What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweet Hollow Women
As part of a family where life happens to you, fifteen-year-old Carasine Busey is devastated but not surprised when her family drops everything in Sweet Hollow, Louisiana to follow her dad's shaky career as a welder. It's not especially shocking, either, when he abandons them all shortly after they settle into their new home in the city.
Carasine, her mom Rhonda, and the rest of the Busey clan have adapted to roll with the punches. From Rhonda's secret broken heart to Great-Great-Grandpa Jimbo's eccentric failed dreams, Carasine and her family are used to disappointment.
It's not until Carasine gets a second chance with an unlikely pair of long-lost relatives that she realizes her path in life might be up to her to navigate. Being their flesh and blood convinces her that there may be some hope for her after all.
Carasine, her mom Rhonda, and the rest of the Busey clan have adapted to roll with the punches. From Rhonda's secret broken heart to Great-Great-Grandpa Jimbo's eccentric failed dreams, Carasine and her family are used to disappointment.
It's not until Carasine gets a second chance with an unlikely pair of long-lost relatives that she realizes her path in life might be up to her to navigate. Being their flesh and blood convinces her that there may be some hope for her after all.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2017
3959 people are currently reading
3362 people want to read
About the author
Holly Tierney
22 books519 followersHolly Tierney is the author of over twenty novels and novellas, including Sweet Hollow Women, Surviving Valencia, Right Under Your Nose, Bellamy's Redemption, and Murder at Mistletoe Manor. She is also the creator of mid-century dollhouse flipping blog www.flipthisminihouse.com and the author of several dollhouse and miniature how-to books. She lives in Wisconsin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
November 17, 2017
This book reminds me of the show Gilmore Girls. Where a whole lot of people are talking and nothing is really going on except once in a while something is stirred up. but that's it. It's not all that exciting. It's not a horrible book, but if your looking for some excitement I suggest you look elsewhere. Most of the characters in here are unlikable and kind of ignorant. The stupidity of their actions were quite annoying most of the time. One or two characters seemed to have a head on their shoulders but that doesn't make up for the other ding dongs who had as much ambition to succeed in life as wet dish rag does.
August 11, 2018
Sweet Hollow Women
By: Holly Tierney-Bedord
5 out of 5 stars
The story Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney-Bedord is a book that I loved reading. It is a story that hooked me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down until the final page. It tells the story of several women in one family from different generations. It is a book in which I could feel the strong emotions felt by the characters. I found myself thinking about the characters even after I had finished reading the story. I enjoyed reading about Carasine. She is strong, independent, and sassy. She is not afraid to say what she is thinking. You find her with her life in an upheaval and her wanting to return to Sweet Hollow, Louisiana. She is a resourceful character and one that I grew to love. What does the future hold for Carasine? You also read about Rhonda, Carasine’s mother. She is a woman whose past includes a broken heart. There were times when reading her part of the story I would smile and others when I could feel the pain she was going through. Life has plenty of ups and downs. There is romance and heartbreak. Choices made and the effects those choices have on both the person making them and others. There are times in this story that I would shake my head or roll my eyes at what goes on. There are other times when you wonder what decision you would make in the same situation. This is a well-written and deeply moving story that I highly recommend reading.
By: Holly Tierney-Bedord
5 out of 5 stars
The story Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney-Bedord is a book that I loved reading. It is a story that hooked me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down until the final page. It tells the story of several women in one family from different generations. It is a book in which I could feel the strong emotions felt by the characters. I found myself thinking about the characters even after I had finished reading the story. I enjoyed reading about Carasine. She is strong, independent, and sassy. She is not afraid to say what she is thinking. You find her with her life in an upheaval and her wanting to return to Sweet Hollow, Louisiana. She is a resourceful character and one that I grew to love. What does the future hold for Carasine? You also read about Rhonda, Carasine’s mother. She is a woman whose past includes a broken heart. There were times when reading her part of the story I would smile and others when I could feel the pain she was going through. Life has plenty of ups and downs. There is romance and heartbreak. Choices made and the effects those choices have on both the person making them and others. There are times in this story that I would shake my head or roll my eyes at what goes on. There are other times when you wonder what decision you would make in the same situation. This is a well-written and deeply moving story that I highly recommend reading.
August 11, 2018
3 Stars
Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney Bedord is a multi-generational saga that follows four generations of a family tree through their search for happiness. The best way I can describe this book is it felt like a cross between The Waltons and The Gilmore Girls (without the comedic elements). There was a lot of hardship, despair, heartbreak, poverty, disappointments, dilemmas, ignorance, sadness, frustration, and struggles- and not a lot ‘wins’. The family dynamics was interesting, and there were parts where the characters did chase their dream/s, and were true to themselves- but mainly this book seemed to me to be about how choices can have far reaching consequences and/or effects.
I am a big Holly Tierney Bedord fan, having read most of her books now- but I have to say that this was my least favourite of them all. I hate to say this because I really do love her books- but this one depressed and frustrated me.
The story is told from multiple perspective, and jumps from character to character, from past to present and back again, and from generation to generation- which was both distracting and somewhat confusing. The story itself was interesting- but there was just so many jumps and so much information that it became a distraction from the actual storyline (if that makes sense).
I liked Carasine as a character, and would have preferred for the story to concentrate on her more- with less input from the others. I think if that were the case the story would have read better. I found it difficult to like or connect with most of the other characters.
The story was a little slow to get going and there were parts in the story that seemed to lag or drag. Which is so unlike any of the other books of Ms. Tierney’s that I have read. So maybe it is just me and I just don’t ‘get’ this book- so you should probable read the story for yourself and come to your own conclusion…
I will definitely be reading Ms. Bedord’s next book, because like I’ve mentioned before- I normally absolutely love her work.
I will revisit this book again in a month or two and see if I still feel the same way, or if I was just having an ‘off’ day.
I really did want to love it!
Thank you, Ms. Bedord!
Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney Bedord is a multi-generational saga that follows four generations of a family tree through their search for happiness. The best way I can describe this book is it felt like a cross between The Waltons and The Gilmore Girls (without the comedic elements). There was a lot of hardship, despair, heartbreak, poverty, disappointments, dilemmas, ignorance, sadness, frustration, and struggles- and not a lot ‘wins’. The family dynamics was interesting, and there were parts where the characters did chase their dream/s, and were true to themselves- but mainly this book seemed to me to be about how choices can have far reaching consequences and/or effects.
I am a big Holly Tierney Bedord fan, having read most of her books now- but I have to say that this was my least favourite of them all. I hate to say this because I really do love her books- but this one depressed and frustrated me.
The story is told from multiple perspective, and jumps from character to character, from past to present and back again, and from generation to generation- which was both distracting and somewhat confusing. The story itself was interesting- but there was just so many jumps and so much information that it became a distraction from the actual storyline (if that makes sense).
I liked Carasine as a character, and would have preferred for the story to concentrate on her more- with less input from the others. I think if that were the case the story would have read better. I found it difficult to like or connect with most of the other characters.
The story was a little slow to get going and there were parts in the story that seemed to lag or drag. Which is so unlike any of the other books of Ms. Tierney’s that I have read. So maybe it is just me and I just don’t ‘get’ this book- so you should probable read the story for yourself and come to your own conclusion…
I will definitely be reading Ms. Bedord’s next book, because like I’ve mentioned before- I normally absolutely love her work.
I will revisit this book again in a month or two and see if I still feel the same way, or if I was just having an ‘off’ day.
I really did want to love it!
Thank you, Ms. Bedord!
November 29, 2017
If you are into reading books about characters that are totally unloveable and irritating to the max, then this one is for you. I kept hoping all the way through that something good or fun would happen to someone but I read to the last page and it just didn't happen. These people were stuck in a very muddy rut and they were not moving out of said rut. Talk about lives that went nowhere.
Nope, sorry I wouldn't waste my time reading anything else by this author. She needs to make her character reach out and grab us. The four different women and their four different stories were all confused and messy to try to sort out. Not happening for me.
Nope, sorry I wouldn't waste my time reading anything else by this author. She needs to make her character reach out and grab us. The four different women and their four different stories were all confused and messy to try to sort out. Not happening for me.
April 8, 2018
This is a story about how the choices we make today can trickle down from generation to generation. One town, four generations of women, and their lives. Each generation choose a path that, right or wrong, shaped them and their futures. I almost wish the story had been written in 4 parts, in succession. The back and forth and changing of characters was a little distracting There were parts I think was just filler and not really necessary to the story. I wanted to truly smack Rhonda throughout the story.
September 3, 2018
The intergenerational stories of the women are primarily about women who are poorly educated and go where life takes them ( to early pregnancies, low paying jobs and unreliable husbands). The author has an appreciation for how difficult their lives are and consequently how difficult and dangerous life is for their children. The unwillingness, or inability, of the women to improve their lives is frustrating, but most likely realistic.
July 8, 2020
I love multi-generational stories. And believe me, this one really delves into the generations. Sweet Hollow Women is story about a family of women—women who all struggle with life but at the same time, they are all strong in their own way. As the story is revealed from each person's perspective, we see that strength over and over again. Life was hard for all of these women, and sometimes they didn't make the best decisions, but that's real life, right?
Holly has created very memorable characters and the way this story is told—with alternating voices—the reader learns the back story of each person's life. We come to understand how all the generations are tied together, whether they wanted to be or not.
I loved the slow feel of the southern way of life that is Sweet Hollow and I felt very connected to all of these women. I truly came to care about what happened to each of them. I was sad when I came to the end of this compelling story. I wanted there to be more.
I listened to the audio-book of Sweet Hollow Women and I just have to mention the narrator, Scott Cluthe. This is the first book by him that I have listened to but he was the absolute most perfect voice for this southern story. I enjoyed listening to him immensely.
So between the intriguing story of these women and the wonderful narrator, Sweet Hollow Women was a heartwarming, emotional story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Holly has created very memorable characters and the way this story is told—with alternating voices—the reader learns the back story of each person's life. We come to understand how all the generations are tied together, whether they wanted to be or not.
I loved the slow feel of the southern way of life that is Sweet Hollow and I felt very connected to all of these women. I truly came to care about what happened to each of them. I was sad when I came to the end of this compelling story. I wanted there to be more.
I listened to the audio-book of Sweet Hollow Women and I just have to mention the narrator, Scott Cluthe. This is the first book by him that I have listened to but he was the absolute most perfect voice for this southern story. I enjoyed listening to him immensely.
So between the intriguing story of these women and the wonderful narrator, Sweet Hollow Women was a heartwarming, emotional story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Want to read
April 23, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/23/2019)! 🎁
September 30, 2019
Southern lit that I like. Want to read more by this author now. Good story. Liked different people different chapters all interwoven ! Yea! Love it when I stumble upon a book I like!
August 12, 2018
Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney-Bedord was a okay read, that was for me, a little all over the place.
My first read by this author, I went in with a open mine, as the synopsis caught my attention. The story follows about four generations of women. It took me a bit to connect them all, as it starts with Maggie, then jumps to Carasine, who is Maggie's granddaughter, but it wasn't clearly stated that Rhonda was Maggie's daughter until a few jumps in. That was a little confusing and it was hard to follow at first. But I did get into it once I got all the generations straighten out. I almost needed a map to keep track.
The writing is solid, and the story itself was well structured and professionally edited. I found that with each story, or jump you could say, the tone matched the era. Every character had their own voice and personality. I wasn't too sure of what the plot was, I don't think there was a clear plot, more so, this read like a generational memoirs. I did draw some similarities to The Ya Ya Sisterhood, but the story was lacking in general entertainment, I didn't have a real connection with any of the characters. It fell flat, and in truth I was a little let down. I think, it was a way the book jumped around too much. It didn't finish a thought before it jumped, nor did the jumps feel cohesive.
I wasn't too fond of Rhonda's story, or her as a character. Very immature, didn't learn anything, and very self-destructive. The only real character that grew, and learned from their mistakes was Carasine. I did find myself drawn more to her story, but again just when it was getting interesting, it jumped to five years, then at the end, two more bringing the characters into 2017. I didn't like that, because I feel like there should have been more, between those jumps, to fully close out her story.
As for the ending, it was okay, it was a good feel ending, but again it wasn't closed out. The thought wasn't finished. A epilogue would have helped with concluding the loose ends.
Overall this wasn't a bad read, like I said the writing was top notch. I liked the idea of following a generation of women, and how their choice affect their offspring, and how it trickles down. The story itself flowed, details and situations match the proper era, telling me that, research went into making this read as authentic as possible. For being 371 pages, this was a pretty quick read, and that has to do with the different jumps and timelines.
I do recommend you give this book a read, it has some good lessons and expert writing and overall story telling. If a another book comes out that connects to this one I will give it a read, cause I want those loose ends closed up.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
My first read by this author, I went in with a open mine, as the synopsis caught my attention. The story follows about four generations of women. It took me a bit to connect them all, as it starts with Maggie, then jumps to Carasine, who is Maggie's granddaughter, but it wasn't clearly stated that Rhonda was Maggie's daughter until a few jumps in. That was a little confusing and it was hard to follow at first. But I did get into it once I got all the generations straighten out. I almost needed a map to keep track.
The writing is solid, and the story itself was well structured and professionally edited. I found that with each story, or jump you could say, the tone matched the era. Every character had their own voice and personality. I wasn't too sure of what the plot was, I don't think there was a clear plot, more so, this read like a generational memoirs. I did draw some similarities to The Ya Ya Sisterhood, but the story was lacking in general entertainment, I didn't have a real connection with any of the characters. It fell flat, and in truth I was a little let down. I think, it was a way the book jumped around too much. It didn't finish a thought before it jumped, nor did the jumps feel cohesive.
I wasn't too fond of Rhonda's story, or her as a character. Very immature, didn't learn anything, and very self-destructive. The only real character that grew, and learned from their mistakes was Carasine. I did find myself drawn more to her story, but again just when it was getting interesting, it jumped to five years, then at the end, two more bringing the characters into 2017. I didn't like that, because I feel like there should have been more, between those jumps, to fully close out her story.
As for the ending, it was okay, it was a good feel ending, but again it wasn't closed out. The thought wasn't finished. A epilogue would have helped with concluding the loose ends.
Overall this wasn't a bad read, like I said the writing was top notch. I liked the idea of following a generation of women, and how their choice affect their offspring, and how it trickles down. The story itself flowed, details and situations match the proper era, telling me that, research went into making this read as authentic as possible. For being 371 pages, this was a pretty quick read, and that has to do with the different jumps and timelines.
I do recommend you give this book a read, it has some good lessons and expert writing and overall story telling. If a another book comes out that connects to this one I will give it a read, cause I want those loose ends closed up.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
August 23, 2018
A "coming of age" book. I personally got into the story and was kept there till the end although there are multiple opinions out there. Told from 4 point of views by women from different generations, I had as favourite each one of the main characters only to change my mind again and again.
What these once young and smart women have in common? As sexist as it might sound, their poor choice in men :) And I believe that's why most of the readers, predominantly women, couldn't like these characters. Because they put themselves in their shoes and maybe they would have chosen differently. You want to scream at each one of them to wake and grow up and stop making the same mistakes the women from their family made. But I believe this is the beauty of it, that gets out of you these reactions and feelings. I personally enjoyed it.
What these once young and smart women have in common? As sexist as it might sound, their poor choice in men :) And I believe that's why most of the readers, predominantly women, couldn't like these characters. Because they put themselves in their shoes and maybe they would have chosen differently. You want to scream at each one of them to wake and grow up and stop making the same mistakes the women from their family made. But I believe this is the beauty of it, that gets out of you these reactions and feelings. I personally enjoyed it.
May 26, 2018
Sweet Hollow Women is by Holly Tierney-Bedard. I am a little ambivalent about this book. I liked it and yet I didn’t. I know that only makes sense to someone who reads a lot. The story is about Maggie, her daughter, and her granddaughter and how they survived in Sweet Hollow in the 60’s. It was difficult for me to get into and to figure out who was who among the characters. It seemed that some of the events in the story were just added to create excitement but really didn’t have a good reason for being there.
Maggie Haydel had nothing to do with her parents for a long time. She pulled away from the family when she was ten. On her birthday, her Father and Uncle robbed a bank. Even at ten, she strongly disagreed and began pulling away. She married and had a daughter, Rhonda, who got pregnant in high school, ended up with the father and lived a life of drudgery and poverty. Her daughter, Carasine, lived mainly with her grandmother, Maggie for years; but was finally dragged back into the family when she was a teen. Carasine ultimately began living with her maternal great grandparents. The circle swings back to include Uncle Wilson. Then you have the daughter of a wealthy man running off with a worker while her Father works to create a scheme to bringing in spiders to create a canopy of spider webs.
As you can see, the plot twists and turns until you believe you have to set some things in motion to be able to understand the book. There are so many twists and turns that it is hard to keep up with. So, I am not sure if I really liked the book or not.
Maggie Haydel had nothing to do with her parents for a long time. She pulled away from the family when she was ten. On her birthday, her Father and Uncle robbed a bank. Even at ten, she strongly disagreed and began pulling away. She married and had a daughter, Rhonda, who got pregnant in high school, ended up with the father and lived a life of drudgery and poverty. Her daughter, Carasine, lived mainly with her grandmother, Maggie for years; but was finally dragged back into the family when she was a teen. Carasine ultimately began living with her maternal great grandparents. The circle swings back to include Uncle Wilson. Then you have the daughter of a wealthy man running off with a worker while her Father works to create a scheme to bringing in spiders to create a canopy of spider webs.
As you can see, the plot twists and turns until you believe you have to set some things in motion to be able to understand the book. There are so many twists and turns that it is hard to keep up with. So, I am not sure if I really liked the book or not.
August 24, 2018
I have read a couple of books from this talented author and she continues to blow my mind. I love her writing style. She gives you twists and turns you don’t see coming. I was hooked on this book from the first page. It only took me a few hour to devour this book.
This book follows multi-generations through the same family tree. I got some Gilmore Girl vibes from the story line with out the comedy. This story is very heartbreaking at times. Carasine had to move to a small town for her father’s job. She is very upset that she had to leave the love of her life. Carasine doesn’t like her new life at all and she can’t wait to leave. She was not shocked when her father leaves them one day. Carasine knew it was coming but she just didn’t know when. Her mother Rhonda helps her get through all the hard times in her life because she has been through some as well. Carasine finds out some secrets of the family that could change her life forever. Will Carasine find hope in this new town or will it bring her even more despair?
This is a very touching story. The storyline has it all heartbreak, struggles, and healing. You will fall in love with these characters especially Carasine. She is just a teen but she is very smart for her age. Carasine does have a sassy side to her that every teenager has. This story goes back and forth in time and might confuse some readers. The story begins a little slow but the ending wil make you glad you read it. This talented author will keep you at the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to see what this author will write about next.
This book follows multi-generations through the same family tree. I got some Gilmore Girl vibes from the story line with out the comedy. This story is very heartbreaking at times. Carasine had to move to a small town for her father’s job. She is very upset that she had to leave the love of her life. Carasine doesn’t like her new life at all and she can’t wait to leave. She was not shocked when her father leaves them one day. Carasine knew it was coming but she just didn’t know when. Her mother Rhonda helps her get through all the hard times in her life because she has been through some as well. Carasine finds out some secrets of the family that could change her life forever. Will Carasine find hope in this new town or will it bring her even more despair?
This is a very touching story. The storyline has it all heartbreak, struggles, and healing. You will fall in love with these characters especially Carasine. She is just a teen but she is very smart for her age. Carasine does have a sassy side to her that every teenager has. This story goes back and forth in time and might confuse some readers. The story begins a little slow but the ending wil make you glad you read it. This talented author will keep you at the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to see what this author will write about next.
August 16, 2018
This is my favorite by this author yet. I have read other books by her but this one is a little different, not as funny, more serious. This is a story that takes us on a journey through generations of Sweet Hallow women. We get to see their trials, choices and their mistakes. I love these characters as they each brought something to this story. They are lovable and relateable. They brought the story to life and made me feel compassion and a laugh or two. I highly recommend this book.
August 22, 2018
Sweet Hollow Women a four-star read that will challenge you. This wasn’t my favourite story by this author, it was well written and had a great plot, but missed some of the sparkle that I’ve seen in the other books I’ve read by this author. I don’t know if it was the jumps between characters and time that meant I couldn’t get as fully into it as I wanted or what. If you are in the mood for a deep and meaningful read that will challenge you and make you care about characters then this is one for you,
November 23, 2017
Really good read!
Nice, easy to get into, a good way to pass a rainy day! A fair page-turner. I would like to read more by this author.
Nice, easy to get into, a good way to pass a rainy day! A fair page-turner. I would like to read more by this author.
Want to read
April 22, 2019Free on Kindle
May 11, 2019
Solid 3.5 stars. I liked how the story was told - different family members during different years.
September 30, 2021
Story about several generations of a family repeating the mistakes of the former generations. Hardly anything good happened to anyone.
January 8, 2019
So good! I loved the way the stories all qove together
January 2, 2019
Book club with ages from 30 to late fifties all enjoyed.
June 27, 2019
I’m giving this book a 3.5 rating. I would’ve liked to give it a 4 as it ticked a few of my boxes: a cast of female characters and their needs, small-town setting, family ties, etc. The problem is that these women were often bullied and subservient to the men in their lives, the small town was an abysmal place to grow up or raise a family, and the family ties often threatened to destroy rather than bind together.
Sweet Hollow is the small Louisiana town inhabited by 4 generations of women. The matriarch of the story was once a rich and privileged girl of good reputation who throws it all away to marry a laborer on her Daddy’s farm. Unfortunately, he also turns out to be a low level criminal who joins his debauched brother in a bank robbery gone horribly wrong that ends with 2 dead police officers. The good news is he turns over a new leaf and refuses to keep any of the tainted proceeds, letting his brother take all the money. The bad news is that he hides his involvement his entire life, and that his wife knows about it and also keeps it secret.
Their daughter overhears the brothers plotting and sees the stolen money hidden in a shed. She also keeps the secret, but in doing so rejects her parents and leaves home as soon as she’s old enough to be on her own. She marries a damaged PTSD sufferer and lives a life of poverty and apathy.
Her daughter, although gifted at math, gets pregnant by an abusive troglodyte, drops out of high school, and runs away to follow a rich boy who doesn’t really love her and has no intention of allowing a teen mom to spoil his chances of getting a college education and making lots of money. She returns to town, dumps her baby on her mother to raise, and marries the trollish baby-daddy, moving to another town and breeding 5 more children she can’t take care of.
Carasine (a horrible misspelling of Caroline) is finally reunited with her mother and step siblings after her grandmother dies in an accident. She too gets involved with a local loser, but fortunately sees his true colors before she ends up in the same boat as her mother. She is the main character of the book and is also a thoughtful, intelligent young woman who sees what happened to her mother and grandmother and decides to make something of herself. When her mother again decides that she needs to be jettisoned from the family, Carasine goes to live with the great grandparents she hardly knows. This is fortunate for her as they, in an attempt to rectify the mistakes they made with their own daughter, give her a good home and their support as she finished high school.
The women in the book mostly make horrible choices, and almost all the male characters are vile human beings, but there are many moments when the good hearts of these women shine through and I felt for them. Carasine in particular is a bright, generous spirit who loves her mother and siblings even as they treat her as if she’s an stranger in their family. Her great grandfather comes through in the end to provide her with a much-needed boost to get her life on track.
There’s a lot of tragedy in this story, but there’s also humor, love and good people doing the best they can. A good weekend read that will keep you engaged and wanting to know how it all turns out.
Sweet Hollow is the small Louisiana town inhabited by 4 generations of women. The matriarch of the story was once a rich and privileged girl of good reputation who throws it all away to marry a laborer on her Daddy’s farm. Unfortunately, he also turns out to be a low level criminal who joins his debauched brother in a bank robbery gone horribly wrong that ends with 2 dead police officers. The good news is he turns over a new leaf and refuses to keep any of the tainted proceeds, letting his brother take all the money. The bad news is that he hides his involvement his entire life, and that his wife knows about it and also keeps it secret.
Their daughter overhears the brothers plotting and sees the stolen money hidden in a shed. She also keeps the secret, but in doing so rejects her parents and leaves home as soon as she’s old enough to be on her own. She marries a damaged PTSD sufferer and lives a life of poverty and apathy.
Her daughter, although gifted at math, gets pregnant by an abusive troglodyte, drops out of high school, and runs away to follow a rich boy who doesn’t really love her and has no intention of allowing a teen mom to spoil his chances of getting a college education and making lots of money. She returns to town, dumps her baby on her mother to raise, and marries the trollish baby-daddy, moving to another town and breeding 5 more children she can’t take care of.
Carasine (a horrible misspelling of Caroline) is finally reunited with her mother and step siblings after her grandmother dies in an accident. She too gets involved with a local loser, but fortunately sees his true colors before she ends up in the same boat as her mother. She is the main character of the book and is also a thoughtful, intelligent young woman who sees what happened to her mother and grandmother and decides to make something of herself. When her mother again decides that she needs to be jettisoned from the family, Carasine goes to live with the great grandparents she hardly knows. This is fortunate for her as they, in an attempt to rectify the mistakes they made with their own daughter, give her a good home and their support as she finished high school.
The women in the book mostly make horrible choices, and almost all the male characters are vile human beings, but there are many moments when the good hearts of these women shine through and I felt for them. Carasine in particular is a bright, generous spirit who loves her mother and siblings even as they treat her as if she’s an stranger in their family. Her great grandfather comes through in the end to provide her with a much-needed boost to get her life on track.
There’s a lot of tragedy in this story, but there’s also humor, love and good people doing the best they can. A good weekend read that will keep you engaged and wanting to know how it all turns out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2017
I was given an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Sweet Hollow Women is the tale of 4 generations of women, Louisa, Maggie, Rhonda and Carasine, and their journey to and from Sweet Hollow in search of love, their dreams and a happy life. It is both a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale that delves into the relationships between mothers and daughters and into the joy and despair in the search for love and acceptance. The town’s name is well placed because the book and the lives of our four heroines are both sweet and hollow at times.
What I really enjoyed about the book was how each of their stories was interwoven and how decisions and actions taken by a mother, grandmother or even great grandmother had implications on the lives and legacies of future generations. These women were far from perfect. Though this book ends with a HEA, this book is more heartbreak than not. Like most of real life, there is no clearcut right or wrong decision, good and evil; instead, the authors fills the novel, with murky fog of one path travelled vs another not chosen but questioned on whether the right choice was made.
The town of Sweet Hollow is the centering point. The family’s joy, disappointment, betrayals, love, happiness, dreams all seem to start and end in Sweet Hollow. Louisa comes to Sweet Hollow for love and chooses, like her own mother, to ignore that which tarnishes her dream for her family even if it means giving up her own daughter. Maggie is faced with a moral dilemma and in being true to herself must leave her parents and build her own family up. Rhonda is fixated on a love that she pursues too late at the expense of the family she creates. And Carasine, she is the best of them all, and ultimately is able to find love and stability and achieve her dreams as a result of the decisions made by the generations that preceded her.
The author tells the stories of each generation in parallel; so each chapter jumps decades as our four heroines grow from child to adult. This made it difficult at times to follow, especially in the first 1/3 of the book, and I often found myself early on in the book going back to a chapter’s beginning to see what the date was. Over time you catch on and it is easier to know where each of the ladies is in their own story. This is, however, the novel’s most significant flaw. Jumping between four generations makes it more difficult to read than it should be. The author gives us a date at the start of each chapter but needed to give us more clues as to where in the life of each of the women the story is at any given time.
Overall 3.5 stars for an enjoyable read about 4 interconnected and flawed women.
Sweet Hollow Women is the tale of 4 generations of women, Louisa, Maggie, Rhonda and Carasine, and their journey to and from Sweet Hollow in search of love, their dreams and a happy life. It is both a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale that delves into the relationships between mothers and daughters and into the joy and despair in the search for love and acceptance. The town’s name is well placed because the book and the lives of our four heroines are both sweet and hollow at times.
What I really enjoyed about the book was how each of their stories was interwoven and how decisions and actions taken by a mother, grandmother or even great grandmother had implications on the lives and legacies of future generations. These women were far from perfect. Though this book ends with a HEA, this book is more heartbreak than not. Like most of real life, there is no clearcut right or wrong decision, good and evil; instead, the authors fills the novel, with murky fog of one path travelled vs another not chosen but questioned on whether the right choice was made.
The town of Sweet Hollow is the centering point. The family’s joy, disappointment, betrayals, love, happiness, dreams all seem to start and end in Sweet Hollow. Louisa comes to Sweet Hollow for love and chooses, like her own mother, to ignore that which tarnishes her dream for her family even if it means giving up her own daughter. Maggie is faced with a moral dilemma and in being true to herself must leave her parents and build her own family up. Rhonda is fixated on a love that she pursues too late at the expense of the family she creates. And Carasine, she is the best of them all, and ultimately is able to find love and stability and achieve her dreams as a result of the decisions made by the generations that preceded her.
The author tells the stories of each generation in parallel; so each chapter jumps decades as our four heroines grow from child to adult. This made it difficult at times to follow, especially in the first 1/3 of the book, and I often found myself early on in the book going back to a chapter’s beginning to see what the date was. Over time you catch on and it is easier to know where each of the ladies is in their own story. This is, however, the novel’s most significant flaw. Jumping between four generations makes it more difficult to read than it should be. The author gives us a date at the start of each chapter but needed to give us more clues as to where in the life of each of the women the story is at any given time.
Overall 3.5 stars for an enjoyable read about 4 interconnected and flawed women.
January 21, 2020
This is a fairly enjoyable read about women from different generations of the same family and how their lives ebbed and flowed with the their own and the decisions of others. Each of the women have their own strengths and weaknesses, making mistakes that are then repeated generation after generation despite their best efforts to stop it. None of the characters are completely likeable but then none are completely despisable either, although some of the supporting male characters do not cover themselves with glory. Over the course of the book, various family secrets emerge and explain many things, both good and bad and show that even in a small quiet town things are not always as they seem. This is a very character driven book where not much really happens and nothing is really resolved but it was a nice relaxing read, well it was when I managed to stop mentally berating them for some of the stupid decisions they made and the idiotic people they hung around with.
Want to read
July 27, 2018Kindle Unlimited, Requested Goodreads Giveaway
June 22, 2018
H.T. Bedord's Sweet Hollow Women explores the relationships between the women in five generations of one southern family between the years of 1949 and 2015. It also deals with class distinctions and pride. Each chapter title includes the place, person and year it took place; without that, I would have been lost reading this novel. All the characters in each generation made it somewhat confusing until I finally made a list and got them sorted out. It is worth the effort; the characters are well developed and the plot twists keep the reader turning pages.
Carasine Busey is the main protagonist. Her mother, Rhonda, was only sixteen years old when Carasine was born. Rhonda leaves Carasine in her mother, Maggie's care for her early years, then abruptly re-claims her child when she finally marries Carasine's father ten years later; they have several more children in rapid secession. He never wanted Carasine and treated her with the contempt of an unwanted step-child. These three generations exists on and below the poverty line, classic depictions of the working poor with no long-term goals, living from one pay check to the next are spot on.
At age fifteen, Carasine is forced out of her parent's home and moves in with her great grandparents, Louisa and Walt, whom she barely knows. Shortly before this event, she asks Rhonda why she named her Carasine. Rhonda laughs, "I named you Caroline, but the nurses couldn't read my writing. So you were stuck with Carasine!"
The overall sense of hopelessness for the future and the need to settle with unhappy marriages to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables make for an unforgettable novel. As Carasine finally breaks free of the cycle of poverty, I am left with a sense of wonder. Is anything as it really seems?
by Ann McCauley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Carasine Busey is the main protagonist. Her mother, Rhonda, was only sixteen years old when Carasine was born. Rhonda leaves Carasine in her mother, Maggie's care for her early years, then abruptly re-claims her child when she finally marries Carasine's father ten years later; they have several more children in rapid secession. He never wanted Carasine and treated her with the contempt of an unwanted step-child. These three generations exists on and below the poverty line, classic depictions of the working poor with no long-term goals, living from one pay check to the next are spot on.
At age fifteen, Carasine is forced out of her parent's home and moves in with her great grandparents, Louisa and Walt, whom she barely knows. Shortly before this event, she asks Rhonda why she named her Carasine. Rhonda laughs, "I named you Caroline, but the nurses couldn't read my writing. So you were stuck with Carasine!"
The overall sense of hopelessness for the future and the need to settle with unhappy marriages to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables make for an unforgettable novel. As Carasine finally breaks free of the cycle of poverty, I am left with a sense of wonder. Is anything as it really seems?
by Ann McCauley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
December 13, 2017
“Sweet Hollow Women” by Holly Tierney-Bedord is a story that jumps back and forth in time to tell the tale of the lives of four different generations of women in the same family. Each woman even more like her mother than she thinks. The youngest of the females is 15 year old Carasine Busey. She looks at her life and wonders how she can separate her life from that of her current family. Sweet Hollow is the town that the women are from and Carasine wants more than anything to go back there to her old life.
Carasine was a victim of her surroundings. She only knew what she was taught. When we meet her there is a 15 year old smoking cigarettes and she is nearly as ignorant as her mother, Rhonda. They live in a small duplex in Memphis and there are way too many kids for such a small place. The description of their former home in a trailer with a hole in the roof covered by a tarp will tell you what kind of people they were. Carasine seems to be on par with becoming just like Rhonda. Rhonda is about as obnoxious as they come and doesn’t care anything about any of her handful of kids.
Carasine is forced to live with her great grandparents when the family moves back to Sweet Hollow. She is given a rare chance to change who she is. I read about 100 pages of the book then went forward and only read the parts about Carasine. I then decided to go back 2 days later and actually finish the book. It was an easy read but I did not like most characters. There was effort on the author’s part but this wasn’t for me.
I received an Advanced egalley of this book from Hidden Gems.
Carasine was a victim of her surroundings. She only knew what she was taught. When we meet her there is a 15 year old smoking cigarettes and she is nearly as ignorant as her mother, Rhonda. They live in a small duplex in Memphis and there are way too many kids for such a small place. The description of their former home in a trailer with a hole in the roof covered by a tarp will tell you what kind of people they were. Carasine seems to be on par with becoming just like Rhonda. Rhonda is about as obnoxious as they come and doesn’t care anything about any of her handful of kids.
Carasine is forced to live with her great grandparents when the family moves back to Sweet Hollow. She is given a rare chance to change who she is. I read about 100 pages of the book then went forward and only read the parts about Carasine. I then decided to go back 2 days later and actually finish the book. It was an easy read but I did not like most characters. There was effort on the author’s part but this wasn’t for me.
I received an Advanced egalley of this book from Hidden Gems.
August 22, 2018
This novel from Holly Tierney-Bedord had a lot of potential going for it. It was a strong concept to want to bring to life the ideal of Sweet Hollow Women. I got what the author was going for, but I don’t feel like it quite got there. I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did. Historical fiction isn’t my go-to but when they cover the era and demographics that this one did, it is usually an ace in the hole for me. I believe what it boiled down to for me was this was just too, too, long. There were parts that were over told and could have been adapted to a more concise package. I think that is what ultimately kept me from finding my groove with the novel. Otherwise this book was a good idea, great concept and, had that endearing quality that is necessary when you are bringing to life southern women. I would maybe just edit it a bit more.
In Sweet Hollow Women we get the story of four generations of women and their lives. We see how choices made by the older generation has affected the younger ones now. This delves into the topics of poverty and struggling to make ends meet. It will tear at your heartstrings in that sense. The ending will somehow find a way to put your tears at ease and have a feel-good effect to it. Like I said, strong idea, just not a fully developed package to really drive home the novel. Overall, I would love to see this edited and re-read it later on down the road. I know some authors do choose to do that, and I think this one would be a good candidate for that. I look forward to seeing what else is available by Holly Tierney-Bedord.
In Sweet Hollow Women we get the story of four generations of women and their lives. We see how choices made by the older generation has affected the younger ones now. This delves into the topics of poverty and struggling to make ends meet. It will tear at your heartstrings in that sense. The ending will somehow find a way to put your tears at ease and have a feel-good effect to it. Like I said, strong idea, just not a fully developed package to really drive home the novel. Overall, I would love to see this edited and re-read it later on down the road. I know some authors do choose to do that, and I think this one would be a good candidate for that. I look forward to seeing what else is available by Holly Tierney-Bedord.
January 8, 2020
Wow. Just wow. I really was unprepared for just how hard this book would hit me. But it did. As i read i began to see that the fractures of these women mirrired my own. Like Louisa i too had chosen to love someone over my family once. Like Maggie i grew up in a house of secrets and lies and it too took me away from my mother. Like Rhonda i was just a kid so desperate for love i let it lead me down a dark path . And like Carasene i would spend many years just trying to be. The fact is, there are pieces of these women in all of us. Life is messy. Sometimes we marry the love of our lives and live oblivious to thier true self just to keep them. Sometimes we hold onto hate and hurt so long that it becomes all we really know and so forgiveness is never achievable. Sometimes we can love someone so so so much that it becones an ache in our very core . A love so profound we never really realize just how stuck we are, frozen in that moment.. So frozen we choose to accept love from anyone..even if it isnt really love at all ..not really ..just to keep from hurting anymore. And sometimes..sometimes we get it right..even when our better self tries to keep us from doing so. Life is so complex
We never really understand just how powerful those littoe moments can be...how profound. To be honest its one of the truest books ive ever read. It has a no nonsense in your face approach that keeps you hooked in . you root for these girls..only to realize ..in reality ..they are more like you than you will ever know.
We never really understand just how powerful those littoe moments can be...how profound. To be honest its one of the truest books ive ever read. It has a no nonsense in your face approach that keeps you hooked in . you root for these girls..only to realize ..in reality ..they are more like you than you will ever know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2018
Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney-Bedord is a book that I just couldn’t put down. Following the story of one family and the lives of strong women that hooked me from page one. Going from generation to generation, the reader gets to see strong, independent and unique women who all just happen to be from the same family. Reading the stories of Carasine, her and her mother Rhonda. Carasine is not afraid to run into her life, a headstrong woman to the core, she is willing to do anything for the experience. When her love life starts to fall apart, spiraling out into her whole life, she finds that returning home to Sweet Hollow, Louisiana may be the best thing that she needs. Her character is one that I fell in love with, her stamina and grit really made her a unique read. Getting to meet her mother Rhonda, who taught Carasine to be the woman that she is, help her to stand back up and be the woman that she knows her daughter can be, was beautiful to watch. Having a story about women lifting up other women, really made this a feel good read. Sweet Hollow Women is a feel good story with lots of ups and downs, romance and heartbreak but the story leaves you will a great sense of respect and appreciation for family and women. Tierney-Bedord is a new to me author, and I am so happy that I picked this one up. If you are looking for a great story that will stay with you for long after the book is done than this is the one for you!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews