded of my loved ones and feel grateful that the world has started to be more accepting.
The novel centers around four individuals growing up in a rural southern community in the early twentieth century. Tom is in a forbidden queer romance with Amos, while Maeve, Tom’s childhood friend, is in love with Amos’ colored friend Paschal. The four of them navigate their queer/interracial relationships in secrecy amid a world that does not accept them and a religion that forsakes them for being who they are.
This novel has little action and is mostly advanced by events that are essential for driving the character development. If you are one that relies on heavy action to get through a book, this may not be the book for you. However, if you are a lover of character studies or often find yourself disagreeing when people say, “that book was unnecessarily long and had too much character development,” this is the perfect novel for you. I implore those individuals to read this book!
The novel centers around four individuals growing up in a rural southern community in the early twentieth century. Tom is in a forbidden queer romance with Amos, while Maeve, Tom’s childhood friend, is in love with Amos’ colored friend Paschal. The four of them navigate their queer/interracial relationships in secrecy amid a world that does not accept them and a religion that forsakes them for being who they are.
This novel has little action and is mostly advanced by events that are essential for driving the character development. If you are one that relies on heavy action to get through a book, this may not be the book for you. However, if you are a lover of character studies or often find yourself disagreeing when people say, “that book was unnecessarily long and had too much character development,” this is the perfect novel for you. I implore those individuals to read this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This story swept me away and left me hanging onto every word on every page. The story of Amos and Tom was amazing and so realistic. I loved seeing how over the years they tried to go the “normal” route but still couldn’t help their true feelings inside. The time period and overall setting was really amazing and really captivated me. I couldn’t stop thinking of this book and the characters after I finished it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A beautifully written story set in Applachian Mountains beginning in the early 1900's. The reader meets the four main characters, Tom, Amos, Maeve and Paschal and follows their lives throughout the years. Forbidden love, religious taboos, race and class are among the topics explored in this wonderful story, I loved the characters and the descriptions especially of rural Kentucky and its tobacco fields. A book to be treasured; congrats to the author for a great read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book tells the story of four people. It starts in Kentucky in the early 1900s. Tom and Amos, who are in love but dare not show it, and Maeve and Paschal, who cannot be together because Paschal is Black. Their stories intertwine over the years.
This was a lovely book. I could almost feel myself back in the tulip poplar grove. It was beautifully written and I highly recommend it.
This was a lovely book. I could almost feel myself back in the tulip poplar grove. It was beautifully written and I highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A beautiful story of love and yearning. Filled with the beauties of nature and told with the utmost respect.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Tulip Poplars is a lovely story about place, identity, sense of home, being your true self, and the unfortunate intersection where these concepts often clash rather than connect.
Silas House’s depiction of early 20th century Appalachian Kentucky is stunning enough to make a reader homesick for a landscape they’ve never known. The historical aspects of the story are well-researched, particularly the social injustices faced by the main characters, and said characters are both richly complex and easy to love.
This was a joy to read.
Thank you to Algonquin Books, Silas House, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
Silas House’s depiction of early 20th century Appalachian Kentucky is stunning enough to make a reader homesick for a landscape they’ve never known. The historical aspects of the story are well-researched, particularly the social injustices faced by the main characters, and said characters are both richly complex and easy to love.
This was a joy to read.
Thank you to Algonquin Books, Silas House, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
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