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Carry the World
Eastern Kentucky, 1937.
After the death of her husband, Ada Donovan returned home to live again with her aging parents. She does all she can to help them keep the small family farm going. But times are hard, and there’s never enough.
During one of her infrequent visits to town, she sees a help-wanted notice for the Pack Horse Librarian Project, seeking librarians to ride up high in the mountains and bring books to the people there. Before her marriage, Ada was a teacher, and the thought of returning to the work she loved is impossible to resist. The mountains are her favorite place, books are her great joy, and her horse is her best friend.
But not everyone on the mountain is happy to see her.
Living in a crumbing cabin at the highest, most isolated point of Ada’s route, there’s a family that catches her attention. The father keeps to the shadows. There is no mother to dote on the happy, curious children. But soon Ada comes to love them just as fiercely as the woman they lost.
And makes it her mission to bring them the world.
After the death of her husband, Ada Donovan returned home to live again with her aging parents. She does all she can to help them keep the small family farm going. But times are hard, and there’s never enough.
During one of her infrequent visits to town, she sees a help-wanted notice for the Pack Horse Librarian Project, seeking librarians to ride up high in the mountains and bring books to the people there. Before her marriage, Ada was a teacher, and the thought of returning to the work she loved is impossible to resist. The mountains are her favorite place, books are her great joy, and her horse is her best friend.
But not everyone on the mountain is happy to see her.
Living in a crumbing cabin at the highest, most isolated point of Ada’s route, there’s a family that catches her attention. The father keeps to the shadows. There is no mother to dote on the happy, curious children. But soon Ada comes to love them just as fiercely as the woman they lost.
And makes it her mission to bring them the world.
474 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2019
86 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
About the author
Susan Fanetti
84 books1,419 followersI was born and raised in the Midwest, but I was transplanted into the dusty soil of Northern California and have apparently taken root there. An inveterate geek and gamer, I am a fan of many things considered pop culture and maybe even lowbrow.
As a reader, my favorite genres are science fiction and fantasy, but as a writer, I've found my home in romance--or perhaps it's better to say simply "love stories." I have a yen to try other genres, too, at some point, but for now my muse wants to tell stories about lovers and families.
I write for the joy of it, and I write stories that I want to read. If others like them, too, that's just the cherry on top. I’m not interested in rules and formulae. I follow my muse and my characters and let them take me where they want to go, wherever that might be. I like big emotions, dark and light.
I like complicated characters with flaws and weaknesses as well as strengths, and I like each character’s strengths and weaknesses to be different from those of other characters. I’m much more concerned that my characters be interesting and diverse than that they be widely considered to be likable. I try to create people, not types.
Likewise, I want my stories each to be distinct from the others. Once I’ve told a story, I don’t want to tell it again. So even within a series, one of my books might be very different from the next. Some might be very dark, others equally mild.
That isn’t to say there aren’t trends and recurrences in my work. I’m drawn to certain themes and settings, and my muse has her favorite toys and tools. But I guard against those tendencies becoming a formula.
Find my blog at www.susanfanetti.com
Find my FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanf...
A note: I don't spend much time here on Goodreads. I try not to read any reviews of my own work. Besides, this is a site for readers, but since I write at a fairly manic pace, and read and edit for other writers, I don't have much time to read recreationally. Mainly, I log on to update my info. So if you message me here, it might be a while before I see it.
As a reader, my favorite genres are science fiction and fantasy, but as a writer, I've found my home in romance--or perhaps it's better to say simply "love stories." I have a yen to try other genres, too, at some point, but for now my muse wants to tell stories about lovers and families.
I write for the joy of it, and I write stories that I want to read. If others like them, too, that's just the cherry on top. I’m not interested in rules and formulae. I follow my muse and my characters and let them take me where they want to go, wherever that might be. I like big emotions, dark and light.
I like complicated characters with flaws and weaknesses as well as strengths, and I like each character’s strengths and weaknesses to be different from those of other characters. I’m much more concerned that my characters be interesting and diverse than that they be widely considered to be likable. I try to create people, not types.
Likewise, I want my stories each to be distinct from the others. Once I’ve told a story, I don’t want to tell it again. So even within a series, one of my books might be very different from the next. Some might be very dark, others equally mild.
That isn’t to say there aren’t trends and recurrences in my work. I’m drawn to certain themes and settings, and my muse has her favorite toys and tools. But I guard against those tendencies becoming a formula.
Find my blog at www.susanfanetti.com
Find my FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanf...
A note: I don't spend much time here on Goodreads. I try not to read any reviews of my own work. Besides, this is a site for readers, but since I write at a fairly manic pace, and read and edit for other writers, I don't have much time to read recreationally. Mainly, I log on to update my info. So if you message me here, it might be a while before I see it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
July 14, 2021
3rd time rereading.
Listening Length: 9 hours and 20 minutes
_____________
Now available in audiobook version! https://amzn.to/32imQrN (10/15/2019)
I've had the pleasure to both read this book and listen to it, and I have to say either way it's one of the best books I've read.
“The Pack Horse Library Project was a Works Progress Administration program that delivered books to remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains between 1935 and 1943. Women were very involved in the project which eventually had 30 different libraries serving 100,000 people.”
Carry the World is set in 1937 in Kentucky’s Appalachian mountain area. Ada is a widow who is taking care of her ailing parents. A job opportunity arises for a Pack Horse Librarian which would allow her struggling family a little breathing room. Ada took on the job to carry the world of books to isolated areas in the vast mountain range. Her path leads her to a widower and his children. Their journey to happiness is not an easy one but one that feels authentic.
Carry the World is a standalone historical romance set 100 years ago in the remote Appalachian mountains. It transforms a real event, Pack Horse Librarians, and throws in a dash of romance to recreate what it might have been like back in those long-ago days. If you are a lover of books and romance then this book has your name written all over it. Read or Listen to it, either way, you won’t be disappointed.
To learn more about the ‘Pack Horse Librarians Project’ NPR did a 6-minute talk on it. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/13/647329...
Follow Foxy Blogs at: Foxy Blogs ♥ Twitter ♥ Instagram ♥ Facebook
Listening Length: 9 hours and 20 minutes
_____________
Now available in audiobook version! https://amzn.to/32imQrN (10/15/2019)
I've had the pleasure to both read this book and listen to it, and I have to say either way it's one of the best books I've read.
“The Pack Horse Library Project was a Works Progress Administration program that delivered books to remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains between 1935 and 1943. Women were very involved in the project which eventually had 30 different libraries serving 100,000 people.”
Carry the World is set in 1937 in Kentucky’s Appalachian mountain area. Ada is a widow who is taking care of her ailing parents. A job opportunity arises for a Pack Horse Librarian which would allow her struggling family a little breathing room. Ada took on the job to carry the world of books to isolated areas in the vast mountain range. Her path leads her to a widower and his children. Their journey to happiness is not an easy one but one that feels authentic.
Carry the World is a standalone historical romance set 100 years ago in the remote Appalachian mountains. It transforms a real event, Pack Horse Librarians, and throws in a dash of romance to recreate what it might have been like back in those long-ago days. If you are a lover of books and romance then this book has your name written all over it. Read or Listen to it, either way, you won’t be disappointed.
To learn more about the ‘Pack Horse Librarians Project’ NPR did a 6-minute talk on it. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/13/647329...
Follow Foxy Blogs at: Foxy Blogs ♥ Twitter ♥ Instagram ♥ Facebook
February 25, 2023
4.5 stars. This is a beautiful book. 1930s/ Depression-era Appalachians. A lonely widower lives isolated up in the mountains, bringing up his two young children. A lonely widow takes a government job as a travelling librarian who visits remote communities (on horseback) every two weeks with a new batch of books. And over time, they fall for each other. The kids, too. BTW, this was based on a historically real initiative, the 'packhorse librarians' as they were sometimes referred to.
It's a slow-burn romance. The setting, characters and background are thoroughly established, and there are a few dramatic incidents along the way, with a steady, slow build towards Jonah and Ada's HEA.
And oh my goodness, what a lovely, warm, emotional read. The characters feel real, and you really care about them and what happens to them. The book feels like a window looking back to a now-vanished time and place, when the mountain people had few amenities and they struggled to survive the harsh environment and living conditions. Some turned bitter and violent, but others like our MCs were loving and caring people who made life better for others.
The 'present-day' sections that bookend the story make a real impact - you can feel Ada and Jonah's story resonating with their descendants down through the generations, as the world changes and the old mountain lifestyle becomes part of history.
It's a moving story about the strength of love and of family. It explores how people deal with and move on from difficulty and grief and the challenges life's circumstances sometimes present us with. I cried happy tears through the whole last section, probably from when right to the end.
It's quite different from Ms Fanetti's other books, and I applaud the author for trying out different genres as she has been doing. This book is much more of a 'clean' read than some of her other books (although not completely 'clean'), and may suit readers who are looking for that. But regardless of the 'heat' level, this is a powerful and moving romance, and I really enjoyed the read.
It's a slow-burn romance. The setting, characters and background are thoroughly established, and there are a few dramatic incidents along the way, with a steady, slow build towards Jonah and Ada's HEA.
And oh my goodness, what a lovely, warm, emotional read. The characters feel real, and you really care about them and what happens to them. The book feels like a window looking back to a now-vanished time and place, when the mountain people had few amenities and they struggled to survive the harsh environment and living conditions. Some turned bitter and violent, but others like our MCs were loving and caring people who made life better for others.
The 'present-day' sections that bookend the story make a real impact - you can feel Ada and Jonah's story resonating with their descendants down through the generations, as the world changes and the old mountain lifestyle becomes part of history.
It's a moving story about the strength of love and of family. It explores how people deal with and move on from difficulty and grief and the challenges life's circumstances sometimes present us with. I cried happy tears through the whole last section, probably from when right to the end.
It's quite different from Ms Fanetti's other books, and I applaud the author for trying out different genres as she has been doing. This book is much more of a 'clean' read than some of her other books (although not completely 'clean'), and may suit readers who are looking for that. But regardless of the 'heat' level, this is a powerful and moving romance, and I really enjoyed the read.
December 16, 2021
5 The Simple Truth Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Many years ago when I had my first child, I would watch him play on the rug before me and take a moment to read. As he grew with me reading to him, he was always interested in what was coming next. I would say to him, "Reading opens up a whole new world ", and over time that would be our catch phrase when we sat side by side reading on the couch. Now I am reading to my new granddaughter and my son looks at us and tells her even though she is much too young to understand, "reading will open a whole new world for you, baby girl".
This book and the research Susan Fanetti did brings everything full circle for me...The storytelling, the descriptive details, and feelings of a time gone by, of a place and way of life so different from my own, did not disappoint. It allowed me to experience this world and I was richer for it.
The overall focus of this story I felt was to know riches do not stem only from monetary wealth... We all have seen the ultra-wealthy be miserable. That is not to breeze by the importance of how a wealth of any kind can make all the difference between life and death. No, the type of riches most important are those of the heart and caring for those closest to us. This book is a lesson in that and does it extremely well.
I went into this blind with only the blurb and it more than gave me all I needed. Take the time, go back to another era and see what struggles people went through, how they pulled together and lived a life where joy came to them through being together and overcoming alarming odds. All of the characters became real to me. I was overly concerned, feared for them, worried when things turned dark and rejoiced with their wins.
If you decided to read this book, you may get a sense of what power we have in reading, in sharing our thoughts about the tales and how it all comes full circle, for as this title Carry the World related... Reading Opens Up a New World...
~~~ Before Reading ~~~
So excited to start this, can feel the mountains calling me...
●•●•●•●•●
We are going back in time...
To a time when our country...
Was digging out of the Depression...
We had a leader who wanted to connect all Americans...
And he knew learning and reading was a way to do it...
He created a force if you will...
Women, smart, strong and willing to forge out on their own...
Bringing with them books and stories to enchant and enrich...
To open avenues of thoughts and ideas to those isolated...
It will be a woman who does this for a long lost and forgotten family...
And when these people connect...
Every time she is with them...
They know she will...
Carry the World-May 4th 2019
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Many years ago when I had my first child, I would watch him play on the rug before me and take a moment to read. As he grew with me reading to him, he was always interested in what was coming next. I would say to him, "Reading opens up a whole new world ", and over time that would be our catch phrase when we sat side by side reading on the couch. Now I am reading to my new granddaughter and my son looks at us and tells her even though she is much too young to understand, "reading will open a whole new world for you, baby girl".
This book and the research Susan Fanetti did brings everything full circle for me...The storytelling, the descriptive details, and feelings of a time gone by, of a place and way of life so different from my own, did not disappoint. It allowed me to experience this world and I was richer for it.
The overall focus of this story I felt was to know riches do not stem only from monetary wealth... We all have seen the ultra-wealthy be miserable. That is not to breeze by the importance of how a wealth of any kind can make all the difference between life and death. No, the type of riches most important are those of the heart and caring for those closest to us. This book is a lesson in that and does it extremely well.
I went into this blind with only the blurb and it more than gave me all I needed. Take the time, go back to another era and see what struggles people went through, how they pulled together and lived a life where joy came to them through being together and overcoming alarming odds. All of the characters became real to me. I was overly concerned, feared for them, worried when things turned dark and rejoiced with their wins.
If you decided to read this book, you may get a sense of what power we have in reading, in sharing our thoughts about the tales and how it all comes full circle, for as this title Carry the World related... Reading Opens Up a New World...
~~~ Before Reading ~~~
So excited to start this, can feel the mountains calling me...
●•●•●•●•●
We are going back in time...
To a time when our country...
Was digging out of the Depression...
We had a leader who wanted to connect all Americans...
And he knew learning and reading was a way to do it...
He created a force if you will...
Women, smart, strong and willing to forge out on their own...
Bringing with them books and stories to enchant and enrich...
To open avenues of thoughts and ideas to those isolated...
It will be a woman who does this for a long lost and forgotten family...
And when these people connect...
Every time she is with them...
They know she will...
Carry the World-May 4th 2019
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
May 29, 2024
Incredible! I'm crying happy tears from this sweet story.
One of my lovely Goodreads friends recommended this book to me as a book that they rated 5 stars that has less than 1,000 ratings on Goodreads (aka less-known books that deserve more hype!). I'm so grateful to that GR friend because I absolutely loved this. I read it in 1 night (was legit awake until 4:30am)!
This is a historical romance, which is a bit outside of my usual scope, but the story was so beautiful and completely different from anything that I've read before. I highly recommend folks give this a try! It was so addicting, heartwarming, adorable, sad, bittersweet, swoon-worthy, and more.
Plot
The story is set in 1937 in a very poor mountain region in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. Ada is a 26-year-old widow whose loving husband passed away from sickness a couple years before the start of the story. As a widower, Ada moves back in with her parents, who are both getting older and struggling to keep their farm afloat. To help with the expenses during this depression-era, Ada gets a job as a traveling librarian, which is part of a government-paid program (based on a true profession from this time period), to encourage reading/literacy in some of the more remote areas of Appalachia.
After Ada takes this job, she travels on horseback by herself up and down the mountain to distribute books and read to folks, but as often mentioned in the story, Ada is really bringing the outside world/stories/companionship to these people. During her last stop, all the way towards the top of the mountain, Ada comes across a young widowed father named Jonah Walker and his 2 children, Bluebird and Elijah.
The Walker house quickly becomes Ada's favorite, despite Jonah being particularly standoffish to her. Jonah absolutely loved his dead wife (and Ada loved her late husband), and they both struggle with the attraction they feel towards another person. Ada loves Elijah and Bluebird and begins to bring them gifts and teach them to read. The children love Ada desperately, so Jonah does not have the heart to turn her away when she comes to them. Ada shows up at the Walker house every 14 days exactly, but one day, there's a horrible storm, and Ada's horse shows up to their house without her. Jonah jumps into action and goes to search the mountain for Ada and finds her badly injured from a bear attack and mudslide. He takes her back to his house, and she is nursed back to health there over the course of a month.
My Thoughts
I don't want to give too much away, but Jonah is so FREAKING cute. There's a who did this to you moment, as well as a fair amount of forced proximity and found family. We also get to see Jonah lose his mind when Ada doesn't show up to his house again later in the book on the day that she's supposed to (and he travels all the way to the city to find her! and he hasn't left his mountain in decades!), as well as when he found out what Chancey did during Ada's car wreck. I especially loved Elijah and Bluebird - they were perfectly written. Elijah in particular was particularly so adorable - he was a little man (at 8 years old) and so respectful and loving to Ada.
There were some sad moments in this book. My heart broke about Ada's dad, but it was beautiful watching Jonah and his kids be there for Ada, and then adopting Bess into the mountain too.
The smut in this book was also shockingly good. There are only 2 sex scenes towards the very end of the book, but I was INTO it.
I really highly recommend readers give this a try, even if historical romance isn't normally your genre. It was such a beautiful story with lots of excitement and wonderful characters.
One of my lovely Goodreads friends recommended this book to me as a book that they rated 5 stars that has less than 1,000 ratings on Goodreads (aka less-known books that deserve more hype!). I'm so grateful to that GR friend because I absolutely loved this. I read it in 1 night (was legit awake until 4:30am)!
This is a historical romance, which is a bit outside of my usual scope, but the story was so beautiful and completely different from anything that I've read before. I highly recommend folks give this a try! It was so addicting, heartwarming, adorable, sad, bittersweet, swoon-worthy, and more.
Plot
The story is set in 1937 in a very poor mountain region in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. Ada is a 26-year-old widow whose loving husband passed away from sickness a couple years before the start of the story. As a widower, Ada moves back in with her parents, who are both getting older and struggling to keep their farm afloat. To help with the expenses during this depression-era, Ada gets a job as a traveling librarian, which is part of a government-paid program (based on a true profession from this time period), to encourage reading/literacy in some of the more remote areas of Appalachia.
After Ada takes this job, she travels on horseback by herself up and down the mountain to distribute books and read to folks, but as often mentioned in the story, Ada is really bringing the outside world/stories/companionship to these people. During her last stop, all the way towards the top of the mountain, Ada comes across a young widowed father named Jonah Walker and his 2 children, Bluebird and Elijah.
The Walker house quickly becomes Ada's favorite, despite Jonah being particularly standoffish to her. Jonah absolutely loved his dead wife (and Ada loved her late husband), and they both struggle with the attraction they feel towards another person. Ada loves Elijah and Bluebird and begins to bring them gifts and teach them to read. The children love Ada desperately, so Jonah does not have the heart to turn her away when she comes to them. Ada shows up at the Walker house every 14 days exactly, but one day, there's a horrible storm, and Ada's horse shows up to their house without her. Jonah jumps into action and goes to search the mountain for Ada and finds her badly injured from a bear attack and mudslide. He takes her back to his house, and she is nursed back to health there over the course of a month.
My Thoughts
I don't want to give too much away, but Jonah is so FREAKING cute. There's a who did this to you moment, as well as a fair amount of forced proximity and found family. We also get to see Jonah lose his mind when Ada doesn't show up to his house again later in the book on the day that she's supposed to (and he travels all the way to the city to find her! and he hasn't left his mountain in decades!), as well as when he found out what Chancey did during Ada's car wreck. I especially loved Elijah and Bluebird - they were perfectly written. Elijah in particular was particularly so adorable - he was a little man (at 8 years old) and so respectful and loving to Ada.
There were some sad moments in this book. My heart broke about Ada's dad, but it was beautiful watching Jonah and his kids be there for Ada, and then adopting Bess into the mountain too.
The smut in this book was also shockingly good. There are only 2 sex scenes towards the very end of the book, but I was INTO it.
I really highly recommend readers give this a try, even if historical romance isn't normally your genre. It was such a beautiful story with lots of excitement and wonderful characters.
July 15, 2021
4.5 stars
Ada Donovan is a widow with older parents who are struggling to keep their farm afloat. She finds a job opportunity to ride as a Pack Horse Librarian to bring in money for her family. It’s perfect for her as she used to be a teacher and enjoys bringing books to both children and adults alike.
The house at the most isolated area of her route belongs to man named Jonah who is also a widow. He has two young children and Ada falls in love with these kids. She teaches them to read and looks forward to seeing them every few weeks. When Ada gets into an accident and is stuck up the mountain Jonah and her family take her in until she heals. This is where it happens. She not only falls for Jonah’s children, but the man himself.
This was such a fantastic read. I enjoyed so much about it. And the audio was great. I loved how the librarians talked of carrying the world to their families by bringing them books, education, and just a person to be there, visit and care. A great concept and well executed! I wish more of Susan Fanetti’s books were in audio because you can be sure I would be binging them all if they were!
“We are bringing more than books to these people… We are carrying the world to them.”Carry the World is a story that takes place in the mountains of Kentucky in the 1930’s. I was so fascinated by this story because my grandfather was born in the 1930’s in this very place. He always told me stories about growing up on a small farm with only his mother and seven older sisters and having an outhouse/no indoor plumbing and no electricity etc. It was really neat to read a book like this and think of his childhood.
Ada Donovan is a widow with older parents who are struggling to keep their farm afloat. She finds a job opportunity to ride as a Pack Horse Librarian to bring in money for her family. It’s perfect for her as she used to be a teacher and enjoys bringing books to both children and adults alike.
The house at the most isolated area of her route belongs to man named Jonah who is also a widow. He has two young children and Ada falls in love with these kids. She teaches them to read and looks forward to seeing them every few weeks. When Ada gets into an accident and is stuck up the mountain Jonah and her family take her in until she heals. This is where it happens. She not only falls for Jonah’s children, but the man himself.
This was such a fantastic read. I enjoyed so much about it. And the audio was great. I loved how the librarians talked of carrying the world to their families by bringing them books, education, and just a person to be there, visit and care. A great concept and well executed! I wish more of Susan Fanetti’s books were in audio because you can be sure I would be binging them all if they were!
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Narrators: Eleanor Caudill
Narration Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Historical
Length: 9h 20m
maybe
May 5, 2019I'm considering reading this as it's a standalone and she wont mess with the eventual HEA..
Maybe.. I hope? I'm gonna need spoilers. I'm too scared to go into it without any..
Maybe.. I hope? I'm gonna need spoilers. I'm too scared to go into it without any..
May 6, 2019
Really excellent historical romance set in 1930-1940's Appalachia. The heroine is a Kentucky packhorse librarian taking books to the hills and hollers of the backcountry and the story is about what she finds when she gets there.
This one was very well done and SF brought to life a very specific era in a really remarkable way. The story is a romance, but it is also a tribute to the teachers of the world, who manage to instill and kindle the flame of learning no matter the circumstances, in the very best of ways.
If you like Americana Romance with a descriptive depiction of everyday life along the way, pick this one up and be prepared to lose your self in a time and place that isn't very well known today - but I think at the end you will consider it time that was very well spent.
This one was very well done and SF brought to life a very specific era in a really remarkable way. The story is a romance, but it is also a tribute to the teachers of the world, who manage to instill and kindle the flame of learning no matter the circumstances, in the very best of ways.
If you like Americana Romance with a descriptive depiction of everyday life along the way, pick this one up and be prepared to lose your self in a time and place that isn't very well known today - but I think at the end you will consider it time that was very well spent.
September 7, 2020
5 stars
September 12, 2020
4.5/5. Beautiful and nuanced story telling by this new to me author. Fascinating setting in mountainous Kentucky in the late 1930s featuring Ada, a young widow trying to support her elderly parents and herself by taking on the challenging role of pack horse librarian, carrying the written word and the world to remote homesteads high up in the mountains. It takes a mountain person herself to try to forge a connection with these isolated and occasionally hostile mountain folks - some are there because they have nowhere else to go, but many there by choice because they are comfortable in their basic, hermetic existence and the world below of electricity, modern vehicles and appliances and intrusive neighbours makes them feel discomposed. Jonah belongs to the latter group. A widower, he is struggling to provide for his two young children through traditional means of living off the land. His efforts are hampered by the ongoing oppressive grief for his beloved wife, whose ghostly presence in his life makes him little more than a living ghost himself - providing the basic necessities for the children but inadvertently leaving their home devoid of tenderness and joy. Ada's arrival changes all that. The children immediately form attachment to this warm woman who infuses their eager minds with letters and knowledge and offers them generosity and ready affection in her fortnightly visits. Meanwhile, Jonah observes from a distance in the shadows, resentful of her incursion into their family home but at the same time unable to turn away from her natural light.
It is a lovely slow-burn romance. Their struggles are realistically portrayed. The barriers to their romance make perfect sense, because the author excel in detailing their worlds as being so very different. Both can lay claim to being from the mountains, but the difference in the elevations of their respective homes (she lower, he higher up) equate to them being separated by a century of changes in the way they live their lives. These changes are more than modern tools and machines. They are attitudinal and social changes. It makes it so much harder for them to eventually find a middle ground.
Jonah is a wonderful and loyal man, a father who did the best for his children but is not averse to change and better himself, once Ada pointed out in very direct terms his deficiencies in raising the children. Ada is an incredible heroine, displaying the resilience of those living in the mountains as she takes on all her responsibilities with gusto and passion, unhesitatingly opening up her heart to the kids who so obviously have long craved a woman's tenderness and care, even though there is no doubt that they are well loved. And big brother Elijah and little Bluebird are just adorable and genuine children. The author got them just right, not overly saccharine, their behaviours were congruent with their ages and the romance is as much between Ada and the children as between her and their father. I love the concept of the incredible pack horse librarians connecting these remote homes to the world below, their roles so much more vast than just lending out books - providing companionship, imparting knowledge, news and hope to their isolated patrons. This would make an amazing movie.
Wonderful narration.
It is a lovely slow-burn romance. Their struggles are realistically portrayed. The barriers to their romance make perfect sense, because the author excel in detailing their worlds as being so very different. Both can lay claim to being from the mountains, but the difference in the elevations of their respective homes (she lower, he higher up) equate to them being separated by a century of changes in the way they live their lives. These changes are more than modern tools and machines. They are attitudinal and social changes. It makes it so much harder for them to eventually find a middle ground.
Jonah is a wonderful and loyal man, a father who did the best for his children but is not averse to change and better himself, once Ada pointed out in very direct terms his deficiencies in raising the children. Ada is an incredible heroine, displaying the resilience of those living in the mountains as she takes on all her responsibilities with gusto and passion, unhesitatingly opening up her heart to the kids who so obviously have long craved a woman's tenderness and care, even though there is no doubt that they are well loved. And big brother Elijah and little Bluebird are just adorable and genuine children. The author got them just right, not overly saccharine, their behaviours were congruent with their ages and the romance is as much between Ada and the children as between her and their father. I love the concept of the incredible pack horse librarians connecting these remote homes to the world below, their roles so much more vast than just lending out books - providing companionship, imparting knowledge, news and hope to their isolated patrons. This would make an amazing movie.
Wonderful narration.
August 26, 2020
This is my first book by Fanetti and it only came to my attention because of two Goodreads friends who recommended it highly. Since finishing it, I've checked out Fanetti's author page on Amazon and discovered that she's a bit of an eclectic writer. Her books range from biker romances to Mafia family stories to a contemporary series about people in a small town in Idaho to a series about long-ago Norsemen/Vikings to a Victorian historical tale about an American tycoon and an English woman of the peerage. That's quite a range. And I liked this CARRY THE WORLD so much that I'm going to try her Victorian historical next.
Okay. Back to this one. This takes you to 1936-1937 Kentucky hill country. This is the time of the Great Depression. Few people in the whole country are doing well economically and those in Appalachia even less so. Even in normal economic times they led a hardscrabble life. Isolated in the hills, with little education, they have been chosen by the New Deal's Work Progress Administration to receive the benefit of the Pack Horse Librarian Project.
For this project, women of the area are sent out to isolated areas on pack horses, carrying books and news of the country and world to these isolated hill folk. They "carry the world" to these people, at least to the ones who are open to this contact from the outside world.
One of these Pack Librarians is our heroine, Ada Donovan. A former schoolteacher, after her husband's death, she has moved back in with her aging parents at the bottom of the hills. Times are tough and they are in danger of losing their farm. This job is a godsend for her to be able to help her parents financially. So Ada now spends her day riding up into the hills, carrying books to those who otherwise would not have them readily accessible.
Ada loves her new job, in spite of the physical hardship of the trek up and down the mountains every day. She loves meeting the people and seeing the delight on the faces of the children, in particular, when they are introduced to books. And there is one special family on her route that she is drawn to. That of Jonah Walker, a widower with two young children, Elijah and Bluebird.
Ada is still mourning her beloved husband George. Jonah even more so his lovely wife Grace, whom he misses so much he can even see and talk to her at times. So this is a story about letting go of grief and learning to love again. But there's so much more to this than the romance. It's a beautiful story of love and kindness and friendship of all varieties. It's about how we are all connected and we all need each other.
This book choked me up at times. At other times my heart was warmed and filled with joy. Reading this served as a great antidote to the tribal hatefulness of the last 4 years or so here.
Okay. Back to this one. This takes you to 1936-1937 Kentucky hill country. This is the time of the Great Depression. Few people in the whole country are doing well economically and those in Appalachia even less so. Even in normal economic times they led a hardscrabble life. Isolated in the hills, with little education, they have been chosen by the New Deal's Work Progress Administration to receive the benefit of the Pack Horse Librarian Project.
For this project, women of the area are sent out to isolated areas on pack horses, carrying books and news of the country and world to these isolated hill folk. They "carry the world" to these people, at least to the ones who are open to this contact from the outside world.
One of these Pack Librarians is our heroine, Ada Donovan. A former schoolteacher, after her husband's death, she has moved back in with her aging parents at the bottom of the hills. Times are tough and they are in danger of losing their farm. This job is a godsend for her to be able to help her parents financially. So Ada now spends her day riding up into the hills, carrying books to those who otherwise would not have them readily accessible.
Ada loves her new job, in spite of the physical hardship of the trek up and down the mountains every day. She loves meeting the people and seeing the delight on the faces of the children, in particular, when they are introduced to books. And there is one special family on her route that she is drawn to. That of Jonah Walker, a widower with two young children, Elijah and Bluebird.
Ada is still mourning her beloved husband George. Jonah even more so his lovely wife Grace, whom he misses so much he can even see and talk to her at times. So this is a story about letting go of grief and learning to love again. But there's so much more to this than the romance. It's a beautiful story of love and kindness and friendship of all varieties. It's about how we are all connected and we all need each other.
This book choked me up at times. At other times my heart was warmed and filled with joy. Reading this served as a great antidote to the tribal hatefulness of the last 4 years or so here.
May 3, 2019
**Carry the World generously provided in exchange for an honest review.**
5+ ”Carrying the world to them.” Stars
This newest, stand alone, historical romance from Susan Fanetti made me cry big, fat, ugly, happy tears. It’s so wistful in its unique account of one woman’s compassionate fight to educate the world through companionship, kindness, and care. And how that fight leads her to the biggest fight of all in her life – earning the love, respect, and trust from people for whom she comes to care about more than anything. This woman is made of steel and thoughtfulness unwavering in her belief to contribute to a greater good, something bigger than herself in a time where women weren’t really encouraged to do such a thing. Her plight is inspirational. And the story within the pages of Carry the World is as nostalgic and important as it is absolutely beautiful and hopeful.
I’m once again in awe of the way Susan Fanetti chooses to structure the telling her stories with such acute detail and depth of emotion. We see each of the characters vastly different worlds through the others eyes making it really raw, unexpected, and natural. There’s a quaint naivety in learning about characters this way as their pitted into an understanding of experiences wholly newt to them while simultaneously unraveling for the reader in the same way. It forces the circumstances to become much more real while concurrently making the words, thoughts, and actions that much more honest. The romance is slow, soft, and lovely stemming from a larger picture which makes it that much more succinct and beautiful as it’s budding.
Undoubtedly, the strength and resilience present in this story was the ultimate highlight. It’s hard, because what Fanetti book isn’t, but as always there is no light without dark. And the hope garnered from this story through the fortitude of these well-developed, wonderful characters is unrivaled. This is something entirely fresh for Fanetti catalog and she added to her collection something positively wondrous. In an effort in keeping with that strength she always showcases we readers get a story unlike any other. It’s magnificent. Carry the World is a true joy to read.
5+ ”Carrying the world to them.” Stars
This newest, stand alone, historical romance from Susan Fanetti made me cry big, fat, ugly, happy tears. It’s so wistful in its unique account of one woman’s compassionate fight to educate the world through companionship, kindness, and care. And how that fight leads her to the biggest fight of all in her life – earning the love, respect, and trust from people for whom she comes to care about more than anything. This woman is made of steel and thoughtfulness unwavering in her belief to contribute to a greater good, something bigger than herself in a time where women weren’t really encouraged to do such a thing. Her plight is inspirational. And the story within the pages of Carry the World is as nostalgic and important as it is absolutely beautiful and hopeful.
I’m once again in awe of the way Susan Fanetti chooses to structure the telling her stories with such acute detail and depth of emotion. We see each of the characters vastly different worlds through the others eyes making it really raw, unexpected, and natural. There’s a quaint naivety in learning about characters this way as their pitted into an understanding of experiences wholly newt to them while simultaneously unraveling for the reader in the same way. It forces the circumstances to become much more real while concurrently making the words, thoughts, and actions that much more honest. The romance is slow, soft, and lovely stemming from a larger picture which makes it that much more succinct and beautiful as it’s budding.
Undoubtedly, the strength and resilience present in this story was the ultimate highlight. It’s hard, because what Fanetti book isn’t, but as always there is no light without dark. And the hope garnered from this story through the fortitude of these well-developed, wonderful characters is unrivaled. This is something entirely fresh for Fanetti catalog and she added to her collection something positively wondrous. In an effort in keeping with that strength she always showcases we readers get a story unlike any other. It’s magnificent. Carry the World is a true joy to read.
May 5, 2019
MESMERISING AND UTTERLY BEAUTIFUL
TOP READ 2019
*NO SPOILERS*
I read a book a day, always rate them with stars and sometimes as awkward as I feel I write a review. If a book is great I feel compelled to. Carry The World was on such another level I literally wrote my review on paper first. This was an outstanding beautiful read. I was on this dreary Sunday day transported literally into another world, immersed into a beautiful unique love story. Ada and Jonah's journey was incredible and captivating.
I have read everything Susan has written and adore her MC series but I have to say this book is her best work.
I can not recommend this book highly enough and will never forget the journey it took me on. Susan carried the world to me. Thank you.
TOP READ 2019
*NO SPOILERS*
I read a book a day, always rate them with stars and sometimes as awkward as I feel I write a review. If a book is great I feel compelled to. Carry The World was on such another level I literally wrote my review on paper first. This was an outstanding beautiful read. I was on this dreary Sunday day transported literally into another world, immersed into a beautiful unique love story. Ada and Jonah's journey was incredible and captivating.
I have read everything Susan has written and adore her MC series but I have to say this book is her best work.
I can not recommend this book highly enough and will never forget the journey it took me on. Susan carried the world to me. Thank you.
November 27, 2019
UPDATE: I finally have a moment to write about the audiobook. I can't remember exactly when I finished it, but I have to say ... second time around and this story is just as compelling. The narration is INCREDIBLE. Easily my favorite book of 2019.
First Read:
Susan Fanetti has delivered another rich and compelling story that enthralled me from start to finish. Such a lovely and heartwarming story, I can even forgive Susan for making me cry. Again. Truthfully, I not only expect but look forward to those tears — it really wouldn’t be an SF book without them.
First Read:
Susan Fanetti has delivered another rich and compelling story that enthralled me from start to finish. Such a lovely and heartwarming story, I can even forgive Susan for making me cry. Again. Truthfully, I not only expect but look forward to those tears — it really wouldn’t be an SF book without them.
March 27, 2024
What a story! I went in totally blind other than knowing if Susan Fanetti wrote then there’s no doubt that I would love it. Boy was I right!
“We’re bringing more than these books to the people, we’re carrying the world to them.” This story takes place in a time and place I haven’t read often - the mountains of KY in the 1930’s. The audio was fantastic and captured this incredible story beautifully. Ada, a widow living with her older parents takes (pack horse librarian) on a job at the library to carry books to people up the mountain. Being a former teacher nothing delights her more. She meets Jonah, a widower with two children that instantly latch onto Ada counting down the days until her next visit. They can’t read so Ada teaches them that as well. A tragic accident happens up the Mountain one day and Ada doesn’t make it which alerts this family because she always comes like clockwork. Jonah goes and looks for her after her horse comes up in pretty bad shape to the house without her. He finds her, nurses her to health and lets just say this beautiful love story begins to take place. You must read to find out the rest because this story is too delicious to spoil.
“We’re bringing more than these books to the people, we’re carrying the world to them.” This story takes place in a time and place I haven’t read often - the mountains of KY in the 1930’s. The audio was fantastic and captured this incredible story beautifully. Ada, a widow living with her older parents takes (pack horse librarian) on a job at the library to carry books to people up the mountain. Being a former teacher nothing delights her more. She meets Jonah, a widower with two children that instantly latch onto Ada counting down the days until her next visit. They can’t read so Ada teaches them that as well. A tragic accident happens up the Mountain one day and Ada doesn’t make it which alerts this family because she always comes like clockwork. Jonah goes and looks for her after her horse comes up in pretty bad shape to the house without her. He finds her, nurses her to health and lets just say this beautiful love story begins to take place. You must read to find out the rest because this story is too delicious to spoil.
April 8, 2020
5 "Carry the World" Stars!!
I absolutely loved this story. It was so beautiful. Certainly heartbreaking at times; and I even got a little teary eyed but mostly, this was such a hopeful read. Ada, Jonah, Elijah and Bluebird have a beautiful story. Happy reading!!
I absolutely loved this story. It was so beautiful. Certainly heartbreaking at times; and I even got a little teary eyed but mostly, this was such a hopeful read. Ada, Jonah, Elijah and Bluebird have a beautiful story. Happy reading!!
September 5, 2020
I really enjoyed this audiobook! It was such an endearing and heartwarming love story. I can’t believe it’s my first time reading this author or listening to this narrator, Eleanor Caudill, who did a great job. Her voice fit the characters and added to my enjoyment of the story. Between the well done plot and the narrators voice, the listener is in for an awesome ride.
Ada was a widower who worked as a Pack Horse Librarian to help ease the financial burden for her elderly parents. On her route, she met Jonah, a widower who wss raising his two kids in a remote area. After delivering books to them for some time, Ada formed an attachment to Jonah’s son and daughter. Jonah didn’t approve of the new connection because he was still grieving the death of his wife. He didn’t want his kids to forget her or replace their mom with this new woman.
Slowly, the consistency, patience and kindness that Ada showed Jonah’s kids chipped away at his wall. In time, Ada proved just too sweet and charming for Jonah not to fall for her.
What I loved about the Ada are the same things that I loved about Jonah. They had inner strength and a lot of love to give and a sense of family. They fit each other and were the missing piece in the other’s life.
The author did a great job developing the characters because I felt like I was on the journey to survive these harsh circumstances with them. The reader got a chance to really get to know the characters and what their values were. The romance and the courting felt subtle and respectable. If you want overt sexuality and explicit sex scenes, this book will not hit the spot since it wasn’t appropriate for the time period.
This is my first book by Susan Fanetti, but it will not be my last. I recommend it to those who love historical romance, especially American depression-era stories. This one will tug on your heart strings.
* I was given this free review copy audiobookand have voluntarily left this review. *
Ada was a widower who worked as a Pack Horse Librarian to help ease the financial burden for her elderly parents. On her route, she met Jonah, a widower who wss raising his two kids in a remote area. After delivering books to them for some time, Ada formed an attachment to Jonah’s son and daughter. Jonah didn’t approve of the new connection because he was still grieving the death of his wife. He didn’t want his kids to forget her or replace their mom with this new woman.
Slowly, the consistency, patience and kindness that Ada showed Jonah’s kids chipped away at his wall. In time, Ada proved just too sweet and charming for Jonah not to fall for her.
What I loved about the Ada are the same things that I loved about Jonah. They had inner strength and a lot of love to give and a sense of family. They fit each other and were the missing piece in the other’s life.
The author did a great job developing the characters because I felt like I was on the journey to survive these harsh circumstances with them. The reader got a chance to really get to know the characters and what their values were. The romance and the courting felt subtle and respectable. If you want overt sexuality and explicit sex scenes, this book will not hit the spot since it wasn’t appropriate for the time period.
This is my first book by Susan Fanetti, but it will not be my last. I recommend it to those who love historical romance, especially American depression-era stories. This one will tug on your heart strings.
* I was given this free review copy audiobookand have voluntarily left this review. *
May 6, 2019
This book is definitely a top read of the year. I don’t know if I have the right words to describe my feelings about this book. The writing was terrific. I was sucked in and could not stop reading. I loved everything about it - ada, Jonah, the children, the setting, the librarian angle, the supporting characters. This was a slow burn romance and an absolutely beautiful love story which grows in hard circumstances. Not only that, but the sense of community and neighbors helping neighbors in this story was beautiful as well. I wish I had the right words to make every person pick up this book and read it. The book is an experience and I’m so glad I took the journey. My review can’t do this book justice but I highly recommend it!
June 22, 2019
5++++stars. Simply fantastic!
August 7, 2019
This book was JUST. THE. BEST!!!
I loved it from start to finish.
Amazing!!!
I loved it from start to finish.
Amazing!!!
February 21, 2022
Re-read, still beautiful y great story. Will re-read it again. Loved both characters.
Beautiful, delightful, poignant and inspiring read!
This is a story about second chance in life to live, to love, to be cherished.
This was a new author for me and I'll read her others books, I loved her writing style, her words, development of this story.
It's a historical romance, slow burn (first kiss on 64% of the book). It's about harsh, hard life in Appalachian mountains in 1930es, women after marriage prohibited to work as a teachers, how was this life!!!
I loved both main characters: the heroine was a strong woman, didn't back up when life got too hard, didn’t drop her panties on first second, the hero was a beautiful quiet man, he cherished his woman, he was so swoony.... They both were experienced and were celibate before meeting each other. But they weren't shy in bedroom. Wink!
Here I left some lines from this book, I made a lot of highlights, but there are some of my favorite.
***
“How do you love me? As a mother for your children? As a keeper for your home? As a teacher? How?”
For once in his life, the words came easily. “All those things, and more. I love you as a woman. A sweet, kind, beautiful woman who is better than me in ever’ way. A woman I think of ever’ moment I’m awake, and most when I’m asleep. I love your smell, and your taste. I love the sound of your voice and your laugh. I love the sight of you comin’ to me, and my hear breaks to see you goin’ away”...”I love the weight of your hand in mine. I love the way you feel in my arms. I love you, Ada. In ever’ way a man can love a woman”.
***
“I love you for the man you are, Jonah Walker. The man you are is everything.”
***
“Home wasn’t a place.
Home was people.
Home was all around her.”
Beautiful, delightful, poignant and inspiring read!
This is a story about second chance in life to live, to love, to be cherished.
This was a new author for me and I'll read her others books, I loved her writing style, her words, development of this story.
It's a historical romance, slow burn (first kiss on 64% of the book). It's about harsh, hard life in Appalachian mountains in 1930es, women after marriage prohibited to work as a teachers, how was this life!!!
I loved both main characters: the heroine was a strong woman, didn't back up when life got too hard, didn’t drop her panties on first second, the hero was a beautiful quiet man, he cherished his woman, he was so swoony.... They both were experienced and were celibate before meeting each other. But they weren't shy in bedroom. Wink!
Here I left some lines from this book, I made a lot of highlights, but there are some of my favorite.
***
“How do you love me? As a mother for your children? As a keeper for your home? As a teacher? How?”
For once in his life, the words came easily. “All those things, and more. I love you as a woman. A sweet, kind, beautiful woman who is better than me in ever’ way. A woman I think of ever’ moment I’m awake, and most when I’m asleep. I love your smell, and your taste. I love the sound of your voice and your laugh. I love the sight of you comin’ to me, and my hear breaks to see you goin’ away”...”I love the weight of your hand in mine. I love the way you feel in my arms. I love you, Ada. In ever’ way a man can love a woman”.
***
“I love you for the man you are, Jonah Walker. The man you are is everything.”
***
“Home wasn’t a place.
Home was people.
Home was all around her.”
May 6, 2019
Sometimes you come across a book that feels like it was written just for you. It sucks you in from page one and never lets go. Carry the World is that book for me. Just perfect in every way.
November 29, 2019
4,5 stars
I chose to read Carry the World after that I reviewed The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes and my friend Amy told me that Susan Fanetti had written something on the same topic earlier this year.
Not two days after, I discovered the controversy around Jojo's book and I wanted to make up my own mind about the plagiarism accusation.
I decided to read all three books published in 2019 about the Pack Horse librarians of Kentucky.
I can begin this review telling that there is absolutely no plagiarism between Jojo Moyes and Susan Fanetti's stories!
Both were a delight to read and very different from one another.
Their only middle ground was the setting of the story in Kentucky, in the remote and isolated mountains as well as the existence of the Pack Horse Librarians Project.
Where Jojo's story focuses on friendship Susan's is centered around the slow burn love story.
Jojo has four main characters, the pack librarians, while Susan has two POV: Ada's and Jonah's.
I will stop the comparison here as I want to actually review Carry the World and this novel deserves all the spotlight!
Carry the World is a tranquil, strong, steady and moving story.
I really enjoyed Susan's penmanship and the way she eased me into that world, that era.
This is a story set in remote places when people were struggling to make by and survive.
Ada has been widowed far too young and as debt piled up she had to move back with her aged parents.
Ada is a devoted daughter. She is one of these loyal characters, soft and warm yet with an enormous will and strength born out of a deep sense of duty, of right and wrong.
When her parent's farm is barely helping them live, she decides to take on the job of pack horse librarian. As an ex teacher Ada is educated and literate. She finds a new purpose to carry books and knowledge to people living in too remote places to access books and sometimes even attend school. As her boss said Ada does not simply carry books, she carries the world to these people.
Ada is used to the mountains. With the help of her mare Henrietta, she will ride under blistering sun, pouring rain and freezing snow. The road is dangerous for an unaccompanied woman. Encounters with bears, panthers or hostile mountaineers are Ada's reality.
But is determined to do her job properly.
I would just like to pause briefly here to state that in retrospect I was amazed at how hard these women worked! The weather conditions were often harsh, people not all the time welcoming. We are so used to our modern comfort and, for many of us, easy life that I wondered how I would have fared had I had to do her job!
Going from place A to B 10 miles away takes us maybe 15 to 20 minutes by car but in the mountains on horseback you could take a half day! It was a whole other pace, a whole other life and Susan did a formidable job to make that reality alive and tangible for the reader.
Back to the story now ….
On her way Ada will meet a man, single dad of two young children, living in the remotest part of her path.
Jonah was guarded and remained in the shadows. He did not want this woman to invade his holler. But his kids are too curious and soon enough tiny Bluebird Hope will open the cabin's door to Ada.
This is what you could call a slow burn romance but it's more than that.
I really loved the slow and steady pace of the story. Because what Ada did here was opening Jonah and his kids to the world. Jonah who is still mourning his wife Grace, seven years after her death.
Strong, illiterate but smart Jonah. Jonah who was left alone in the mountains with one kid and a newborn of a few days. That part after her death, when he was lost, when he had dark thoughts was truly poignant.
He is a recluse in these wild mountains. Living with no luxuries, no plumbing nothing no money. But he provided hid children with the essential: love, care, food and protection.
What I loved above all about Jonah was how a good father he was. How he expected nothing from no one and was bewildered when neighbors offered help.They showed that he was liked. Him. The isolated man.
I enjoyed this slow dance between these two worthy characters. I loved seeing the mountains through their eyes. I loved how Susan Fanetti reminds us that, at the end of the day, luxuries are not important. People's heart and love is what counts. That’s what makes a home.
Don’t go in this story expecting constant action, twists and turns. This is not that kind of a story. Of course, you have plot development and threats. But this is a story meant to be savored. You have to sink into it, learn it, walk to its character’s pace. You have to peel off the outer layers to get to its golden core.
Recommend it? Absolutely!
Have you read it?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Find me on:
Wordpress: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook group : Beware Book Boyfriends Alert
Instagram: @bewareofthereader
Twitter: @BewareOffReader
“We are bringing more than books to these people, Mrs. Donovan. We are carrying the world to them.”
I chose to read Carry the World after that I reviewed The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes and my friend Amy told me that Susan Fanetti had written something on the same topic earlier this year.
Not two days after, I discovered the controversy around Jojo's book and I wanted to make up my own mind about the plagiarism accusation.
I decided to read all three books published in 2019 about the Pack Horse librarians of Kentucky.
I can begin this review telling that there is absolutely no plagiarism between Jojo Moyes and Susan Fanetti's stories!
Both were a delight to read and very different from one another.
Their only middle ground was the setting of the story in Kentucky, in the remote and isolated mountains as well as the existence of the Pack Horse Librarians Project.
Where Jojo's story focuses on friendship Susan's is centered around the slow burn love story.
Jojo has four main characters, the pack librarians, while Susan has two POV: Ada's and Jonah's.
I will stop the comparison here as I want to actually review Carry the World and this novel deserves all the spotlight!
Carry the World is a tranquil, strong, steady and moving story.
I really enjoyed Susan's penmanship and the way she eased me into that world, that era.
This is a story set in remote places when people were struggling to make by and survive.
Ada has been widowed far too young and as debt piled up she had to move back with her aged parents.
Ada is a devoted daughter. She is one of these loyal characters, soft and warm yet with an enormous will and strength born out of a deep sense of duty, of right and wrong.
When her parent's farm is barely helping them live, she decides to take on the job of pack horse librarian. As an ex teacher Ada is educated and literate. She finds a new purpose to carry books and knowledge to people living in too remote places to access books and sometimes even attend school. As her boss said Ada does not simply carry books, she carries the world to these people.
Ada is used to the mountains. With the help of her mare Henrietta, she will ride under blistering sun, pouring rain and freezing snow. The road is dangerous for an unaccompanied woman. Encounters with bears, panthers or hostile mountaineers are Ada's reality.
But is determined to do her job properly.
I would just like to pause briefly here to state that in retrospect I was amazed at how hard these women worked! The weather conditions were often harsh, people not all the time welcoming. We are so used to our modern comfort and, for many of us, easy life that I wondered how I would have fared had I had to do her job!
Going from place A to B 10 miles away takes us maybe 15 to 20 minutes by car but in the mountains on horseback you could take a half day! It was a whole other pace, a whole other life and Susan did a formidable job to make that reality alive and tangible for the reader.
Back to the story now ….
On her way Ada will meet a man, single dad of two young children, living in the remotest part of her path.
Jonah was guarded and remained in the shadows. He did not want this woman to invade his holler. But his kids are too curious and soon enough tiny Bluebird Hope will open the cabin's door to Ada.
This is what you could call a slow burn romance but it's more than that.
I really loved the slow and steady pace of the story. Because what Ada did here was opening Jonah and his kids to the world. Jonah who is still mourning his wife Grace, seven years after her death.
Strong, illiterate but smart Jonah. Jonah who was left alone in the mountains with one kid and a newborn of a few days. That part after her death, when he was lost, when he had dark thoughts was truly poignant.
“It was the first time ever he’d felt real isolation. Not even when his parents and sister died had he felt trapped on the mountain. In those weeks of illness, they’d had a doctoring man up three times, but everybody still died anyway. But sitting at the side of their bed, holding a squalling, hungry newborn, while Grace moaned and thrashed until she was quiet evermore, Jonah had hated the mountain with his whole heart.”
He is a recluse in these wild mountains. Living with no luxuries, no plumbing nothing no money. But he provided hid children with the essential: love, care, food and protection.
What I loved above all about Jonah was how a good father he was. How he expected nothing from no one and was bewildered when neighbors offered help.They showed that he was liked. Him. The isolated man.
I enjoyed this slow dance between these two worthy characters. I loved seeing the mountains through their eyes. I loved how Susan Fanetti reminds us that, at the end of the day, luxuries are not important. People's heart and love is what counts. That’s what makes a home.
Don’t go in this story expecting constant action, twists and turns. This is not that kind of a story. Of course, you have plot development and threats. But this is a story meant to be savored. You have to sink into it, learn it, walk to its character’s pace. You have to peel off the outer layers to get to its golden core.
Recommend it? Absolutely!
Have you read it?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Find me on:
Wordpress: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook group : Beware Book Boyfriends Alert
Instagram: @bewareofthereader
Twitter: @BewareOffReader
May 14, 2019
A heartwarming, heartfelt read.I felt very happy and content at the end.
The story that just kept on giving.
Ada and Jonah were utter perfection.
Those kids, Bluebird and Elijah, were an absolute delight. I found myself smiling every time they made an appearance.
The writing, as always - EVERYTHING.
#FanettiFanForLife
*Teasers made with purchased pics, and the author's words.
December 29, 2020
**re-read 08/11/2020 via Audible & Audiobook Boom**
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Carry the World will always share a special place in my heart because it was my first Historical Romance but what I did not anticipate was to love this story even more!! The audio version gave the characters more depth, heart and it was as if I could feel the love, they shared through the narrators voice. Still 5+ stars easy!!
**original review 07/24/2020**
First historical romance EVER and I could not have loved it any more than I did. Carry the World is a top 2020 read for sure and maybe even a favorite of all time. Fanetti's writing was so beautiful that I did not want to stop. Ada and Jonah made this story for me, of course but all the supporting characters especially Bluebird gave this story such good depth. Despite all the hard times, gut wrenching moments and heartache this was such a beautiful love story not just for Ada and Jonah. This was a love story of a family coming together in hard times and not giving up on the life that they want to build. Nothing I say could do this book the justice it deserves and that is coming from someone who has never read a historical romance until now and was not too sure about it. Highly recommend this book!!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Carry the World will always share a special place in my heart because it was my first Historical Romance but what I did not anticipate was to love this story even more!! The audio version gave the characters more depth, heart and it was as if I could feel the love, they shared through the narrators voice. Still 5+ stars easy!!
**original review 07/24/2020**
First historical romance EVER and I could not have loved it any more than I did. Carry the World is a top 2020 read for sure and maybe even a favorite of all time. Fanetti's writing was so beautiful that I did not want to stop. Ada and Jonah made this story for me, of course but all the supporting characters especially Bluebird gave this story such good depth. Despite all the hard times, gut wrenching moments and heartache this was such a beautiful love story not just for Ada and Jonah. This was a love story of a family coming together in hard times and not giving up on the life that they want to build. Nothing I say could do this book the justice it deserves and that is coming from someone who has never read a historical romance until now and was not too sure about it. Highly recommend this book!!
May 5, 2019
A love for the ages
This really is the most beautiful story. The sheer amount of love within it brings me to tears every time I read it.
This really is the most beautiful story. The sheer amount of love within it brings me to tears every time I read it.
July 11, 2019
4-1/2 *'s for me. Very nicely done.
August 24, 2020
This was a beautifully written story, nuanced and well fleshed out. I can't believe this is the same author that wrote MC books also. Kudos to her because she completely submerged the reader in this era and genre.
It is set in Kentucky in the late 1930s, the heroine is a Kentucky pack-horse librarian who comes across the hero ( a widower) and his two children.
The first 25% is leading up to the heroine getting the job and circumstances that lead her to look for work. I was just greedy to see the two MC's meet. As I said the writing is excellent, I did feel so sorry for the heroine when she first met the hero he was grieving so badly for his dead wife that I wondered what place if any the heroine would ever find in his life.
Anyway they are just observations and it doesn't detract from this beautiful book it just adds another layer.
It is set in Kentucky in the late 1930s, the heroine is a Kentucky pack-horse librarian who comes across the hero ( a widower) and his two children.
The first 25% is leading up to the heroine getting the job and circumstances that lead her to look for work. I was just greedy to see the two MC's meet. As I said the writing is excellent, I did feel so sorry for the heroine when she first met the hero he was grieving so badly for his dead wife that I wondered what place if any the heroine would ever find in his life.
Anyway they are just observations and it doesn't detract from this beautiful book it just adds another layer.
April 28, 2020
Still love this author’s writing. Just wasn't a fan of the time period and location. Enjoyed the couple.
July 5, 2020
Oh the feels! What a beautiful story of loss, love, perseverance, hope. This one certainly lives up to the hype. Highly recommended!
April 29, 2020
Carry the World was a beautiful story about a lonely widower up in the mountains of Kentucky during the depression taking care of his two young children and a widow taking care of her aligning parents in need of an income. Ada is a young educated woman that use to be a teacher who takes a job as a Pack Horse Librarian in 1937 Kentucky. Along her route she becomes a bright light in so many lives but nothing would compare to how she changes the Walkers. Jonah is a heart broken man barely living after the death of his wife 6 years earlier. The only reason he still lives is due to the babies he made with his love and he definitely made her proud everyday as he cared and loved his children. Ada and Jonah's romance is slow as they both let go of the past and dream of a new future. Along the way there is tragedy and life is hard but in the end we don't need possessions and fortune when we have family.
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