Jasper Mountain

Spirit of the River #2

by Kathy Steffen

Jack Buchanan, a worker at the Jasper Mining Company, is sure of his place in the outside world, but has lost his faith in the tragedy of a fire. Foreign-born and raised, Milena Shabanov flees from a home she loves to the strange and barbaric America. A Romani blessed with 'the sight', she is content in the company of visions and spirit oracles, but finds herself isolated in a brutal mining town that has little use for women. Surrounded by inhumane working conditions at the mine, senseless death, and overwhelming greed, miners begin disappearing. Tempers flare and Jack must decide where he stands with the officers and mining president; with Victor Creely, to whom Jack owes his life; or with the miners, whose lives are worth less to the company than pack animals. Milena, sensing deep despair and death in a mining town infested with restless spirits, searches for answers to the workers' disappearances. But she cannot trust anyone, especially not Jack Buchanan, a man haunted by his own past.

Genres: Historical Fiction

386 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

I find my inspiration from my roots in West Virginia and my love of the mountains, rivers, and tales of the people who lived and worked there. My stories are influenced by a family history of hardworking people, struggling to build lives with their hands and hearts, but never giving up their dreams.

Reviews

[Kasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

FINALLY, I'm finished reading this book. As my rating suggests, it was just "okay". The writing is good and the premise is interesting, but it just didn't grab me the way I anticipated. I would say my biggest peeve is that the plot was slow to develop and then slow to unfold.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the other two books by Steffen. It took me a long, long while to make myself finish this one.

[Love To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Finally done!! Need more me time:>)

[Michael Shayeson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but somewhat trite.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jasper Mountain kept me up late, turning pages. Strong, interesting, and entertaining characters and settitng. It wasn't available at my local Chapters, but I found it at Chapters online.