Appalachian spring

by Eleanor Gustafson

When young Jennifer Darrow leaves her city classroom to teach in a small West Virginia hamlet, she finds more than her place of residence changing. In fact, it seems everyone wants her to become what they think she should be. Beautiful Nola Mae, lover of fine music and literature, scorns Jennifer's lifestyle and "lack of aesthetic appreciation." Corey, Jennifer's college friend, now a minister, sees her as the perfect pastor's wife. And Tikki, the local "wild mountain man," challenges her in a personal vendetta that both frightens and fascinates her. To the very last sentence, Appalachian Spring is filled with drama, suspense, mystery, humor, and romance. The surprising climax of this wonderfully warm story so reminiscent of Christy dramatically reveals what Jennifer has been learning all along: things and people are not always what they seem. Eleanor Gustafson is a "considerer of lilies" who lives in Haverhill, Massachusetts. This is her first novel.

Genres: Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Ellie Gustafson writes pretty good books these days. Been at it long enough to learn a few things. It all started in 1978 with my first published article, “I Saw a Thing Today,” about a couple of weasels I met on a stone wall in Vermont. Short stories and other articles followed, and then came Appalachian Spring. BIG learning curve. The editor slashed characters, whole chapters, and made a lot of red marks everywhere. Had to rewrite the entire book—on a brand-new Apple IIe computer I had no idea how to operate. The novel was well received, however, which led to more novels and more painful learning experiences.

A common book theme is the cosmic struggle between good and evil in light of God's overarching work of redemption. Having graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois—where I met my husband while teaching horsemanship (funny story there)—I have since been actively involved in church life as a minister's wife, teacher, musician, writer, and encourager. A host of other experiences, from mouse wars to house building, help bring color and humor to my fiction. I do like to laugh a lot.

My husband and I live in Massachusetts, where he recently retired from teaching online college courses in philosophy. We travel a fair amount, spend time with three children and eight grandchildren, and enjoy camping at the family forest in Chester, Vermont.

I've had two professionals in the publishing field tell me that An Unpresentable Glory is one of the best novels they've read. High praise, indeed! Please give me your honest assessment.

Reviews

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

C. inspirational fiction, contemporary fiction, mom's stash, discard