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Mountain Women #1
The Girl on the Mountain
In 1899, an abandoned young wife and a homeless girl team up to survive in a remote sawmill town in the Appalachian Mountains.The young woman’s name is May Rose Long, but in the town where she seeks refuge, she’s slandered as “the girl on the mountain.” With no money and no resources other than her pet sow’s litter of pigs, she must find safe shelter and respectable work.The company doctor wants to help, but he’s married, and his interest is personal. The company manager offers work, but his concern for May Rose may not be proper. Then there’s Suzie, operator of the brothel, who’d gladly welcome both her and the girl. As May Rose struggles to earn her keep, her troubles seem directed by others.Soon an accident leaves the town in desperate straits. Through it all, she must protect herself and the girl who sleeps with a doll clutched tight and a knife under her pillow.The story of May Rose and Wanda is the first book in the Mountain Women Series, bringing to life the struggles and triumphs, friendships, and families of women in a small West Virginia town in the early 1900s.
An emotionally gripping and powerful novel you won't be able to put down!
Readers are captivated by Carol Ervin's The Girl on the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Carol Ervin captures the triumphs, tribulations, and feel of the late 1800s perfectly in The Girl on the Mountain. Life at this time was real rough for women, and the same holds true as May Rose Long must contend with company hardliners and brothels while caring for herself and a young girl. This novel is heartfelt and powerful and I look forward to seeing where Ervin goes with it next!" – Goodreads Reviewer⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Captivating, compelling...and a whole lot of other "C" words come to mind, "Couldn't" put it down. Carol Ervin's writing is subtle and strong, the setting is powerfully portrayed without getting in the way, there's an undercurrent of dread that creeps along..." – Goodreads Reviewer⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "...If you ever feel nostalgic for the good old days, if you long for “simpler” times, the kind Ervin evokes with “sounds of leaf whisper and high cricket drone” and hawks making lazy circles in the sky, and if you think this “was the clean time, when the earth did not tremble with far-off crash of trees, and passing trains did not smother the air,” read on." – Goodreads Reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Story of a strong woman. Helping others. Adventures in a mountain town… The bond between the characters. Well written. Never lost interest in the story. Looking forward to reading other books in this series.” –Goodreads Reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I love historical fiction and this one is at the top of my list. So much historical detail which makes you feel you are inside of the story living it with the characters. Had to get the next 2 in the series of 8.” –Goodreads Reviewer
An emotionally gripping and powerful novel you won't be able to put down!
Readers are captivated by Carol Ervin's The Girl on the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Carol Ervin captures the triumphs, tribulations, and feel of the late 1800s perfectly in The Girl on the Mountain. Life at this time was real rough for women, and the same holds true as May Rose Long must contend with company hardliners and brothels while caring for herself and a young girl. This novel is heartfelt and powerful and I look forward to seeing where Ervin goes with it next!" – Goodreads Reviewer⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Captivating, compelling...and a whole lot of other "C" words come to mind, "Couldn't" put it down. Carol Ervin's writing is subtle and strong, the setting is powerfully portrayed without getting in the way, there's an undercurrent of dread that creeps along..." – Goodreads Reviewer⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "...If you ever feel nostalgic for the good old days, if you long for “simpler” times, the kind Ervin evokes with “sounds of leaf whisper and high cricket drone” and hawks making lazy circles in the sky, and if you think this “was the clean time, when the earth did not tremble with far-off crash of trees, and passing trains did not smother the air,” read on." – Goodreads Reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Story of a strong woman. Helping others. Adventures in a mountain town… The bond between the characters. Well written. Never lost interest in the story. Looking forward to reading other books in this series.” –Goodreads Reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I love historical fiction and this one is at the top of my list. So much historical detail which makes you feel you are inside of the story living it with the characters. Had to get the next 2 in the series of 8.” –Goodreads Reviewer
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2012
3165 people are currently reading
3234 people want to read
About the author
Carol Ervin
27 books125 followersI’ve been lucky. Years ago, I wanted to live on a farm, and my husband said “Let’s do it.” When personal computers were introduced, I wanted to know about them and have one, and lucky me, the school where I taught offered a course in Basic. When we bought our first computer, I discovered the writer’s best friend--word processing. (Before that, I could not write without crossing out most of a typewritten or handwritten page, and progress seemed impossible.) When I wanted to shift from teaching to writing, the first Macintosh computers came out, and I was lucky enough to offer, along with technical and business writing, the first “desktop publishing” in my county. And when finally I had the leisure to give a lot of time to a novel, my husband didn’t merely tolerate my commitment, he encouraged it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
September 19, 2019
I won the kindle edition of The Girl on the Mountain by Carol Ervin in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. This historical fiction story takes place around 1900 in West Virginia when a lot of logging was being done. The fictional logging and mill town has been around for about five years.
May Rose Long and her new husband Jaimie have settled into their small, isolated cabin near the mill town. Jaimie keeps May Rose isolated from others and then he suddenly disappears. The story is what happens to May Rose and how she copes in a time and place when lone women had few options for jobs and unfair wages when they do find jobs. Additionally, May Rose has to deal with people that gossip untrue things about her and deal with chauvinistic men. Her courage, flaws, struggles, kindness and friendships help her may her way through the situations she encounters
The ending was somewhat predictable, but that did not diminish my enjoyment. The author has done a good job of developing complex characters and that includes some flaws in the main character. The book is well-written and has a few periods of action, but there is also a significant part of the book that deals with everyday life. It pulls at your heart strings in places and makes you realize how far we have come as it relates to women's rights and treatment, but also how far we still have to go globally. If you are after a historical action-adventure, then this is probably not the book for you. However, if you enjoy history and a good story, then I highly recommend this book.
May Rose Long and her new husband Jaimie have settled into their small, isolated cabin near the mill town. Jaimie keeps May Rose isolated from others and then he suddenly disappears. The story is what happens to May Rose and how she copes in a time and place when lone women had few options for jobs and unfair wages when they do find jobs. Additionally, May Rose has to deal with people that gossip untrue things about her and deal with chauvinistic men. Her courage, flaws, struggles, kindness and friendships help her may her way through the situations she encounters
The ending was somewhat predictable, but that did not diminish my enjoyment. The author has done a good job of developing complex characters and that includes some flaws in the main character. The book is well-written and has a few periods of action, but there is also a significant part of the book that deals with everyday life. It pulls at your heart strings in places and makes you realize how far we have come as it relates to women's rights and treatment, but also how far we still have to go globally. If you are after a historical action-adventure, then this is probably not the book for you. However, if you enjoy history and a good story, then I highly recommend this book.
September 7, 2012
I think Carol wrote this book just for me. Well, maybe not, but it is a beautifully written book that hit the nail right on the head for me. It will grab you and wrap you up in its' characters lives. Don't be surprised if you leave laundry sitting in the washing machine, where it is doomed to become one massive wrinkle, because you can't stop reading the book! Personal experience :)
May 13, 2019
Carol Ervin captures the triumphs, tribulations, and feel of the late 1800s perfectly in The Girl on the Mountain. Life at this time was real rough for women, and the same holds true as May Rose Long must contend with company hardliners and brothels while caring for herself and a young girl. This novel is heartfelt and powerful and I look forward to seeing where Ervin goes with it next!
December 16, 2012
Captivating, compelling...
...and a whole lot of other "C" words come to mind, like: "Couldn't" put it down. Carol Ervin's writing is subtle and strong, the setting is powerfully portrayed without getting in the way, there's an undercurrent of dread that creeps along...
"The Girl on the Mountain" is one of the best books I've read lately -- the best I've read by an indie author. Seldom have I felt so transported to another time and place, or caught myself yelling at the top of my lungs at a bad guy, fists clenched on my Kindle! What seems to be effortless scene-setting and characterization is no such thing. Carol Ervin made me, the jaded writer, really care about these people. I won't get into details; I hate spoilers. I'll just say that anyone who thinks this is a simple historical romance will be pleasantly surprised -- from the very first page. If I had to compare Carol Ervin's writing to another author's, I'd choose Eudora Welty -- for the gutsy complexity hidden beneath her beautiful, but never "purple", prose.
...and a whole lot of other "C" words come to mind, like: "Couldn't" put it down. Carol Ervin's writing is subtle and strong, the setting is powerfully portrayed without getting in the way, there's an undercurrent of dread that creeps along...
"The Girl on the Mountain" is one of the best books I've read lately -- the best I've read by an indie author. Seldom have I felt so transported to another time and place, or caught myself yelling at the top of my lungs at a bad guy, fists clenched on my Kindle! What seems to be effortless scene-setting and characterization is no such thing. Carol Ervin made me, the jaded writer, really care about these people. I won't get into details; I hate spoilers. I'll just say that anyone who thinks this is a simple historical romance will be pleasantly surprised -- from the very first page. If I had to compare Carol Ervin's writing to another author's, I'd choose Eudora Welty -- for the gutsy complexity hidden beneath her beautiful, but never "purple", prose.
August 15, 2015
This is usually the kind of book I like - one of those West Virginia mountain stories centered around logging camps and company towns. Young woman who gets a rotten deal from a pretty boy husband has to find her way after he abandons her with no support. But I just couldn't get emotionally involved in May Rose's struggle, her connection with Wanda (her husband's daughter by another woman that May Rose was entirely unaware of til she was forced to leave the mountain and move to town), or any of the other characters for that matter. The writing was not notable enough to rescue the book for me.
November 15, 2015
March is Women’s History Month, a good time to read well-researched, well-written historical fiction like Carol Ervin’s “The Girl on the Mountain.” If you ever feel nostalgic for the good old days, if you long for “simpler” times, the kind Ervin evokes with “sounds of leaf whisper and high cricket drone” and hawks making lazy circles in the sky, and if you think this “was the clean time, when the earth did not tremble with far-off crash of trees, and passing trains did not smother the air,” read on.
Maybe you’d love to do laundry the old way. May Rose, a twenty-year old bride living in a cabin in West Virginia logging country, “rubbed soap into his underclothes and set them to boil on the stove. He dozed, tipped back in his chair with legs stretched under the table, one hand on his jar, his mouth open. With her laundry stick she lifted the scalding cloth into rinse water, humming softly, as she did most days, to keep herself going. On the porch, she wrapped the legs of his pants around a roof post, stood back, and twisted each piece till no more water dripped out. Then she hung them on a line near the stove.”
My mom to this day uses a wringer washing machine and I still line-dry my laundry. But you won't see us boiling and stirring the laundry with a big pole, twisting and wringing jeans by hand. That's not the simpler lifestyle I’d ever long for. Page after page of this novel reminded me of the Virginia Slims cigarette ads of my childhood. One in particular, in 1978, shows a vintage photo of a woman hanging laundry out to dry, with the caption, “Back then, every man gave his wife at least one day a week out of the house. You've come a long way, baby.”
Romance fans, this is not your cup of tea. The most respectable of the men do not hold women in high esteem. I’d hardly even believe it possible had I not grown up in a rural community where guys would invent rumors about nice girls, perhaps just because they wished the rumors to be true, and who knows, maybe the girl with the ruined reputation (no matter how undeserved) would just despair and become the harlot they wanted her to be.
The most-quoted line of the novel sums it up all too well: people hold on to ignorance like a family heirloom. It isn’t just logging hicks, small-town Southerners or rural folk. Even educated people cling to traditional beliefs. Don’t even get me started on world history. The first Buddhist emperor, Ashoka, had the right idea. More than two thousand years ago, civilized, rational, humane, enlightened societies existed. Then came conquering armies, zealots and new beliefs to impose on every man, woman and child, and throughout human history, women just keep getting the short end of the stick.
May Rose is young and in love with handsome Jamie, willing to leave the only family she’s known and follow him into the wilderness, obedient and eager to please, but he’s so difficult to please. It’s heartbreaking to see their interaction. He’s controlling; he keeps her isolated; “his ideas crowded out her own, like weeds taking over the garden. He'd chosen this place, and she'd tried to love it. In nearly two years, he'd taken her to town four times. He wanted her to go nowhere alone, but he no longer seemed to worry that she lived alone here.” Still, May Rose makes every effort to be cheerful and grateful for her lot in life. “She felt his lips on her neck and the length of him against her those Saturday nights, when he took her breath--those Sundays, when they knew what mattered.”
Did I mentin that the prose is beautiful?
When he goes missing, May Rose ventures into the town alone. No one is welcoming. The men, even the respectable businessmen, accost her with demeaning attentions and attempts to coerce her into satisfying their “needs.” I wish I didn’t identify so much with May Rose, all these years later. “She never could think of a response, polite or otherwise, to something inappropriate,” and I know why: like too many women the world over, she was brought up to be polite and to please others.
Another girl on the mountain enters the story, the wild child, Wanda, who raises herself, more or less. “Maybe the girl trusted herself because she'd not been hampered by discipline,” May Rose thinks, while May Rose “had been corrected so often she never felt certain of anything.” Being so undisciplined puts Wanda at great risk, but it also gives her an edge, a cynicism and a fighting spirit, a gritty realism that May Rose would do well to emulate. When May Rose speaks to her of being safe, Wanda laughs. "A feller can't never wait for that. Every critter's got something waiting to get it. Big things eat the little ones, even big trees choke out the shoots. And guess what? Them trees ain't safe neither--wood hicks cut 'em down."
The longer her husband is missing, the more May Rose begins to enjoy her freedom: “My plans are uncertain,” she says, and “She liked the power of these words, as though she might stay or go on a whim.”
Suzie, who runs the brothel, suffers none of the illusions May Rose has. She’s learned “men will take care of us, then we learn they're weak and faithless. If they mean to keep us on our backs, we're fools not to take advantage.”
Dessie, the cook, is also more world-wise than May Rose: “I suppose when you're young, you believe your man has to be head of the house and boss of you, too,” she says. “When you're older like me, you know that's a lot of tripe.” May Rose fell for that. “If I'd disobeyed or spoken out, I think Jamie would have beat me,” she tells Dessie, and all these years later, after all those Virgina Slims ads and women fighting just for autonomy and simple respect, too many women still live like May Rose.
No doubt there are men who suffer and get browbeaten by women, but they tend to keep a low profile. To be fair, one woman in this novel is as rotten as any of the men. Her sons are known to sexually assault girls but she defends them, and when they bully their stepbrothers, she hands them the board to beat her own husband for trying to intervene on behalf of his sons.
The number of injustices in this novel, great and small, are too numerous to mention. It’s one of the reasons I can take only so much historical fiction. These things really happen. Maybe this novel is a fiction, but the characters are real, and the things they suffered are not just imaginary sufferings. One book like this and I’m ready for a silly, unbelievable romance or a paranormal full of magic, or a space opera with aliens and technological marvels.
It may be a while before I’m up to reading the two sequels to this story. Real life is too brutal. I’m happy to have grown up in more enlightened times (even if too many women still live under the thumbs of men), and I’m grateful to the women who fought to make the Virginia Slims ad ring true: “You’ve come a long way, baby!” – but we still a way to go. Until then, like the old “Calgon, take me away!” commercial, I’ll be out on the porch swing escaping into a fairy tale.
Maybe you’d love to do laundry the old way. May Rose, a twenty-year old bride living in a cabin in West Virginia logging country, “rubbed soap into his underclothes and set them to boil on the stove. He dozed, tipped back in his chair with legs stretched under the table, one hand on his jar, his mouth open. With her laundry stick she lifted the scalding cloth into rinse water, humming softly, as she did most days, to keep herself going. On the porch, she wrapped the legs of his pants around a roof post, stood back, and twisted each piece till no more water dripped out. Then she hung them on a line near the stove.”
My mom to this day uses a wringer washing machine and I still line-dry my laundry. But you won't see us boiling and stirring the laundry with a big pole, twisting and wringing jeans by hand. That's not the simpler lifestyle I’d ever long for. Page after page of this novel reminded me of the Virginia Slims cigarette ads of my childhood. One in particular, in 1978, shows a vintage photo of a woman hanging laundry out to dry, with the caption, “Back then, every man gave his wife at least one day a week out of the house. You've come a long way, baby.”
Romance fans, this is not your cup of tea. The most respectable of the men do not hold women in high esteem. I’d hardly even believe it possible had I not grown up in a rural community where guys would invent rumors about nice girls, perhaps just because they wished the rumors to be true, and who knows, maybe the girl with the ruined reputation (no matter how undeserved) would just despair and become the harlot they wanted her to be.
The most-quoted line of the novel sums it up all too well: people hold on to ignorance like a family heirloom. It isn’t just logging hicks, small-town Southerners or rural folk. Even educated people cling to traditional beliefs. Don’t even get me started on world history. The first Buddhist emperor, Ashoka, had the right idea. More than two thousand years ago, civilized, rational, humane, enlightened societies existed. Then came conquering armies, zealots and new beliefs to impose on every man, woman and child, and throughout human history, women just keep getting the short end of the stick.
May Rose is young and in love with handsome Jamie, willing to leave the only family she’s known and follow him into the wilderness, obedient and eager to please, but he’s so difficult to please. It’s heartbreaking to see their interaction. He’s controlling; he keeps her isolated; “his ideas crowded out her own, like weeds taking over the garden. He'd chosen this place, and she'd tried to love it. In nearly two years, he'd taken her to town four times. He wanted her to go nowhere alone, but he no longer seemed to worry that she lived alone here.” Still, May Rose makes every effort to be cheerful and grateful for her lot in life. “She felt his lips on her neck and the length of him against her those Saturday nights, when he took her breath--those Sundays, when they knew what mattered.”
Did I mentin that the prose is beautiful?
When he goes missing, May Rose ventures into the town alone. No one is welcoming. The men, even the respectable businessmen, accost her with demeaning attentions and attempts to coerce her into satisfying their “needs.” I wish I didn’t identify so much with May Rose, all these years later. “She never could think of a response, polite or otherwise, to something inappropriate,” and I know why: like too many women the world over, she was brought up to be polite and to please others.
Another girl on the mountain enters the story, the wild child, Wanda, who raises herself, more or less. “Maybe the girl trusted herself because she'd not been hampered by discipline,” May Rose thinks, while May Rose “had been corrected so often she never felt certain of anything.” Being so undisciplined puts Wanda at great risk, but it also gives her an edge, a cynicism and a fighting spirit, a gritty realism that May Rose would do well to emulate. When May Rose speaks to her of being safe, Wanda laughs. "A feller can't never wait for that. Every critter's got something waiting to get it. Big things eat the little ones, even big trees choke out the shoots. And guess what? Them trees ain't safe neither--wood hicks cut 'em down."
The longer her husband is missing, the more May Rose begins to enjoy her freedom: “My plans are uncertain,” she says, and “She liked the power of these words, as though she might stay or go on a whim.”
Suzie, who runs the brothel, suffers none of the illusions May Rose has. She’s learned “men will take care of us, then we learn they're weak and faithless. If they mean to keep us on our backs, we're fools not to take advantage.”
Dessie, the cook, is also more world-wise than May Rose: “I suppose when you're young, you believe your man has to be head of the house and boss of you, too,” she says. “When you're older like me, you know that's a lot of tripe.” May Rose fell for that. “If I'd disobeyed or spoken out, I think Jamie would have beat me,” she tells Dessie, and all these years later, after all those Virgina Slims ads and women fighting just for autonomy and simple respect, too many women still live like May Rose.
No doubt there are men who suffer and get browbeaten by women, but they tend to keep a low profile. To be fair, one woman in this novel is as rotten as any of the men. Her sons are known to sexually assault girls but she defends them, and when they bully their stepbrothers, she hands them the board to beat her own husband for trying to intervene on behalf of his sons.
The number of injustices in this novel, great and small, are too numerous to mention. It’s one of the reasons I can take only so much historical fiction. These things really happen. Maybe this novel is a fiction, but the characters are real, and the things they suffered are not just imaginary sufferings. One book like this and I’m ready for a silly, unbelievable romance or a paranormal full of magic, or a space opera with aliens and technological marvels.
It may be a while before I’m up to reading the two sequels to this story. Real life is too brutal. I’m happy to have grown up in more enlightened times (even if too many women still live under the thumbs of men), and I’m grateful to the women who fought to make the Virginia Slims ad ring true: “You’ve come a long way, baby!” – but we still a way to go. Until then, like the old “Calgon, take me away!” commercial, I’ll be out on the porch swing escaping into a fairy tale.
March 26, 2015
Nicely detailed historical, but not enough happens!
March 10, 2019
La ambientación me gustó, nunca había leído novelas en el "Lejano Oeste" pero avanza muy lentamente y ninguno de los personajes es querible.
May 12, 2022
This book ended in a bit of a cliff hanger, but the next book in the series picks up 15 years later without really filling in the blanks. :(
December 24, 2025
Interesting start to a series...there were a few plot holes, or at least confusing parts that didn't quite make sense, but I did enjoy the story of a young woman living in the 1800s where men work in logging mills and women are expected to be married and have babies. May Rose was married, at least at the beginning, but her hubby was a scoundrel. Some interesting characters for sure.
June 14, 2020
Excellent series for finding out how life was
back in the days when life was much harder for women.
I cant not but think how much better off
the planet and the other life was then. Too many
people on it today. This is a very wholesome series.
back in the days when life was much harder for women.
I cant not but think how much better off
the planet and the other life was then. Too many
people on it today. This is a very wholesome series.
June 11, 2018
Good old days never were
This review contains spoilers at the end.
I love historical fiction from this era when it is historically accurate as far as I can tell. This book had accuracy of social history like no other book I've ever read! No nostalgia for the good old days when chivalry was not dead. The story was set in a Virginia sawmill town "a place that God forgot" as one side character remarked. It was dangerous to be a woman. Capitalism abounded keeping people poor and under control. Even the middle to upper middle class was controlled. The main character is not caught up in lamenting all this, she is courageous and sometimes naive in just doing the next right thing for her survival and spirit--she has a conscience. when it would be easier to look the other way. The book is beautifully written depicting her maturing and toughening to a realistic perspective without totally selling out. Despite the difference in the eras we live in, I very much related to her inner thoughts, convictions, and insights. It's the outer events of the story that have me wishing I could drop a half star. SPOILER ALERT: the ending frustrated me. I realize it's a series and cliffhangers are to be expected. The ending was hastily slapped on the last page leaving the reader to wonder HOW. And WHAT? Great, Will is alive but what happened to him how did he survive and end up with Wanda? "Russell sold out" ...ok how what and to whom? The next books in the series start15 years later and the sample chapters don t answer these questions. I would have put the book down 3/4 done had I known the ending would be so uninformative. Up until that part, this book was excellent. Favorite line, paraphrased from memory: "when he pushed her away, she stumbled but did not lose her balance/fall"
This review contains spoilers at the end.
I love historical fiction from this era when it is historically accurate as far as I can tell. This book had accuracy of social history like no other book I've ever read! No nostalgia for the good old days when chivalry was not dead. The story was set in a Virginia sawmill town "a place that God forgot" as one side character remarked. It was dangerous to be a woman. Capitalism abounded keeping people poor and under control. Even the middle to upper middle class was controlled. The main character is not caught up in lamenting all this, she is courageous and sometimes naive in just doing the next right thing for her survival and spirit--she has a conscience. when it would be easier to look the other way. The book is beautifully written depicting her maturing and toughening to a realistic perspective without totally selling out. Despite the difference in the eras we live in, I very much related to her inner thoughts, convictions, and insights. It's the outer events of the story that have me wishing I could drop a half star. SPOILER ALERT: the ending frustrated me. I realize it's a series and cliffhangers are to be expected. The ending was hastily slapped on the last page leaving the reader to wonder HOW. And WHAT? Great, Will is alive but what happened to him how did he survive and end up with Wanda? "Russell sold out" ...ok how what and to whom? The next books in the series start15 years later and the sample chapters don t answer these questions. I would have put the book down 3/4 done had I known the ending would be so uninformative. Up until that part, this book was excellent. Favorite line, paraphrased from memory: "when he pushed her away, she stumbled but did not lose her balance/fall"
October 28, 2018
Good book
Good book. The ending is surprising. May read the rest of sequel. Books 2 and 3. Worth reading and decide for yourself.
Good book. The ending is surprising. May read the rest of sequel. Books 2 and 3. Worth reading and decide for yourself.
July 7, 2018
A logging mill and the company that owns it, holds the lives of one small West Virginian town, prior to the turn of the century. Built around the sound of saws and falling timber, this town breathes the political strength of lumber - and the scant coins it can provide. Trapped by circumstance and a past love, May Rose has to find her way amongst the hardened populace, carving out her slice of Timber life in a town that unjustly considers her nothing more than a whore.
A quick read, this book is charming, bringing May Rose and her tenuous existence to vivid life, while painting the harsh reality women faced in 1899. Dependent on a man and appearances, the mere introduction of rumor can destroy a fragile life - as May Rose soon learns. This is a story of subtle strength and determination, one that echoes the style of 'Christy' - though the tale itself is far removed.
I judged it a 3 star as there were points when I had to struggle through the text, caught by details that felt forced or superfluous. However, a 3.5 or even a 3.7 (why can't we do half stars anyway??) would be more appropriate as this story itself is well built and trudges to an ending that feels decent, if not victorious.
A quick read, this book is charming, bringing May Rose and her tenuous existence to vivid life, while painting the harsh reality women faced in 1899. Dependent on a man and appearances, the mere introduction of rumor can destroy a fragile life - as May Rose soon learns. This is a story of subtle strength and determination, one that echoes the style of 'Christy' - though the tale itself is far removed.
I judged it a 3 star as there were points when I had to struggle through the text, caught by details that felt forced or superfluous. However, a 3.5 or even a 3.7 (why can't we do half stars anyway??) would be more appropriate as this story itself is well built and trudges to an ending that feels decent, if not victorious.
August 6, 2019
Middling
This story of a West Virginian lumber town at the turn of the 20th century has good reading moments. The plot catalogs the lives of the town mostly as seen through the eyes of a young woman who lives on the mountain alone five days a week while her husband works the lumber company.
Although the writing is stilted, the descriptions of life here are pretty well done as loneliness, despair, fear, suspicion, hard work and near starvation are the average.
The plot is fairly laid out and the lives of the women are just horrid. I read a book years ago entitled 'Wisconson Death Trip' which is a compilation of actual newspaper articles and photos from around this same time period that would absolutely justify much of what is written here regarding women's and men's lives in isolated areas of the U.S. Rumor was considerably trusted as the absolute truth and women had zero rights, expected to be financially dependent on men with no protection.
The company owned town store, housing, etc, caused total dependence on the employer who paid low wages.
I would recommend to readers of historical fiction. It's not the best book I've read on the subject, but worth a shot.
This story of a West Virginian lumber town at the turn of the 20th century has good reading moments. The plot catalogs the lives of the town mostly as seen through the eyes of a young woman who lives on the mountain alone five days a week while her husband works the lumber company.
Although the writing is stilted, the descriptions of life here are pretty well done as loneliness, despair, fear, suspicion, hard work and near starvation are the average.
The plot is fairly laid out and the lives of the women are just horrid. I read a book years ago entitled 'Wisconson Death Trip' which is a compilation of actual newspaper articles and photos from around this same time period that would absolutely justify much of what is written here regarding women's and men's lives in isolated areas of the U.S. Rumor was considerably trusted as the absolute truth and women had zero rights, expected to be financially dependent on men with no protection.
The company owned town store, housing, etc, caused total dependence on the employer who paid low wages.
I would recommend to readers of historical fiction. It's not the best book I've read on the subject, but worth a shot.
August 5, 2025
The Girl on the Mountain completely pulled me in from the very beginning. Carol Ervin paints such a vivid picture of life in a rugged 1899 West Virginia sawmill town, and the main character, May Rose Long, is someone I couldn’t stop rooting for. She’s strong, determined, and stuck in an impossible situation, but never once does she come across as a victim. I loved watching her navigate the challenges thrown at her with grit and quiet courage.
The story has that perfect mix of drama, danger, and heart. There’s a raw realism to the way people treat May Rose, some try to help her, others want to control her, and all she has to rely on is a litter of pigs (yes, pigs!) and a fiercely loyal, knife-wielding 13-year-old girl. The relationships, especially between May Rose and young Wanda, felt authentic and deeply emotional.
Now let’s talk about the audio version, Becca Ballenger was absolutely fantastic! Her narration brought every character to life, and I was completely immersed in the world. She gave just the right tone to every scene, tough when it needed to be, soft when it mattered. Honestly, her performance made me feel like I was right there in that mountain town.
This is the first book in the Mountain Women Series, and I’m already lining up the next one. If you love strong female leads, historical fiction with heart, and an audiobook that truly enhances the story, you need to give this a listen.
The story has that perfect mix of drama, danger, and heart. There’s a raw realism to the way people treat May Rose, some try to help her, others want to control her, and all she has to rely on is a litter of pigs (yes, pigs!) and a fiercely loyal, knife-wielding 13-year-old girl. The relationships, especially between May Rose and young Wanda, felt authentic and deeply emotional.
Now let’s talk about the audio version, Becca Ballenger was absolutely fantastic! Her narration brought every character to life, and I was completely immersed in the world. She gave just the right tone to every scene, tough when it needed to be, soft when it mattered. Honestly, her performance made me feel like I was right there in that mountain town.
This is the first book in the Mountain Women Series, and I’m already lining up the next one. If you love strong female leads, historical fiction with heart, and an audiobook that truly enhances the story, you need to give this a listen.
September 26, 2018
A COMPANY OWNED TOWN
A young bride of two years now living in the mountains of West Virginia her husband works as a blogger. The pay isn't very much, but May Rose supplements food for the table by growing vegetables, she also sells egg and feathers to the local trading post. This is is a company owned town. Rough and tumble the families who work for the logging company live a hard scrabble life. May Rose husband leaves her and she no money or means to support herself. May Rose takes on the responsibility of another woman's children, the father of these children he seems to be overwhelmed with the responsibilities.
This is a show how complicated and complex women and children lives are. Women have no say regarding their lives; it's a man's world and women are like leaves in the wind, worthless, only good for birthing and keeping house, taking care of the children, make sure there's food on the table..During those days women lives were very bleak with narrow expectations from society.
This is a sad story which we know in real life has occurred in past American history..there are two more books to read about "Girl on the Mountain."
A young bride of two years now living in the mountains of West Virginia her husband works as a blogger. The pay isn't very much, but May Rose supplements food for the table by growing vegetables, she also sells egg and feathers to the local trading post. This is is a company owned town. Rough and tumble the families who work for the logging company live a hard scrabble life. May Rose husband leaves her and she no money or means to support herself. May Rose takes on the responsibility of another woman's children, the father of these children he seems to be overwhelmed with the responsibilities.
This is a show how complicated and complex women and children lives are. Women have no say regarding their lives; it's a man's world and women are like leaves in the wind, worthless, only good for birthing and keeping house, taking care of the children, make sure there's food on the table..During those days women lives were very bleak with narrow expectations from society.
This is a sad story which we know in real life has occurred in past American history..there are two more books to read about "Girl on the Mountain."
May 17, 2024
The land is wild and women must be strong
Untrue things are said of May Rose Long, but it is true she’s too pretty for her own good. It’s 1899, and she’s on her own in a remote sawmill town where Company is king, men are rough, and a woman alone has few options. Her only resources are her pet sow’s litter of pigs and the attachment of an unruly 13-year-old girl.
The company doctor wants to help, but he’s married, and his interest is personal. The company manager offers work, but his concern for May Rose may not be proper. Then there’s Suzie, operator of the brothel, who’d gladly welcome both her and the girl. As May Rose struggles to earn her keep, her troubles seem directed by others.
Soon an accident leaves the town in desperate straits. Through it all, May Rose must earn respect, protect herself, and save the girl who sleeps with a doll clutched tight and a knife under her pillow.
The story of May Rose and Wanda is the first book in the Mountain Women Series, bringing to life the struggles and triumphs, friendships and families of women in a small West Virginia town in the early 1900s.
Untrue things are said of May Rose Long, but it is true she’s too pretty for her own good. It’s 1899, and she’s on her own in a remote sawmill town where Company is king, men are rough, and a woman alone has few options. Her only resources are her pet sow’s litter of pigs and the attachment of an unruly 13-year-old girl.
The company doctor wants to help, but he’s married, and his interest is personal. The company manager offers work, but his concern for May Rose may not be proper. Then there’s Suzie, operator of the brothel, who’d gladly welcome both her and the girl. As May Rose struggles to earn her keep, her troubles seem directed by others.
Soon an accident leaves the town in desperate straits. Through it all, May Rose must earn respect, protect herself, and save the girl who sleeps with a doll clutched tight and a knife under her pillow.
The story of May Rose and Wanda is the first book in the Mountain Women Series, bringing to life the struggles and triumphs, friendships and families of women in a small West Virginia town in the early 1900s.
November 13, 2024
This is book 1 in this series but I do believe it is necessary to read the prequel , "For the Love of Jamie Long" to understand why the events in this book occur .
I was given the AI read audio book of For the Love of Jamie Long by the author and loved it! This book continues with what happened when Mae Rose realised that Jamie wasn't what she'd thought he was - after two lonely years of marriage and being left isolated in a cabin on the mountain. When she realises a lie had been spread about her and Jamie wasn't coming back, Mae Rose learns to become strong against the odds.
This book, like the first, is extremely well written and gives a very good impression of the lives of the people making a living working hard in the logging camps, especially the hard lives of the women, who had so few choices. Having already been gripped by the first book I couldn't put it down. I feel invested in the lives of Mae Rose, Wanda and some of the other characters. The begining of book 3, at the end of this book describes what happens 15 years later. I can't wait to read on.
I was given the AI read audio book of For the Love of Jamie Long by the author and loved it! This book continues with what happened when Mae Rose realised that Jamie wasn't what she'd thought he was - after two lonely years of marriage and being left isolated in a cabin on the mountain. When she realises a lie had been spread about her and Jamie wasn't coming back, Mae Rose learns to become strong against the odds.
This book, like the first, is extremely well written and gives a very good impression of the lives of the people making a living working hard in the logging camps, especially the hard lives of the women, who had so few choices. Having already been gripped by the first book I couldn't put it down. I feel invested in the lives of Mae Rose, Wanda and some of the other characters. The begining of book 3, at the end of this book describes what happens 15 years later. I can't wait to read on.
May 4, 2025
Audiobook: This was my first experience with this author's work, and the story captured my attention from the beginning until the end. The author's creative phrases drew my imagination into the world of a lumber town where most everything was owned by the company in the year 1899. The heroine, May Rose was admirable and strong, and I felt for her as she worked to keep herself and her unofficial ward safe. My heart was troubled by some of the events which occurred, but on the whole, I was moved by May Rose's determination to rise above her circumstances. I thought the ending was kind of abrupt, but hopefully the next book might finish answering the questions in my own mind. It took me a small amount of time to appreciate Becca Ballenger's narration, but once the I became accustomed to her performance, I enjoyed it. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.
June 25, 2020
This story isn't bad. In many ways it is a good story, with strong characters, even if they didn't always present as complex of emotions as the situation should have called for. I didn't always understand why the author had some act the way they did. However, the real problem of this book is it's choppy nature. One minute you think they are walking into the kitchen for their meal while talking together and the next minute, it is as if they are already done eating. No connecting text. Sometimes it is hard to tell who was talking or who the action involved. It jumped around to the different characters a lot. I actually felt this story should have been a little fleshed out more and that it was almost like we were reading the final draft before the whole story was finalized. So, I am almost sorry to say that I can't really recommend it as a good book.
October 15, 2020
I have tried to like this story, but just cannot finish it. I like the basis of what the story line and characters could be. There is not enough backstory to the main character to help facilitate feeling her plight in the life she chose. I personally feel there is no true character development for any of the characters in this book. Why did she choose the life she did? Why do the characters act like they do? How do the characters build upon their relationships? What happens in a few days feels like it happened over the course of weeks or months. I feel like I'm being bounced all over the place between the characters and their interactions with each other.
After reading reviews (after I started the book), I figure it just may be me. For me personally, this book did nothing for me.
After reading reviews (after I started the book), I figure it just may be me. For me personally, this book did nothing for me.
December 21, 2017
While the story line would have been interesting, the writing was very choppy. It seemed there were missing parts, like what was life like for Wanda when she lived with Russell, who all of a sudden turned out to be the good guy. No explanation of the change in his temperament, especially after the way he treated May Rose in her cabin. I felt there were just a lot of missing pieces, which is unfortunate because the idea of the story is good. I did download the remaining 4 books in the series, so I will be reading those, but I don't have much hope of an improvement. Kind of makes me wonder who edits these badly written books.
January 25, 2019
Interesting story. Unusual story teller. Leaves you wanting more...more depth. More of certain characters. The last page left me wondering and feeling a bit empty. I love the setting, the historical timeline, the feels and the emotional ties to a couple of the characters. But. ?? Something misses the mark with the author. The beginning of the second book let me know a little of what this is... You are left hanging too often and too long.
Will I continue to read the rest of book 2 and the series? I'm unsure, it's been a week and I haven't missed the storyline enough to continue.... Yet.
Will I continue to read the rest of book 2 and the series? I'm unsure, it's been a week and I haven't missed the storyline enough to continue.... Yet.
March 16, 2020
Much historical information portrayed in the 1900 W. Virginia mining novel about a young bride left to her own after her beloved husband is involved in a murder. She must overcome rumors about her personal self, constant harassment from miners and others while befriending an unknown child of her husband's. Much violence, hardships, with limited women's ability to get ahead portrays a very dismal existence. Ending is rather abrupt, most likely to lead into a sequel in this interesting read for those who enjoy this genre/era.
June 13, 2020
The setting and backdrop of the story were very interesting and made the reader feel like they were actually part of the experience. The main characters' (Lori and Wanda) experiences were heartbreaking and raw, keeping the reader's attention and helping them identify and sympathize with them. The middle of the story lagged a bit and the dialogue leaps between the many characters in the story make you feel lost at times, but, overall, this novel kept my interest enough for me to continue on with the second book of the series.
July 10, 2025
Amazing Story Telling !! Loved It !!
This story was so heartfelt , Your walking into a different time & life . Everyone will fall in Love With Mae Rose !!! The Struggles An abuse that she goes through is unbelievable yet she has love compassion and redemption that comes her way . Heartship only someone that has gone through can really feel for Mae Rose open yourself to these people in this story ! You Will come out after reading To appreciate everything you have in life. Loved it !!
This story was so heartfelt , Your walking into a different time & life . Everyone will fall in Love With Mae Rose !!! The Struggles An abuse that she goes through is unbelievable yet she has love compassion and redemption that comes her way . Heartship only someone that has gone through can really feel for Mae Rose open yourself to these people in this story ! You Will come out after reading To appreciate everything you have in life. Loved it !!
June 4, 2017
Life is not easy...you need friends
I enjoyed this book about the hard life of people living in West Virginia during the early railroad days. It is hard to believe how hard life was not that many years ago. I was born in West Virginia and have a special place in my heart for the people and it's history. This was a good reminder that everyone needs help, encouragement, love and support from time to time.
I enjoyed this book about the hard life of people living in West Virginia during the early railroad days. It is hard to believe how hard life was not that many years ago. I was born in West Virginia and have a special place in my heart for the people and it's history. This was a good reminder that everyone needs help, encouragement, love and support from time to time.
August 25, 2017
Rumors can destroy lives
The story moves fast getting you right into the small town and how made up stories about a beautiful girl can ruin lives. I like historical fiction that weaves facts into the lives of the characters. The author does a good job describing small town lumber communities of the time.
It was a good read, and the story continues into the lives of the younger characters, but I have not felt the urge to read the later books yet.
The story moves fast getting you right into the small town and how made up stories about a beautiful girl can ruin lives. I like historical fiction that weaves facts into the lives of the characters. The author does a good job describing small town lumber communities of the time.
It was a good read, and the story continues into the lives of the younger characters, but I have not felt the urge to read the later books yet.
October 26, 2018
The Girl on the Mountain
May Rose is a young new bride. Her and Jamie her husband live on the side of a mountain above a logging town called Winkler. Jamie works for one of the logging camps. May Rose loses her husband and ends up moving to town to try to servive, life is really tuff during these times. She meets a little girl named Wanda and she feels she must help Wanda who is living on the streets. Good Characters and a interesting read.
May Rose is a young new bride. Her and Jamie her husband live on the side of a mountain above a logging town called Winkler. Jamie works for one of the logging camps. May Rose loses her husband and ends up moving to town to try to servive, life is really tuff during these times. She meets a little girl named Wanda and she feels she must help Wanda who is living on the streets. Good Characters and a interesting read.
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