What do you think?
Rate this book
All the Little Hopes
From the acclaimed author of If the Creek Don’t Rise comes a Southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of World War II.
Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew.
That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is?
Lush with Southern atmosphere, All The Little Hopes, is the story of two girls growing up while war creeps closer, blurring the difference between what's right, what's wrong, and what we know to be true
Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew.
That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is?
Lush with Southern atmosphere, All The Little Hopes, is the story of two girls growing up while war creeps closer, blurring the difference between what's right, what's wrong, and what we know to be true
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2021
1001 people are currently reading
9470 people want to read
About the author
Leah Weiss
5 books727 followersCome visit me at LeahWeiss.com where you can subscribe to my CREEKRISE author news. You'll also find a longer version of my official bio:
Leah Weiss is a bestselling author born in eastern North Carolina and raised in the foothills of Virginia. She retired in 2015 from a 24-year career as an Executive Assistant at Virginia Episcopal School and published her debut novel, IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE in August, 2017; it has sold over 100,000 copies. ALL THE LITTLE HOPES will be released in July 2021. It is a southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of WWII. Leah writes full time, enjoys meeting with book clubs, and speaking about writing and publishing later in life, after retirement.
Leah Weiss is a bestselling author born in eastern North Carolina and raised in the foothills of Virginia. She retired in 2015 from a 24-year career as an Executive Assistant at Virginia Episcopal School and published her debut novel, IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE in August, 2017; it has sold over 100,000 copies. ALL THE LITTLE HOPES will be released in July 2021. It is a southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of WWII. Leah writes full time, enjoys meeting with book clubs, and speaking about writing and publishing later in life, after retirement.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews
August 23, 2021
All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss (Author), Kate Forbes (Narrator)
It's 1943 Riverton, North Carolina, and thirteen year old Nancy Drew fanatic and bibliophile, Lucy Brown, works with her family to tend to their bees on her family's tobacco farm. The girl knows big words and likes to use them! All of Lucy's family are bibliophiles, the house is full of books everywhere, and they have weekly readings for anyone who wants to attend.
Above Ashville, North Carolina lives thirteen year old Allie Bert Tucker, whose family is poor, can't read, and might be likely to marry her off very soon except that her mom dies and she is sent to live with her crazy aunt in Riverton. As soon as Bert and Lucy meet they become best friends and this meeting adds family and learning to Bert's life, as she is invited to come live in their home.
This story meanders and winds around a variety of subjects but always shows that the love of family (whether adopted or blood family) is the key to handling the hardships that life throws at a person. Lucy soon has Bert lassoed into trying to figure out what has happened to several missing men, following the principles of Nancy Drew. There is the apprehension that comes with the town's new German POW camp and having two of these POWs working for the family. There is the constant worry about a brother and a brother in law fighting in the war, waiting anxiously for the next letter so that the family knows they were at least alive when that letter was written.
Wealthy Aunt Fanniebell is a favorite character of mine. She lives across town in a big house and she takes both girls under her wing, showing them the ropes to dressing up and having tea parties. Aunt Fanniebell is very smart but it's a struggle to understand what she is saying since she mixes metaphors, names, and whatnot in every sentence she utters. This is one progressive lady though and she is friends with the mysterious Trula Freed, a mystic who has the girls transfixed.
The chapters are short, alternating between the points of view of Lucy and Bert. Often there are long gaps of time between chapters, and if anything, I wish the story could have gone on a little longer. It's a slow story but I became attached to this family and their friends and would love to know what happens after the story ends.
Publication: July 27, 2021
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
It's 1943 Riverton, North Carolina, and thirteen year old Nancy Drew fanatic and bibliophile, Lucy Brown, works with her family to tend to their bees on her family's tobacco farm. The girl knows big words and likes to use them! All of Lucy's family are bibliophiles, the house is full of books everywhere, and they have weekly readings for anyone who wants to attend.
Above Ashville, North Carolina lives thirteen year old Allie Bert Tucker, whose family is poor, can't read, and might be likely to marry her off very soon except that her mom dies and she is sent to live with her crazy aunt in Riverton. As soon as Bert and Lucy meet they become best friends and this meeting adds family and learning to Bert's life, as she is invited to come live in their home.
This story meanders and winds around a variety of subjects but always shows that the love of family (whether adopted or blood family) is the key to handling the hardships that life throws at a person. Lucy soon has Bert lassoed into trying to figure out what has happened to several missing men, following the principles of Nancy Drew. There is the apprehension that comes with the town's new German POW camp and having two of these POWs working for the family. There is the constant worry about a brother and a brother in law fighting in the war, waiting anxiously for the next letter so that the family knows they were at least alive when that letter was written.
Wealthy Aunt Fanniebell is a favorite character of mine. She lives across town in a big house and she takes both girls under her wing, showing them the ropes to dressing up and having tea parties. Aunt Fanniebell is very smart but it's a struggle to understand what she is saying since she mixes metaphors, names, and whatnot in every sentence she utters. This is one progressive lady though and she is friends with the mysterious Trula Freed, a mystic who has the girls transfixed.
The chapters are short, alternating between the points of view of Lucy and Bert. Often there are long gaps of time between chapters, and if anything, I wish the story could have gone on a little longer. It's a slow story but I became attached to this family and their friends and would love to know what happens after the story ends.
Publication: July 27, 2021
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 7, 2021
3.5 stars
If the Creek Don't Rise is on my list of favorite books for 2017, so I had high expectations for this one. While it’s a good story and I liked it, it didn’t quite meet up to Weiss’ debut for me which I thought was bolder and more powerful . If you look at all of the four and five stars reviews, it’s pretty clear that I’m an outlier on this one.
I enjoy young narrators and it was easy to like Lucy Brown and Bert Tucker, as we get to know them through their alternating first person narratives. Lucy is from a perfect (almost too perfect) loving family, loves to use big words, loves to read, especially the Nancy Drew books. Bert is not quite as lucky and is sent from the mountains of North Carolina to live with her aunt whose unfortunate circumstances leave her out in the cold, literally. That is until the Brown family takes her in as one of their own. I couldn’t help but hope for Bert and that she would thrive in the goodness of this family. The mother was one of my favorite characters. The girls are thirteen when the book opens and then are fifteen by the end, but they seemed so immature for their ages until the very end. Maybe it was just too much of a YA feel for my taste. Maybe because I never read Nancy Drew that I couldn’t connect with their amateur detective obsession.
There were certainly some serious themes touched on - war, spousal abuse, mental health. The love in this good family and the developing friendship between Lucy and Bert were heartwarming. It was a good southern story, but for me just not as good as Weiss’ first book. I recommend that you read the four and five star reviews.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark through Edelweiss.
If the Creek Don't Rise is on my list of favorite books for 2017, so I had high expectations for this one. While it’s a good story and I liked it, it didn’t quite meet up to Weiss’ debut for me which I thought was bolder and more powerful . If you look at all of the four and five stars reviews, it’s pretty clear that I’m an outlier on this one.
I enjoy young narrators and it was easy to like Lucy Brown and Bert Tucker, as we get to know them through their alternating first person narratives. Lucy is from a perfect (almost too perfect) loving family, loves to use big words, loves to read, especially the Nancy Drew books. Bert is not quite as lucky and is sent from the mountains of North Carolina to live with her aunt whose unfortunate circumstances leave her out in the cold, literally. That is until the Brown family takes her in as one of their own. I couldn’t help but hope for Bert and that she would thrive in the goodness of this family. The mother was one of my favorite characters. The girls are thirteen when the book opens and then are fifteen by the end, but they seemed so immature for their ages until the very end. Maybe it was just too much of a YA feel for my taste. Maybe because I never read Nancy Drew that I couldn’t connect with their amateur detective obsession.
There were certainly some serious themes touched on - war, spousal abuse, mental health. The love in this good family and the developing friendship between Lucy and Bert were heartwarming. It was a good southern story, but for me just not as good as Weiss’ first book. I recommend that you read the four and five star reviews.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark through Edelweiss.
June 30, 2023
Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. as a Nancy Drew fan, I was drawn to this book when I noticed a reference to this fictional sleuth in the synopsis; and,
2. it became available to borrow on Libby.
Praises:
1. author Leah Weiss fleshes out her characters very well! Main characters Lucy Brown and Allie Bert Tucker form such a strong friendship that one would think they were sisters! At times likeable, and at other times, I wanted to shake some sense into them - this just made them all the more believable.
Other characters that intrigued me were Aunt Fanniebelle and the mysterious Trula Freed.
William "Whiz" Mayhew's return from service overseas during WWII, and his interactions with his family and friends during his "Hero's Welcome Home" party were powerfully portrayed. So sobering!
2. a captivating plot line! Centered around the Browns' beekeeping and tobacco farm in North Carolina, the young girls go about their daily lives with interesting exchanges with others. When a German POW camp opens up near their community, and a few despicable men start disappearing, it became a mystery that left me guessing. Perfect ending!
3. I loved Lucy's extensive use of vocabulary; and,
4. Kate Forbes makes a fine narrator.
Niggle:
I can understand Lucy and Bert's initial curiosity with an Ouija board and tarot cards, but it got uncomfortable for me with their frequent "reliance" on these items.
Overall Thoughts:
The references to Nancy Drew and the girls' searches for clues made me smile.
The disappearance of those reprehensible men reminded me of the line in the country music group The Chicks's song, "Goodbye, Earl" -
"And it turns out he was a missing person who nobody missed at all."
An entertaining story with a believable plot and memorable characters!
1. as a Nancy Drew fan, I was drawn to this book when I noticed a reference to this fictional sleuth in the synopsis; and,
2. it became available to borrow on Libby.
Praises:
1. author Leah Weiss fleshes out her characters very well! Main characters Lucy Brown and Allie Bert Tucker form such a strong friendship that one would think they were sisters! At times likeable, and at other times, I wanted to shake some sense into them - this just made them all the more believable.
Other characters that intrigued me were Aunt Fanniebelle and the mysterious Trula Freed.
William "Whiz" Mayhew's return from service overseas during WWII, and his interactions with his family and friends during his "Hero's Welcome Home" party were powerfully portrayed. So sobering!
2. a captivating plot line! Centered around the Browns' beekeeping and tobacco farm in North Carolina, the young girls go about their daily lives with interesting exchanges with others. When a German POW camp opens up near their community, and a few despicable men start disappearing, it became a mystery that left me guessing. Perfect ending!
3. I loved Lucy's extensive use of vocabulary; and,
4. Kate Forbes makes a fine narrator.
Niggle:
I can understand Lucy and Bert's initial curiosity with an Ouija board and tarot cards, but it got uncomfortable for me with their frequent "reliance" on these items.
Overall Thoughts:
The references to Nancy Drew and the girls' searches for clues made me smile.
The disappearance of those reprehensible men reminded me of the line in the country music group The Chicks's song, "Goodbye, Earl" -
"And it turns out he was a missing person who nobody missed at all."
An entertaining story with a believable plot and memorable characters!
June 26, 2021
“ On one side, Daddy speaks the war-truths that’s turned our days hard. On the other, Mother wishes on a star like a girl wanting to keep our boys safe.”
Weiss’ new historical fiction tackles North Carolina in 1943. Told from the perspectives of 13 year old Lucy Brown, who wants to solve mysteries like her favorite character Nancy Drew, and Allie Bert Tucker, who arrives in Riverton after the death of her mother and stillborn brother. Lucy is precocious, full of ten dollar words and coming from a family of bibliophiles. Bert “ has not had the same blessings in life” - she lacks schooling, is poor and staying with her crazy pregnant aunt who threatens to throw her out when her husband comes home.
Weiss paints a vivid picture of small town Southern life in the 1940s. The characters are unique, many downright eccentric. The story has a quirky factor to it, including Oma’s wolpertinger.
As the story unfolds, nasty men disappear. Nobody really looks too hard for any of them. There were times I felt the language came across as a little too folksy, to the point of being cutesy. The story meandered. Plot points came and went, often going missing for long periods of the book. But everything got wrapped up in the end. And the mystery of the missing men was resolved exactly how I expected it to be. But despite all that, I loved this. I found it endearing, warm and moving. I came to care about all the main characters. It was one of those stories I was sorry to see end.
I’m so glad the publisher thought to include reading guide questions as this is a book that begs to be a book club selection.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy of this book.
Weiss’ new historical fiction tackles North Carolina in 1943. Told from the perspectives of 13 year old Lucy Brown, who wants to solve mysteries like her favorite character Nancy Drew, and Allie Bert Tucker, who arrives in Riverton after the death of her mother and stillborn brother. Lucy is precocious, full of ten dollar words and coming from a family of bibliophiles. Bert “ has not had the same blessings in life” - she lacks schooling, is poor and staying with her crazy pregnant aunt who threatens to throw her out when her husband comes home.
Weiss paints a vivid picture of small town Southern life in the 1940s. The characters are unique, many downright eccentric. The story has a quirky factor to it, including Oma’s wolpertinger.
As the story unfolds, nasty men disappear. Nobody really looks too hard for any of them. There were times I felt the language came across as a little too folksy, to the point of being cutesy. The story meandered. Plot points came and went, often going missing for long periods of the book. But everything got wrapped up in the end. And the mystery of the missing men was resolved exactly how I expected it to be. But despite all that, I loved this. I found it endearing, warm and moving. I came to care about all the main characters. It was one of those stories I was sorry to see end.
I’m so glad the publisher thought to include reading guide questions as this is a book that begs to be a book club selection.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy of this book.
July 29, 2021
’We are an innocent lot, my two brothers, four sisters and me, born on as ordinary a land as God ever made. Our tobacco farm in Riverton, North Carolina, is far from Oma’s soaring mountains in the Black Forest of Germany, where tall trees dim the light of day and the tales of the Brothers Grimm grow out of the loamy soil. Where even a polished apple holds peril. Her stories raise the hairs on the backs of our necks, and fear prickles and chills our skin. Telling tales is Oma’s best talent...our grandmother’s stories live far across the sea.
But they are real.’
Lucy is thirteen, and Oma’s favourite grandchild among her seven grandchildren. Lucy collects words, her favourite being enigma, and her brother teases her for using 'ten-dollar words in a ten-cent town' and her Mama tells her that 'language is meant to communicate, not separate', so she keeps those words to herself. She loves to read, and her hero is Nancy Drew. She wants to be just like her, solving crimes. Their town is a small one, a place where word gets around, or would if anything significant ever happened, but most days are spent doing the same things, ruled by the seasons, and the days of farming, but Lucy can’t help but see clues to solving the unsolved.
When the U.S. government needs a source for beeswax, Lucy’s father is approached. A million pounds of it is needed for a year, used to waterproof canvas, lubricate ammunition, and more. A deal is made, which means there won’t be any available to the locals.
Around the same time, Allie Bert Tucker, who goes by Bert, was sent from away from the Appalachian mountains where she had lived her family until her father sent her away. After a series of unfortunate events, she winds up living with Lucy’s family, which is fortunate for her, and Lucy is thrilled. She now has a partner her age to help solve the crimes she knows they will unearth, in this area abundant with tobacco fields, sweet tea and honeybees.
'If left on my own, I’d turn to dust and blow away. But I’m saved for no good reason I can figure...if I’m gonna be good at something, I’m glad it’s working bees, for they are holy creatures. The hum of their wings sounds like angels gathered round.'
The area where they live has also become home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. With family members still fighting overseas, these families are still worrying, waiting for news of their loved ones. An aura of tension and mystery builds as strange things begin to happen around town, including a change to the honey made by the bees.
I loved the way this story evolves, the love and wisdom shared by the family, as well as the endearing friendship that blossoms between Lucy and Bert, and the bond that develops over books and bees.
There’s so much love in these pages, an acceptance of people as they are, and not as others might wish they were. A this treat to read, the perfect book at the perfect time.
Published: 27 Jul 2021
Many thanks for the ARC provided by SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
October 25, 2021
Somewhere between 2.5 - 3 stars
I adored this authors previous novel so much that I didn’t even read this synopsis before requesting this book on NetGalley because I felt so connected to the authors writing. Unfortunately this didn’t work out the way I had hoped and expected.
This book started off strong! I felt an immediate investment. I liked the young characters and the southern roots to the story. There were several heartwarming scenes. I enjoyed the theme of family loyalty and how families don’t have to mean blood relatives.
My connection slowly started to dwindle after the first quarter where I felt the story lost direction. The author tried to take on too many topics leaving none of them fully explored. Childhood loss, family bonds, WWII, young soldiers hopeful families, bee keepers, witch doctors, domestic violence, mental illness, coming-of-age, sexual assault, and the list goes on…it was too much and I lost interest. I also found the plot lacked flow and jumped around without a smooth transition.
Overall, there were some endearing characters with heartfelt scenes, but the novel failed to keep me engrossed. I highly recommend picking up this authors previous novel, If The Creek Don’t Rise, rather than this one.
Thank you Sourcebooks for the digital review copy!
I adored this authors previous novel so much that I didn’t even read this synopsis before requesting this book on NetGalley because I felt so connected to the authors writing. Unfortunately this didn’t work out the way I had hoped and expected.
This book started off strong! I felt an immediate investment. I liked the young characters and the southern roots to the story. There were several heartwarming scenes. I enjoyed the theme of family loyalty and how families don’t have to mean blood relatives.
My connection slowly started to dwindle after the first quarter where I felt the story lost direction. The author tried to take on too many topics leaving none of them fully explored. Childhood loss, family bonds, WWII, young soldiers hopeful families, bee keepers, witch doctors, domestic violence, mental illness, coming-of-age, sexual assault, and the list goes on…it was too much and I lost interest. I also found the plot lacked flow and jumped around without a smooth transition.
Overall, there were some endearing characters with heartfelt scenes, but the novel failed to keep me engrossed. I highly recommend picking up this authors previous novel, If The Creek Don’t Rise, rather than this one.
Thank you Sourcebooks for the digital review copy!
July 30, 2021
All the Little Hopes is one of my most-anticipated reads this summer! I’ve been waiting a couple years for this book!
If the Creek Don’t Rise blew me away. I still think about that story and its characters. All the Little Hopes is Leah Weiss’ new book, and I have been SO excited to read this all summer.
Set during World War II (mostly) in rural eastern North Carolina, All the Little Hopes is the story of Lucy and Bert as they come of age. There’s a light mystery in the background when some men go missing, and Lucy and Bert try to get to the bottom of what’s happened.
Historically, this was a time when Nazi prisoners of war were held in North Carolina (and other states) and employed on farms, including Lucy’s family’s farm. I have read another book where I learned about this, but I didn’t realize they also had these camps in North Carolina.
Full of atmosphere and grand southern storytelling, this is a book that will sweep you up in its characters and story. I hope Leah Weiss has many more stories to tell us.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
If the Creek Don’t Rise blew me away. I still think about that story and its characters. All the Little Hopes is Leah Weiss’ new book, and I have been SO excited to read this all summer.
Set during World War II (mostly) in rural eastern North Carolina, All the Little Hopes is the story of Lucy and Bert as they come of age. There’s a light mystery in the background when some men go missing, and Lucy and Bert try to get to the bottom of what’s happened.
Historically, this was a time when Nazi prisoners of war were held in North Carolina (and other states) and employed on farms, including Lucy’s family’s farm. I have read another book where I learned about this, but I didn’t realize they also had these camps in North Carolina.
Full of atmosphere and grand southern storytelling, this is a book that will sweep you up in its characters and story. I hope Leah Weiss has many more stories to tell us.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
August 12, 2021
EXCERPT: Of her seven grandchildren, I am Oma's favourite. In private, she tells me so. It's because I am curious and have a deductive mind. I collect obscure words like 'misnomer' for contradiction and 'knave' for someone dishonest. My favourite word is 'enigma', for without mystery to challenge a curious mind, it will starve. My brother Grady calls me high and mighty for using ten dollar words in a ten cent town. Out loud, I call him rude, but inside my head I know he's a chuff. Mama says I can be insensitive. She says language is meant to communicate, not separate, so I mostly spend ten dollar words inside my head.
Oma never returns to Germany. She dies in Riverton on twentieth of May, and her granite tombstone is etched with a mountain sketch we've only seen on a page in a travel book in our library. At her passing, our hope for thrilling danger passes with her.
We fear nothing will happen here . . . here where a lazy river rolls by, outsiders are rare, and farming rules our days.
We think we are safe here, where nothing happens - until something comes that undoes us all.
ABOUT 'ALL THE LITTLE HOPES': Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew.
That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is?
MY THOUGHTS: All The Little Hopes is a quietly moving book that I didn't realise how much I had enjoyed until the last word faded from my earpiece. I just sat there a while, thinking on it, savouring the beautiful writing, the deceptively lazy pace which conveyed so much.
The characters are fascinating - Trula Freed, who has 'the sight'; Aunt Fanniebelle, Lucy's wealthy aunt who comes to the girls rescue more than once; Helen, Lucy's older sister whose husband is off fighting the war in the Pacific; and Bert and Lucy, from whose points of view the story is told, girls on the cusp of womanhood, learning about life, and playing at Nancy Drew as they investigate the apparently unrelated disappearances of three men.
All the Little Hopes is a portrayal of family life in a small tobacco farming town in North Carolina that has lost a lot of it's men to the war effort, and into whose midst is dropped a German prisoner of war camp. Weiss has written a deeply moving and atmospheric story of family, of love, of loss, of desperation, of prejudice, and redemption told through the eyes of two teenage girls.
Kate Forbes is an excellent narrator who had me fully immersed in this captivating tale. She has a lilting Southern accent, perfectly suited to this story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
#AlltheLittleHopes #NetGalley
I: @leahweissauthor @recordedbooks
T: @RBmediaCo
#audiobook #comingofage #familydrama #historicalfiction #mystery #WWII
THE AUTHOR: Leah Weiss is a bestselling author born in eastern North Carolina and raised in the foothills of Virginia. She retired in 2015 from a 24-year career as an Executive Assistant at Virginia Episcopal School. Leah writes full time, enjoys meeting with book clubs, and speaking about writing and publishing later in life, after retirement.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to RB Media Recorded Books via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Oma never returns to Germany. She dies in Riverton on twentieth of May, and her granite tombstone is etched with a mountain sketch we've only seen on a page in a travel book in our library. At her passing, our hope for thrilling danger passes with her.
We fear nothing will happen here . . . here where a lazy river rolls by, outsiders are rare, and farming rules our days.
We think we are safe here, where nothing happens - until something comes that undoes us all.
ABOUT 'ALL THE LITTLE HOPES': Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew.
That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is?
MY THOUGHTS: All The Little Hopes is a quietly moving book that I didn't realise how much I had enjoyed until the last word faded from my earpiece. I just sat there a while, thinking on it, savouring the beautiful writing, the deceptively lazy pace which conveyed so much.
The characters are fascinating - Trula Freed, who has 'the sight'; Aunt Fanniebelle, Lucy's wealthy aunt who comes to the girls rescue more than once; Helen, Lucy's older sister whose husband is off fighting the war in the Pacific; and Bert and Lucy, from whose points of view the story is told, girls on the cusp of womanhood, learning about life, and playing at Nancy Drew as they investigate the apparently unrelated disappearances of three men.
All the Little Hopes is a portrayal of family life in a small tobacco farming town in North Carolina that has lost a lot of it's men to the war effort, and into whose midst is dropped a German prisoner of war camp. Weiss has written a deeply moving and atmospheric story of family, of love, of loss, of desperation, of prejudice, and redemption told through the eyes of two teenage girls.
Kate Forbes is an excellent narrator who had me fully immersed in this captivating tale. She has a lilting Southern accent, perfectly suited to this story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
#AlltheLittleHopes #NetGalley
I: @leahweissauthor @recordedbooks
T: @RBmediaCo
#audiobook #comingofage #familydrama #historicalfiction #mystery #WWII
THE AUTHOR: Leah Weiss is a bestselling author born in eastern North Carolina and raised in the foothills of Virginia. She retired in 2015 from a 24-year career as an Executive Assistant at Virginia Episcopal School. Leah writes full time, enjoys meeting with book clubs, and speaking about writing and publishing later in life, after retirement.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to RB Media Recorded Books via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 14, 2021
Leah Weiss brings to us the most endearing and eccentric book set in the foothills of North Carolina. The love of the land is brought through her words and her ancestry "southern by grace and roots"....my motto too, Leah!!
Living off the land is part of the proud heritage in this book. I can smell the tobacco barns burning, hear the bees humming and remember the hard labor revealed under our nails. Although our lives have changed and the farms have all been sold, books like these are a rarity that bring back memories of our childhood.
13 year old Lucy Brown and her sister by choice, Allie Bert, are the narrators in this southern story of friendship in the 1940's. The war blurs the lines of these timeless troubles families endured. The Brown's family was not immuned while two of their sons are fighting in WWII, they are busy with beehives the government helped to supplement in exchange for their beeswax. More interesting facts at the end of the book are given about these historical tidbits.
Nancy Drew books adorn their home with Lucy wanting to duplicate her skills on a hunt for missing men in their area. Such humorous moments of Bert and Lucy super sleuthing through the community. As North Carolina houses 18 POW camps for Nazi and German soldiers, the families in the area open their homes and fields to allow them to work the land while the men are at war. This was another interesting fact that Leah Weiss adds after researching these facts and interviewing family members.
Much can be said for this historical fiction that will open your eyes to a time period gone and the proud people that are much like the Brown's family. The characters are interesting. Bert has her own story of survival after her mom and baby brother die during childbirth and her father sends her away to stay with her pregnant aunt. Bert does not feel welcomed after her aunt's apparent delirium and her husband is missing. The Brown's family take her in, as well as another child. The personality and love in this family is contagious and brings enlightenment during such dark times.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Living off the land is part of the proud heritage in this book. I can smell the tobacco barns burning, hear the bees humming and remember the hard labor revealed under our nails. Although our lives have changed and the farms have all been sold, books like these are a rarity that bring back memories of our childhood.
13 year old Lucy Brown and her sister by choice, Allie Bert, are the narrators in this southern story of friendship in the 1940's. The war blurs the lines of these timeless troubles families endured. The Brown's family was not immuned while two of their sons are fighting in WWII, they are busy with beehives the government helped to supplement in exchange for their beeswax. More interesting facts at the end of the book are given about these historical tidbits.
Nancy Drew books adorn their home with Lucy wanting to duplicate her skills on a hunt for missing men in their area. Such humorous moments of Bert and Lucy super sleuthing through the community. As North Carolina houses 18 POW camps for Nazi and German soldiers, the families in the area open their homes and fields to allow them to work the land while the men are at war. This was another interesting fact that Leah Weiss adds after researching these facts and interviewing family members.
Much can be said for this historical fiction that will open your eyes to a time period gone and the proud people that are much like the Brown's family. The characters are interesting. Bert has her own story of survival after her mom and baby brother die during childbirth and her father sends her away to stay with her pregnant aunt. Bert does not feel welcomed after her aunt's apparent delirium and her husband is missing. The Brown's family take her in, as well as another child. The personality and love in this family is contagious and brings enlightenment during such dark times.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 14, 2021
Set in North Carolina 1943, this is a story of Brown family and two young girls who come from different backgrounds. Lucy’s family owns beehives and the government is in need of beeswax offering Lucy’s father a good business opportunity. Lucy’s mother used to be a teacher and both parents have a great appreciation for books and storytelling. Lucy grows up in a nurturing environment. Bert comes from the other side of North Carolina and from a more complicated background.
The Browns’ two sons are fighting against the Nazis, leaving the family business shorthanded and forcing the father to hire two Nazis - POWs. And I hoped that through them and their work we would get to know both: first - how German prisoners happened to be on the US soil, second – the farm life would be better developed as both those aspects grasped my attention.
The characters are interesting, but I wished there was more to character development. I really liked Lucy’s mother, who is very nurturing, warmhearted, and pedagogic in her approach with children. The girls at some point play detectives, which is influenced by Lucy’s book hero Nancy Drew, which I’d say is more for YA readers.
The story is written with beautiful prose and it has interesting parts, but some parts didn’t hold my interest as I would categorize this story as fiction, which I do not read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Browns’ two sons are fighting against the Nazis, leaving the family business shorthanded and forcing the father to hire two Nazis - POWs. And I hoped that through them and their work we would get to know both: first - how German prisoners happened to be on the US soil, second – the farm life would be better developed as both those aspects grasped my attention.
The characters are interesting, but I wished there was more to character development. I really liked Lucy’s mother, who is very nurturing, warmhearted, and pedagogic in her approach with children. The girls at some point play detectives, which is influenced by Lucy’s book hero Nancy Drew, which I’d say is more for YA readers.
The story is written with beautiful prose and it has interesting parts, but some parts didn’t hold my interest as I would categorize this story as fiction, which I do not read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2021
I wanted to All the Little Hopes because I loved the author's previous book, If the Creek Don't Rise. Even though I don't like to go in, expecting an author's book to be as good as their last one, I did have some expectations with this one. I was intrigued by a "Southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of World War II." Well, this was a friendship forged by books and bees that didn't go anywhere for me, and I kept waiting for the murky shadows of World War II to grab my attention
Big Sigh!
Big Sigh!
August 4, 2021
Lovely family saga!
Get ready to read a lovely book by Leah Weiss. It's a story of family, of devotion and love and acceptance. The time frame is the forties and war has come to the Brown family as they watch their son, son in law and others being sent to fight in the war. It's a confusing time for their daughter, Lucy, a bright inquisitive child, a huge fan of the Nancy Drew books, trying to put life and its foibles into some kind of perspective.
Into her life wanders the indomitable Allie Bert Tucker, herself an outsider, sent to live with an aunt with a one-way ticket which carries with it the idea to never come home. Allie is from the back country of North Carolina, doesn't know how to read and her way of speaking is backward and countryish. The girls form an instant friendship and as Allie finds herself living with an aunt who will eventually be institutionalized, she comes to live and be loved by the Brown family. While the war rages and death come to town, three men go missing and now with Nancy Drew dreams floating in their heads, Allie and Lucy decided they need to find the killer. Meanwhile, we meet and come to love the Browns.
They are a family that pulls together, that offer solace to their neighbors and friends, that provide for those in need and as they do so the family unit grows closer together and exhibits the true spirit that was America during the war.
If you are a fan of stories that show goodness, values, and the down-home flavor of North Carolina, this might be one you enjoy. Coupled with the author's love of her home state and the facts that were new to me, this story will capture you with a taste of The Waltons of TV fame. It presents Southern warmth, and the beauty of the environs that the Browns and the girls lived in. The girls do grow, as does the whole family in love and understanding that the lines between good and evil can blur, and that life offers an enrichment that one must be open to and ready to pursue.
I definitely recommend this one! If you loved If The Creek Don’t Rise, then this one is one to put on your list.
Get ready to read a lovely book by Leah Weiss. It's a story of family, of devotion and love and acceptance. The time frame is the forties and war has come to the Brown family as they watch their son, son in law and others being sent to fight in the war. It's a confusing time for their daughter, Lucy, a bright inquisitive child, a huge fan of the Nancy Drew books, trying to put life and its foibles into some kind of perspective.
Into her life wanders the indomitable Allie Bert Tucker, herself an outsider, sent to live with an aunt with a one-way ticket which carries with it the idea to never come home. Allie is from the back country of North Carolina, doesn't know how to read and her way of speaking is backward and countryish. The girls form an instant friendship and as Allie finds herself living with an aunt who will eventually be institutionalized, she comes to live and be loved by the Brown family. While the war rages and death come to town, three men go missing and now with Nancy Drew dreams floating in their heads, Allie and Lucy decided they need to find the killer. Meanwhile, we meet and come to love the Browns.
They are a family that pulls together, that offer solace to their neighbors and friends, that provide for those in need and as they do so the family unit grows closer together and exhibits the true spirit that was America during the war.
If you are a fan of stories that show goodness, values, and the down-home flavor of North Carolina, this might be one you enjoy. Coupled with the author's love of her home state and the facts that were new to me, this story will capture you with a taste of The Waltons of TV fame. It presents Southern warmth, and the beauty of the environs that the Browns and the girls lived in. The girls do grow, as does the whole family in love and understanding that the lines between good and evil can blur, and that life offers an enrichment that one must be open to and ready to pursue.
I definitely recommend this one! If you loved If The Creek Don’t Rise, then this one is one to put on your list.
August 31, 2021
I was delighted to receive a digital ARC of All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss and must offer special thanks to Pamela Jaffee at Sourcebooks, and NetGalley, for making this possible. In 2017 I'd read and loved If the Creek Don't Rise (ITCDR), this authors debut novel, and as such was eager to read her latest title. The two books were set in similar locales but really that's where the similarities ended. Whereas ITCDR was filled with human ugliness, moonshine fuelled violence and redneck behaviour, this book was at the other end of the spectrum filled largely with human kindness and wisdom.
At the centre of All The Little Hopes were two young girls. Allie Bert Tucker, more commonly known as Bert, and Lucy (Lu) Brown. Readers were introduced to the girls separately and we got to know something of their lives. On the day we meet Bert she's thirteen, becoming rebellious and resisting growing up. Her home in the Appalachian mountains is the only home she's known. When tragedy befalls her family Bert blames herself, and it seems her father does too. The very next day she's put on a bus and sent to the other side of the state of North Carolina to live with an Aunt she's never met.
Lucy is one of six siblings plus another the Brown family decided to adopt some years prior. I adored the Brown family, the perfect example of a hard working and loving family who support each other. Mama in particular was filled with goodness and wisdom and was not afraid to share it. When Lu met Bert they formed an instant friendship. Born one week apart their upbringings couldn't have been more different. Lu with her fancy (ten dollar) words and her passion for Nancy Drew books; Bert who had never had any schooling and could not read. Lu was not only a friend but a sister to Bert and took her under her wing when she desperately needed family.
This was a coming of age novel, a WWII novel built around a couple of quirky historical facts such as a German prisoner of war camp in North Carolina and a government contract for the production of beeswax used to waterproof canvas tents and lubricate ammunition, drill bits, and cables. Oh, and just as in ITCDR, Leah Weiss incorporated a mystery fitting for Nancy Drew. Finally I loved the way the community was depicted, the way of life and the majestic scenery of the mountains.
This was an enjoyable read and it is with great pleasure I have provided my unbiased thoughts in exchange for the digital ARC.
At the centre of All The Little Hopes were two young girls. Allie Bert Tucker, more commonly known as Bert, and Lucy (Lu) Brown. Readers were introduced to the girls separately and we got to know something of their lives. On the day we meet Bert she's thirteen, becoming rebellious and resisting growing up. Her home in the Appalachian mountains is the only home she's known. When tragedy befalls her family Bert blames herself, and it seems her father does too. The very next day she's put on a bus and sent to the other side of the state of North Carolina to live with an Aunt she's never met.
Lucy is one of six siblings plus another the Brown family decided to adopt some years prior. I adored the Brown family, the perfect example of a hard working and loving family who support each other. Mama in particular was filled with goodness and wisdom and was not afraid to share it. When Lu met Bert they formed an instant friendship. Born one week apart their upbringings couldn't have been more different. Lu with her fancy (ten dollar) words and her passion for Nancy Drew books; Bert who had never had any schooling and could not read. Lu was not only a friend but a sister to Bert and took her under her wing when she desperately needed family.
This was a coming of age novel, a WWII novel built around a couple of quirky historical facts such as a German prisoner of war camp in North Carolina and a government contract for the production of beeswax used to waterproof canvas tents and lubricate ammunition, drill bits, and cables. Oh, and just as in ITCDR, Leah Weiss incorporated a mystery fitting for Nancy Drew. Finally I loved the way the community was depicted, the way of life and the majestic scenery of the mountains.
This was an enjoyable read and it is with great pleasure I have provided my unbiased thoughts in exchange for the digital ARC.
February 20, 2022
All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss
Synopsis /
Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew.
That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is?
My Thoughts /
Lu—
She declares her name is 'Allie Bert Tucker' but that she only answers to 'Bert'.
I do find it curious that Bert and I walk the same road every day but see different scenery and come to different conclusions.
Bert—
Lu says worker bees are girls and drones are boys. They make our food grow and only live forty-five days and never sleep, then they die. The queen lives five years and lays three million eggs, and none of em whine bout their lot in life like I do. I can learn from bees.
Touted as a 'coming-of-age' story, All the Little Hopes follows the lives of two girls - Lucy and Bert and, their small close knit community, as they discover the complex nature of war and the human faces of those that fight it. I'm thinking that's just one very small piece of what you get given when you read this book. This is a novel that is bursting at the seams with beautiful descriptive prose. It's a novel about new beginnings; about friendship, family, and acceptance.
Spanning a period of three years - 1943 through to 1945, and set in rural North Carolina during World War II, the narrative is delivered to us in the first person; with the point of views alternating between Bert and Lu.
Lucy Brown is thirteen years old and lives with her mother, father, brothers and sisters on a farm in Riverton, eastern North Carolina. There are seven siblings - two boys and five girls. They grow tobacco and farm honey. The story opens with a man from the government paying Mr Brown a visit. He makes the family an offer to buy all of the farms honey and beeswax for the war effort. One million pounds of wax is needed each year which is used to waterproof canvas and lubricate ammunition and arms.
Lucy - Of her seven grandchildren, I am Oma's favourite. In private, she tells me so. It's because I am curious and have a deductive mind. I collect obscure words like misnomer for contradiction and knave for someone dishonest. My favourite word is enigma, for without mystery to challenge a curious mind, it starves. My brother Grady calls me high and mighty for using ten-dollar words in a ten-cent town. Out loud, I call him rude, but inside my head, I know he's a chuff. Mama says I can be insensitive. She says language is meant to communicate, not separate, so I mostly spend ten-dollar words inside my head.
Allie Bert Tucker lived with her Ma and Pa in the state's Appalachian Mountains. But when her Ma died during childbirth, her father, consumed by grief, exiled her to the other side of the State to go and live with his sister, Violet. When Bert arrives at what is to be her new home she receives a less than warm welcome. Violet is not rational and behaves violently towards Bert. The husband, Bert's Uncle is nowhere to be found. After an exceptionally violent outburst, Bert finds herself locked out of the family home - there's a storm imminent - so Bert makes her way to the nearest shelter she can find - the Brown family farm.
I get up next to him and say, "Pa?" but he don't answer, and I look over at the cabin that looks like nobody lives in it. Gloomy and sagging in the middle, it makes the innards of my belly clutch. I think to say, "Where's Ma?".
……"Your Ma's dead. Your baby brother, too."
……I can't hardly breathe from the shock. Ma's labour musta come on early cause I run away. Labour pains brought on by her girl who don't think of nobody but herself. A girl who gives her Ma grief every live long day.
Bert and Lu. Lu and Bert.
And, as Humphrey Bogart said in the 1942 movie, Casablanca — 'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'
When men begin to disappear in their community, Lucy sees it as the perfect opportunity to be like her hero, Nancy Drew, and figure out what has happened - with a little help from Bert and weegee (a Ouija board).
And all the while, slowly brewing in the background, is the secondary subplot of war. The Brown family was not immune, they had two of their sons are fighting in WWII - their son Everett and, their son-in-law, Wade. One of whom will not come home.
The story shines light on a variety of topics - but the one that stands head and shoulders about the rest is love, and the love of a family; for its family; by its family - whether adopted or blood. It's this aspect of life that becomes the key to handling any hardships. They are done together, as a family.
The author has done a marvellous job bringing this story to life. It's beautifully written and informative, with real and engaging characters - such as Trula Freed, who has 'the sight' (but what we would call clairvoyant). Lucy's brilliantly funny and caring Aunt Fanniebelle ,who comes to the girls rescue more than once in the story, just to name a few. The author has been able to open my eyes to a time period long gone, where its people were devastatingly poor in terms of physical comforts but were rich in character and had huge huge hearts.
A most enjoyable read.
Synopsis /
Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew.
That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is?
My Thoughts /
Lu—
She declares her name is 'Allie Bert Tucker' but that she only answers to 'Bert'.
I do find it curious that Bert and I walk the same road every day but see different scenery and come to different conclusions.
Bert—
Lu says worker bees are girls and drones are boys. They make our food grow and only live forty-five days and never sleep, then they die. The queen lives five years and lays three million eggs, and none of em whine bout their lot in life like I do. I can learn from bees.
Touted as a 'coming-of-age' story, All the Little Hopes follows the lives of two girls - Lucy and Bert and, their small close knit community, as they discover the complex nature of war and the human faces of those that fight it. I'm thinking that's just one very small piece of what you get given when you read this book. This is a novel that is bursting at the seams with beautiful descriptive prose. It's a novel about new beginnings; about friendship, family, and acceptance.
Spanning a period of three years - 1943 through to 1945, and set in rural North Carolina during World War II, the narrative is delivered to us in the first person; with the point of views alternating between Bert and Lu.
Lucy Brown is thirteen years old and lives with her mother, father, brothers and sisters on a farm in Riverton, eastern North Carolina. There are seven siblings - two boys and five girls. They grow tobacco and farm honey. The story opens with a man from the government paying Mr Brown a visit. He makes the family an offer to buy all of the farms honey and beeswax for the war effort. One million pounds of wax is needed each year which is used to waterproof canvas and lubricate ammunition and arms.
Lucy - Of her seven grandchildren, I am Oma's favourite. In private, she tells me so. It's because I am curious and have a deductive mind. I collect obscure words like misnomer for contradiction and knave for someone dishonest. My favourite word is enigma, for without mystery to challenge a curious mind, it starves. My brother Grady calls me high and mighty for using ten-dollar words in a ten-cent town. Out loud, I call him rude, but inside my head, I know he's a chuff. Mama says I can be insensitive. She says language is meant to communicate, not separate, so I mostly spend ten-dollar words inside my head.
Allie Bert Tucker lived with her Ma and Pa in the state's Appalachian Mountains. But when her Ma died during childbirth, her father, consumed by grief, exiled her to the other side of the State to go and live with his sister, Violet. When Bert arrives at what is to be her new home she receives a less than warm welcome. Violet is not rational and behaves violently towards Bert. The husband, Bert's Uncle is nowhere to be found. After an exceptionally violent outburst, Bert finds herself locked out of the family home - there's a storm imminent - so Bert makes her way to the nearest shelter she can find - the Brown family farm.
I get up next to him and say, "Pa?" but he don't answer, and I look over at the cabin that looks like nobody lives in it. Gloomy and sagging in the middle, it makes the innards of my belly clutch. I think to say, "Where's Ma?".
……"Your Ma's dead. Your baby brother, too."
……I can't hardly breathe from the shock. Ma's labour musta come on early cause I run away. Labour pains brought on by her girl who don't think of nobody but herself. A girl who gives her Ma grief every live long day.
Bert and Lu. Lu and Bert.
And, as Humphrey Bogart said in the 1942 movie, Casablanca — 'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'
When men begin to disappear in their community, Lucy sees it as the perfect opportunity to be like her hero, Nancy Drew, and figure out what has happened - with a little help from Bert and weegee (a Ouija board).
And all the while, slowly brewing in the background, is the secondary subplot of war. The Brown family was not immune, they had two of their sons are fighting in WWII - their son Everett and, their son-in-law, Wade. One of whom will not come home.
The story shines light on a variety of topics - but the one that stands head and shoulders about the rest is love, and the love of a family; for its family; by its family - whether adopted or blood. It's this aspect of life that becomes the key to handling any hardships. They are done together, as a family.
The author has done a marvellous job bringing this story to life. It's beautifully written and informative, with real and engaging characters - such as Trula Freed, who has 'the sight' (but what we would call clairvoyant). Lucy's brilliantly funny and caring Aunt Fanniebelle ,who comes to the girls rescue more than once in the story, just to name a few. The author has been able to open my eyes to a time period long gone, where its people were devastatingly poor in terms of physical comforts but were rich in character and had huge huge hearts.
A most enjoyable read.
July 20, 2021
Four little hopeful stars for this new release giving us a glimpse of WW II from the states. Lu and Bert share a home and a birth month. Bert's rescue from a bad family decision sets her firmly in Lu's household. The two grow up side by side as the war winds down. Their hometown hosts a German POW camp and that plot thread turned out to be one of my favorites. The Nancy Drew fascination that Lu has leads to the girls trying to solve The Mystery of the Missing Men. I, too, was stumped and enjoyed their search for clues with the exception of the Ouija Board and Tarot Cards. Themes of forgiveness and redemption come through clearly with a stellar cast of characters. Aunt Fanniebell has to be one of my favorites. All in all, I learned some new things in this book about the war and that is why I love reading historical fiction. Reading groups will be delighted to find that thoughtful questions are provided for discussion as well as an interview with the author.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2021
4.25 Keep on Writing Them Stars!
Ms. Leah Weiss has upped her game in her sophomore effort, "All the Little Hopes". I read this immediately after reading her debut, "If the Creek Don't Rise", which took place on the western side of a mountain near apex, with its harsh elements and scant resources. This time, we meet the Brown family, who farm in a flat valley on the east side of a mountain raising tobacco during World War II. Two of the Brown men are off fighting, one in the Asian theater the other in Europe. When a prisoner of war camp locates nearby, the family hires two men to help with their crop. This is another foray into community dynamics that I simply loved.
Weiss uses to young teenagers to narrate what happens in their small town over two and half years. Bert is from a tiny area high in Western Appalachia where surviving is the objective. Shortly after her mother's death in childbirth, her father sends her to a relative in valley to help her during her pregnancy. Things turn upside down and this new situation becomes untenable, so the Brown family takes her in. She and Lu (short for Lucy), are the same age, born only a week apart and go from friends to more like quarreling siblings, as each make the challenging transition to being women and competing for male attention.
When Bert is assaulted and the man disappears, the community wonders about this Army man's disappearance. Already, another man has gone missing but his past behaviors make his disappearance a relief. The two girls, who are big fans of Nancy Drew decide to do some investigating. Several adults play key roles in their maturation but most significantly, Trula Freed, who is an older, stranger to the community, that is, she moved there in her later years from New Orleans, and has the "gift" of seeing things in the spirit realm. Ms. Trula gives subtle guidance in helping the young ladies truly see and appreciate people from different cultures and experiences.
Weiss delivers another terrific character study along with a mystery. It was a tad reminiscent of "To Kill a Mockingbird" in its subtly. I figured out the mystery very early on but that didn't diminish my appreciation of the people and their thoughts, feelings and interactions with one another. Weiss glossed over racial tensions that I would expect (a black family plays a secondary role in the story as employees of the Browns) in the south and before civil rights. I would have liked to see the challenges of farming play a bigger role, however, she incorporated beekeeping and its important role for military use, which I loved.
Ms. Weiss, I hope your writing gets greater attention. I hope some movie director comes across your stories and puts them on the big screen. I am hoping each day has you diligently working on your third novel and then your fourth.
Ms. Leah Weiss has upped her game in her sophomore effort, "All the Little Hopes". I read this immediately after reading her debut, "If the Creek Don't Rise", which took place on the western side of a mountain near apex, with its harsh elements and scant resources. This time, we meet the Brown family, who farm in a flat valley on the east side of a mountain raising tobacco during World War II. Two of the Brown men are off fighting, one in the Asian theater the other in Europe. When a prisoner of war camp locates nearby, the family hires two men to help with their crop. This is another foray into community dynamics that I simply loved.
Weiss uses to young teenagers to narrate what happens in their small town over two and half years. Bert is from a tiny area high in Western Appalachia where surviving is the objective. Shortly after her mother's death in childbirth, her father sends her to a relative in valley to help her during her pregnancy. Things turn upside down and this new situation becomes untenable, so the Brown family takes her in. She and Lu (short for Lucy), are the same age, born only a week apart and go from friends to more like quarreling siblings, as each make the challenging transition to being women and competing for male attention.
When Bert is assaulted and the man disappears, the community wonders about this Army man's disappearance. Already, another man has gone missing but his past behaviors make his disappearance a relief. The two girls, who are big fans of Nancy Drew decide to do some investigating. Several adults play key roles in their maturation but most significantly, Trula Freed, who is an older, stranger to the community, that is, she moved there in her later years from New Orleans, and has the "gift" of seeing things in the spirit realm. Ms. Trula gives subtle guidance in helping the young ladies truly see and appreciate people from different cultures and experiences.
Weiss delivers another terrific character study along with a mystery. It was a tad reminiscent of "To Kill a Mockingbird" in its subtly. I figured out the mystery very early on but that didn't diminish my appreciation of the people and their thoughts, feelings and interactions with one another. Weiss glossed over racial tensions that I would expect (a black family plays a secondary role in the story as employees of the Browns) in the south and before civil rights. I would have liked to see the challenges of farming play a bigger role, however, she incorporated beekeeping and its important role for military use, which I loved.
Ms. Weiss, I hope your writing gets greater attention. I hope some movie director comes across your stories and puts them on the big screen. I am hoping each day has you diligently working on your third novel and then your fourth.
August 1, 2021
3.5 stars. I absolutely adored the author's previous book If the Creek Don't Rise which broke my heart into a million pieces. And although All the Little Hopes were written in her same beautiful style and included characters that I grew to love, I missed the Appalachian setting and the more adult themes included in her debut. If my expectations weren't so high and so exact in what I wanted, this would definitely received a higher rating, so I urge you to please try either of Leah Weiss's books if you enjoy Southern literature.
The Story: A Southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of World War II.
The Story: A Southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of World War II.
September 20, 2021
Oh this was too pure. Bert and Lu’s bond was everything! It’s always fun to read about world war 2 from unique perspectives.
Great job Weiss!
Great job Weiss!
May 18, 2024
Book Club 5/18/24
Since I had given 5 stars to Weiss's debut, If the Creek Don't Rise, when this was suggested for our latest book club selection, I was all in, with very high expectations. Maybe too high, as this fell short for me. I was in the minority at our meeting, though -- everyone else loved it.
For me, it touched on too many topics without fully exploring them. The two fourteen year old girls were interesting enough, but I would have liked to have known her other family members more as well, especially the mom, whose wisdom shone in the advice she gave.
Please do read all the 4 and 5 star reviews for this as I obviously expected too much. Like I said, I feel that her debut with its many memorable passages is the better of the two books.
Since I had given 5 stars to Weiss's debut, If the Creek Don't Rise, when this was suggested for our latest book club selection, I was all in, with very high expectations. Maybe too high, as this fell short for me. I was in the minority at our meeting, though -- everyone else loved it.
For me, it touched on too many topics without fully exploring them. The two fourteen year old girls were interesting enough, but I would have liked to have known her other family members more as well, especially the mom, whose wisdom shone in the advice she gave.
Please do read all the 4 and 5 star reviews for this as I obviously expected too much. Like I said, I feel that her debut with its many memorable passages is the better of the two books.
August 1, 2021
On paper, I should have loved this story. Historical fiction- check. Southern- check. Coming of age- check. And so on. But I didn't.
I feel like this book has an identity crisis. It is trying to fit into so many genres/subgenres and just feels lost to me.
Not only did I feel the book was all over the place, very little actually happened. And what did happened was extremely predictable.
As for character development, there wasn't any. Other than Bert, no one changed. And Bert was an instant change- from very childish, immature, and unworldly to over-sexualized child.
I listened to the audiobook and was also not a fan. The narration was slow. I sped it up early on. I also did not care for the narrator.
I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like this book has an identity crisis. It is trying to fit into so many genres/subgenres and just feels lost to me.
Not only did I feel the book was all over the place, very little actually happened. And what did happened was extremely predictable.
As for character development, there wasn't any. Other than Bert, no one changed. And Bert was an instant change- from very childish, immature, and unworldly to over-sexualized child.
I listened to the audiobook and was also not a fan. The narration was slow. I sped it up early on. I also did not care for the narrator.
I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2021
With her latest novel ALL THE LITTLE HOPES, Leah Weiss confirms the place she’s earned among top-notch historical fiction writers. Her thrilling, coming-of-age story of two young girls in the tobacco country of the Carolinas, growing up in the shadow of World War II, is compelling, alarming, and heart-breakingly satisfying. It grippingly explores the mysteries of one of my favorite themes: Who can really be trusted when the chips are down?
August 28, 2021
A well-written and heart-warming story about two girls that are thrown together and their experiences, from dealing with a world of war and unravel a mystery of disappearing men.
August 5, 2021
I loved this. The warmth and connection primarily between two girls who had lived very different lives. It reminds me so much of the intensity of your best friend when you’re just at the cusp of going from being a child to a young woman . You are just starting to understand how life works and to have someone else to go through that with is so meaningful.
Lucy comes from a close knit family in Riverton, North Carolina. Her mother teaches her children to be kind, strong, and understanding of each other. Lucy is just 13 when another young girl, Allie Bert Tucker has moved from the Mountains to her Eastern, NC town. Bert has come from much different circumstances and an abusive family. So, the Brown family has Bert come stay with them. Some passages are funny, such as when Lucy tells Bert that she will be living with a family of Bibliophiles. Bert thinks she is talking about her religion. Lucy talks a lot about how wonderful Nancy Drew is, and Bert thinks that is a member of her large family. Lucy can’t believe this because she thinks Nancy Drew is fantastic and that every girl knows about her books. Still, Bert does not even know how to read or pronounce certain words, but quickly blends into the Brown’s ways. Their father is a bee keeper, and gets by during WWII b/c he harvests the beeswax, which helps the soldiers with their supplies.
Both girls work at collecting the honey and beeswax, read Nancy Drew, and Lucy especially is searching for clues to some mysterious disappearances. That was an excellent part as I know about beekeeping and at 13 worshipped Nancy Drew. So, at times the book highlights the innocence of the time period, it takes place in the 1940’s, but eventually that changes as a POW camp for Germans is in their town. This is based on factual information. I had never heard of this.
So, Lucy and Bert keep each other going through hard times and fun times. There is always room for forgiveness and understanding for this family. Blood ties are not the only way to become a family member, and this has a great influence on Bert. It also teaches Lucy many lessons about growing up.
I just moved to North Carolina in the last few years, so I found the geographical descriptions terrific. Riverton is not a real town, but it is describing Eastern, NC and Bert came from Asheville, located several hours away high in the mountains. It really gave me a feeling of being present in these areas. The culture of the south in the 40’s also was interesting to learn about.
I did get an audio 🎧 version of this book which I enjoyed, but usually don’t read just the audio format.
Thank you NetGalley, Leah Weiss, and RB Media Recorded Books for an ARC of this book.
Lucy comes from a close knit family in Riverton, North Carolina. Her mother teaches her children to be kind, strong, and understanding of each other. Lucy is just 13 when another young girl, Allie Bert Tucker has moved from the Mountains to her Eastern, NC town. Bert has come from much different circumstances and an abusive family. So, the Brown family has Bert come stay with them. Some passages are funny, such as when Lucy tells Bert that she will be living with a family of Bibliophiles. Bert thinks she is talking about her religion. Lucy talks a lot about how wonderful Nancy Drew is, and Bert thinks that is a member of her large family. Lucy can’t believe this because she thinks Nancy Drew is fantastic and that every girl knows about her books. Still, Bert does not even know how to read or pronounce certain words, but quickly blends into the Brown’s ways. Their father is a bee keeper, and gets by during WWII b/c he harvests the beeswax, which helps the soldiers with their supplies.
Both girls work at collecting the honey and beeswax, read Nancy Drew, and Lucy especially is searching for clues to some mysterious disappearances. That was an excellent part as I know about beekeeping and at 13 worshipped Nancy Drew. So, at times the book highlights the innocence of the time period, it takes place in the 1940’s, but eventually that changes as a POW camp for Germans is in their town. This is based on factual information. I had never heard of this.
So, Lucy and Bert keep each other going through hard times and fun times. There is always room for forgiveness and understanding for this family. Blood ties are not the only way to become a family member, and this has a great influence on Bert. It also teaches Lucy many lessons about growing up.
I just moved to North Carolina in the last few years, so I found the geographical descriptions terrific. Riverton is not a real town, but it is describing Eastern, NC and Bert came from Asheville, located several hours away high in the mountains. It really gave me a feeling of being present in these areas. The culture of the south in the 40’s also was interesting to learn about.
I did get an audio 🎧 version of this book which I enjoyed, but usually don’t read just the audio format.
Thank you NetGalley, Leah Weiss, and RB Media Recorded Books for an ARC of this book.
May 31, 2021
Three years into World War II, the lives of two girls in North Carolina are about to change. Deep in the mountains, Bert Tucker is being sent to live across the state with her aunt Violet to attend to her while she has a baby. Next door to Aunt Violet, Lucy Brown lives on a sprawling tobacco farm where the government has just granted the Brown family a contract to raise bees for beeswax. Both thirteen years old, Lucy and Bert quickly bond. They discover that despite their differences, they make a good team, especially when people start to go missing.
All The Little Hopes is a charming historical coming-of-age story combined with a mystery. Told through the alternating viewpoints of Lucy and Bert, the adolescents shine an innocence upon the time along with an adaptability to the many situations that arise. The writing flowed easily with bountiful description of the landscape and gave a distinct voice to each girl. While the mystery of the disappearing men kept me intrigued and introduced wonderful side characters such as mystical Trula Freed and pragmatic Sugar Mayhew, it was the girl's experience growing up during World War II that kept me interested. Through Lucy and Bert's eyes, I could see the effects of homecoming on an injured soldier, how Lucy's sister dealt with her husband declared Missing In Action, how Lucy's mother dealt with her son fighting overseas and how Lucy and Bert learned to welcome the German Prisoners of War onto their farm and into their family. With a bittersweet ending, All The Little Hopes creates an atmospheric story of love and hope.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
All The Little Hopes is a charming historical coming-of-age story combined with a mystery. Told through the alternating viewpoints of Lucy and Bert, the adolescents shine an innocence upon the time along with an adaptability to the many situations that arise. The writing flowed easily with bountiful description of the landscape and gave a distinct voice to each girl. While the mystery of the disappearing men kept me intrigued and introduced wonderful side characters such as mystical Trula Freed and pragmatic Sugar Mayhew, it was the girl's experience growing up during World War II that kept me interested. Through Lucy and Bert's eyes, I could see the effects of homecoming on an injured soldier, how Lucy's sister dealt with her husband declared Missing In Action, how Lucy's mother dealt with her son fighting overseas and how Lucy and Bert learned to welcome the German Prisoners of War onto their farm and into their family. With a bittersweet ending, All The Little Hopes creates an atmospheric story of love and hope.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
April 6, 2022
North Carolina, early 1940s.
Thirteen year old Lucy Brown is bright, curious and infatuated with Nancy Drew mysteries. She pictures herself as the courageous heroine solving crimes and restoring justice. When Allie Bert Tucker arrives unexpectedly in town, Lucy finds a best friend and cohort. Together they navigate the joys and trials of growing into womanhood, guided by Lucy's loving family along the way. With Lucy's oldest brother and brother-in-law off fighting in the war, everyone must pitch in to keep the farm running, as is for most of those in their tight knit community. Together they do what needs to be done.
Weaving factual events into this heartwarming story, the author does a wonderful job of bringing the characters and setting to life. The novel seamlessly blends southern fiction, historical fiction and coming-of-age, creating a beautiful tale of love, courage, community and what defines a family.
Thirteen year old Lucy Brown is bright, curious and infatuated with Nancy Drew mysteries. She pictures herself as the courageous heroine solving crimes and restoring justice. When Allie Bert Tucker arrives unexpectedly in town, Lucy finds a best friend and cohort. Together they navigate the joys and trials of growing into womanhood, guided by Lucy's loving family along the way. With Lucy's oldest brother and brother-in-law off fighting in the war, everyone must pitch in to keep the farm running, as is for most of those in their tight knit community. Together they do what needs to be done.
Weaving factual events into this heartwarming story, the author does a wonderful job of bringing the characters and setting to life. The novel seamlessly blends southern fiction, historical fiction and coming-of-age, creating a beautiful tale of love, courage, community and what defines a family.
June 29, 2021
My two favorite genres are historical fiction and southern fiction. So this book set in North Carolina in the early 1940s was a perfect book for me. It's one of few books that after I read the last page, I wanted to go back and read it for the first time again. I am probably one of the few people who hasn't read this author's first book but as soon as I finished this book down, I ordered If the Creek Don't Rise from Amazon.
The story is told from the POV of two thirteen year old girls. Lucy lives in the eastern part of NC with her family. She is a reader and a lover of Nancy Drew mysteries. She loves to learn and is always using difficult words. Allie Bert Tucker , known as Bert, is from the mountains of NC. After her mother died in childbirth, she was sent to the eastern part of the state to help an aunt she'd never met. She felt like she was the reason that her mother died and looked at this trip as a banishment from her family. "My punishment is exile from my homeland." (p 22) When Lucy and Bert meet for the first time, they decide to be friends. Eventually, the living arrangements with her aunt changes and Bert goes to live with Lucy's family. All sorts of strange happenings in the town - a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking - Lucy decides that she and Bert can be Nancy Drew and solve the mysteries. Bert isn't so sure of this but agrees because they are friends. The two girls spend their days working with bee hives because their father has a contract from the government for beeswax and in their free time, they work to solve the mysteries in town. The more they try to learn about what's going on, the more the mysteries continue to happen.
This book is a picture of a small southern town in the 40s. Along with the two main characters, there are lots of other characters - from Lucy's nurturing mom to the quirky Trula Freed who can tell the future. The main lesson that Lucy and Bert learn is that family is made up not just through blood but also through the people who love and care about you.
Fantastic southern fiction!
Thanks to Book Browse for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
The story is told from the POV of two thirteen year old girls. Lucy lives in the eastern part of NC with her family. She is a reader and a lover of Nancy Drew mysteries. She loves to learn and is always using difficult words. Allie Bert Tucker , known as Bert, is from the mountains of NC. After her mother died in childbirth, she was sent to the eastern part of the state to help an aunt she'd never met. She felt like she was the reason that her mother died and looked at this trip as a banishment from her family. "My punishment is exile from my homeland." (p 22) When Lucy and Bert meet for the first time, they decide to be friends. Eventually, the living arrangements with her aunt changes and Bert goes to live with Lucy's family. All sorts of strange happenings in the town - a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking - Lucy decides that she and Bert can be Nancy Drew and solve the mysteries. Bert isn't so sure of this but agrees because they are friends. The two girls spend their days working with bee hives because their father has a contract from the government for beeswax and in their free time, they work to solve the mysteries in town. The more they try to learn about what's going on, the more the mysteries continue to happen.
This book is a picture of a small southern town in the 40s. Along with the two main characters, there are lots of other characters - from Lucy's nurturing mom to the quirky Trula Freed who can tell the future. The main lesson that Lucy and Bert learn is that family is made up not just through blood but also through the people who love and care about you.
Fantastic southern fiction!
Thanks to Book Browse for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
September 15, 2021
RATING 4.5
2021; Recorded Books
I really loved this story. All the Little Hopes is set during WWII, but it is not just another WWII novel. WWII is the backdrop, but not the main thing about the story. It is a story of women, but not of women who were spies or chasing some grand romance. It is about women seeking for more than just what men think they can be. Or rather, what young girls are supposed to be. It is a coming of age story, set in Riverton, North Carolina, about two girls, Lucy and Bert (13 years old) that meet and become more than friends. After the death of her mother, Bert is sent to help her pregnant aunt in Riverton. When she gets there, she realizes she is not wanted and finds most of her time outside her aunt's home. Lucy comes from a farming family that is helping the war effort by beekeeping, and her brother and brother in law fighting in the war. She currently lives with her parents, married pregnant sister and 3 other sisters. She has discovered Nancy Drew and wants to solve mysteries like her. Lucy takes Bert first as a friend, and when her aunt can't care for her, Lucy's family steps in. The girls's friendship is tested living under the same roof, but their bond remains tight as friends turned to sisters. I loved the point of view from the young girls as it was a bit lighter, and yet also pulled at your heart strings a bit more. This novel is a hard one to label. It's a historical fiction, mixed with some mystery and suspense, but don't read it as a mystery. Once you start to try to figure things out, it is a bit easy. If you just read and let the story unfold it reads better. I listened to this one on audio and thought it was fantastically done.
***I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2021; Recorded Books
I really loved this story. All the Little Hopes is set during WWII, but it is not just another WWII novel. WWII is the backdrop, but not the main thing about the story. It is a story of women, but not of women who were spies or chasing some grand romance. It is about women seeking for more than just what men think they can be. Or rather, what young girls are supposed to be. It is a coming of age story, set in Riverton, North Carolina, about two girls, Lucy and Bert (13 years old) that meet and become more than friends. After the death of her mother, Bert is sent to help her pregnant aunt in Riverton. When she gets there, she realizes she is not wanted and finds most of her time outside her aunt's home. Lucy comes from a farming family that is helping the war effort by beekeeping, and her brother and brother in law fighting in the war. She currently lives with her parents, married pregnant sister and 3 other sisters. She has discovered Nancy Drew and wants to solve mysteries like her. Lucy takes Bert first as a friend, and when her aunt can't care for her, Lucy's family steps in. The girls's friendship is tested living under the same roof, but their bond remains tight as friends turned to sisters. I loved the point of view from the young girls as it was a bit lighter, and yet also pulled at your heart strings a bit more. This novel is a hard one to label. It's a historical fiction, mixed with some mystery and suspense, but don't read it as a mystery. Once you start to try to figure things out, it is a bit easy. If you just read and let the story unfold it reads better. I listened to this one on audio and thought it was fantastically done.
***I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
May 7, 2021
Wartime ,North Carolina
Lucy and Bert are sisters by choice if not by blood. Joined at the hip they help working on Lucy's family tobacco farm filling the government contract for bees wax. They are wary, as is the rest of the town, of the workers who come from the German POW camp to work the farm. They also share a love of Nancy Drew mysteries so when people go missing the girls, with help from a local psychic, put on their detective hats and jump into the danger. Southern coming of age story in a time of war full of distrust, an end of youthful innocence and big changes for both the girls and the small town. The writing is reminiscent of Pat Conroy and you can't help but fall for these quirky small town characters. An added bonus are a selection of recipes and a reader's guide that will make this a book clubber's delight. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Lucy and Bert are sisters by choice if not by blood. Joined at the hip they help working on Lucy's family tobacco farm filling the government contract for bees wax. They are wary, as is the rest of the town, of the workers who come from the German POW camp to work the farm. They also share a love of Nancy Drew mysteries so when people go missing the girls, with help from a local psychic, put on their detective hats and jump into the danger. Southern coming of age story in a time of war full of distrust, an end of youthful innocence and big changes for both the girls and the small town. The writing is reminiscent of Pat Conroy and you can't help but fall for these quirky small town characters. An added bonus are a selection of recipes and a reader's guide that will make this a book clubber's delight. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
July 9, 2021
All the Little Hopes is a compelling blend of a coming of age story and rich historical fiction. Set on a tobacco farm during the height of WWII, we are given a heartfelt look at the home front; how those at home coped during the war years, and how vital they were to the war efforts. But this is mostly the story of Lu and Bert, newfound friends who meet when they are 14, becoming close as sisters. It was fascinating to watch these girls grow and mature as they deal with the uncertainties of living during wartime. I loved the author’s authentic voice, taking us from the mountains of western North Carolina and over to the flatlands of the eastern part of the state, with dialects and personalities changing with each locale.
April 14, 2022
Very Interesting
"All the Little Hopes" Is a wonderful piece of historical fiction about how a rural family is challenged on different levels during World War II.
The parts of interest in me quite a bit was how they were taking in German POWs to help them work. Unfortunately, it shows the ugly side of people‘s feelings towards Germany is it that time. On the other hand it does show transition from hate to compassion.
"All the Little Hopes" Is a wonderful piece of historical fiction about how a rural family is challenged on different levels during World War II.
The parts of interest in me quite a bit was how they were taking in German POWs to help them work. Unfortunately, it shows the ugly side of people‘s feelings towards Germany is it that time. On the other hand it does show transition from hate to compassion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews