Carolina Harmony

by Marilyn Taylor McDowell

Carolina’s a runaway hiding out at Harmony Farm. Mr. Ray and Miss Latah treat Carolina as their own. For 10 years she lived easy with her parents in the North Carolina mountains. But it feels risky speaking about the accident that claimed them and her baby brother. And Carolina won’t reveal the year of living with Auntie Shen, her surrogate grandma who took ill and was taken away or how she, Carolina, had to live in foster homes. Then Russell, a troublemaker from the foster home Carolina ran away from, secretly comes to Harmony Farm. Believing he’s a friend, Carolina sneaks him food and takes the blame for his pranks, until one night, when something so terrible happens that Carolina runs away again.

Marilyn Taylor McDowell has been bringing children and books together for over 25 years as librarian, storyteller, teacher, and proprietor of a children’s bookshop. This is her first novel. She lives in North Chittenden, Vermont.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Family, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Fiction, Friendship

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kathy Slappey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I know it's a children's book but I actually had the pleasure of meeting the author while waiting for a ferry to cross the Bay of Fundy in Canada this summer. This is her very first book and she graciously mailed six copies to me, one she personalized just for me. The others were to donate. Her story is filled with hard times, difficult lessons to learn but in the end Carolina. . . well you'll just have to read it to find out! Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing this beautiful story with me and I hope you keep writing!

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful story about a little girl who loses everything and then finds acceptance, love and family.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolina Harmony lost her parents and baby brother in a terrible accident when she was only nine. She went to live with her Aunt Shen. Aunt Shen had raised her father but was not his biological mother. His mother had been her best friend. Carolina lives in the mountains and loves its simple ways. When Aunt Shen has a stroke some well meaning women from the church step in and she is shipped of to a foster home. She promptly runs away and then is taken to a second foster home. It seems to be worse than the first. She runs away from that one as well and end up at Harmony Farms. She is loved by the whole family. When she tries to help a kid from her former foster home disaster strikes and Carolina finds out what jealousy can do. Once again she runs away only to learn that you can’t keep running. Sometimes the only way you find peace is by telling the truth. This had a great ending. It reminded me a lot of the book “Pictures of Hollis woods”. I have read a lot of books recently with a setting of mountains in them and it makes me hurt. I have not been back to Tennessee since shortly before my Father-in-law passed away and I miss it. I hope to go back this summer. Like Carolina Harmony, that is where I find peace.

[Carol Baldwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of a young orphan girl in the NC mountains during the 1960's who needs a family. Although Marilyn McDowell has shown the setting well, I was disappointed in how she chose to tell what could have been an emotionally gripping story. Repeated long flashbacks detract from the story, I would have preferred a more direct timeline. There were too many "coincidences" such as characters showing up in just the right spot and even new characters at the end of the book which make everything turn out favorably for Carolina. Character changes which seem to come out of the blue (why does Mr. Ray suddenly decide it is OK to adopt her when previously he distrusted her?)and dreams of angels which blend in with reality makes this a book that is heavy on historical details, but light on plotting. That said, girls in upper elementary school may enjoy the book and learn some North Carolina history.

[Charlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 60s were a time of love and peace. There's a great deal of love in this book, but very little peace. Carolina finds herself an orphan left in the uncaring arms of Child Protective Services. She does the only thing she can think to do: she runs away and lands at Harmony Farm where she spins tales to explain her sudden appearance. She believes she has found a family to which she can belong when a person from her past arrives at Harmony Farm and jeopardizes the peace she thought she had found.

This book made me uncomfortable, possibly because as an adult reading at children's book, Carolina's poor decisions and the bad situations into which she is placed frightened me. Maybe it was a less dangerous world then, but a 10-year-old child traveling alone, staying with people she's never met before, jumping a ride in a train--just scary.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a random book I grabbed off the library shelf one day. It's about a girl from the mountains in Western NC who runs away when her grandmother (who she lives with) is hospitalized and the state comes in to place her in foster care. It's meant to be juvenile fiction, but I think the writing is a little beyond that in some places. Since we are headed to the mountains this weekend, about to the same spot as the setting for this book, I was a little excited about that. Really I think the book was the author's attempt to preserve and share some of the special things that are particular to that region of the country-- the culture, the heritage, the way of thinking, the scenery. It got a little slow in parts, but it was pretty good.

[Kristen Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After tragedy strikes, Carolina is left to foster families that scare and neglect her. She runs away hoping to find home. She is miraculously guided to the Harmony family, where they take her in and help heal her broken heart, yet Carolina is afraid to tell them the truth of her past. However someone comes along and, through malicious and deceiving behavior, they carelessly try to take it all away.

Carolina has a sad story but while some of the people she meets along her adventures are terrible others are wonderful, and good. Truly this is an inspiring story that makes the word family more meaningful. I’d give it three and half stars.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, set in a bucolic early 60's North Carolina mountain, would be a good read for little girls who loved Little House books but have outgrown them. It's slow and leisurely, but there are exciting plot points. Some have said the ending is far fetched, and it is a bit, but it's satisfying for a gentle read book.

My only question was geographical. How far apart WERE all these places. It seemed sometimes Carolina could run somewhere, other times they were in the car for hours. Everyone knew everyone else, but how far apart WERE all the places? Actually now as I'm typing this, I realize that really bugs me! :-)

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written story of a young girl who's parents and baby brother died in an accident. She's been living with her "Auntie Shen," her father's adoptive mother. However, when her beloved Auntie Shen has a stroke and is hospitalized for a long while, Carolina finds herself in strange territory: foster-homes, none of which work out well. Carolina runs away and eventually ends up at the Harmony Farm and feels she has finally come home. But will it last?

Beautifully written, but done in such a way that no child is going to stick with it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book which makes it such a pleasure to read. Carolina grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. After her mother, father and little brother die in a car accident she goes to live with her grandmother. that is working out well until her grandmother has a stroke. The police insist on taking her away and here begins her search for a home and her learning so much about herself, relationships and truth.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Carolina but grew impatient with this slowly developing story line. Characters were well developed but I kept getting bogged down in the author's descriptive narrative. There also was a bit too much plot contrivance for me when people from Carolina's past kept popping up unexpectedly . I was relieved when I finally got to the end. That could be because I'm sitting her staring at a copy of The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan and can't wait to start it!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just read the advance copy of this and I liked it, but I felt it was too familiar. It reminded me a lot of pictures of Hollis Woods and another book I just can't put my finger on now. The characters of Miss Latah and Mr. Ray were interesting and I wish more time was spent on their back story. I liked Carolina, but thought she was too passive too much of the time.

[Charlou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1964, this book has more of a sense of place (Blue Ridge Mountains) than time and some interesting characters. Carolina is orphaned, goes to live with a grandmother who becomes ill, runs away from foster homes, and finds her own new family. It was uneven, a little too long and confusing in places.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out with such promise. Orphaned child who is living with the elderly woman who raised her dad in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1964. Wonderful flashbacks to when her family was still alive, then.....it just kind of limped along through the middle and, I sadly admit, I just flipped to the end to see how it came out. Could have been so much more.

[MaryLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this youth fiction story about a young girl facing tremendous challenges in the rural south in 1964. It has a nice balance of mean people and nice people. I get tired of books that are too heavy on the bad people in order to be "meaningful.' But I also get tired of books that are too sweet because they only have nice people.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Something just didn't line up for me with this one. I might recommend it for people looking for a family story with a strong thread of Christian faith (angels and God) running through, but not so much for me. At least the ending was happier than Olive Kittridge!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carolina is a likeable character trying to a find a home and family. I didn't find the storytelling completely believable and at times felt like things were dragging. I'm not sure how popular this will be with my students.

[Andrealitchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story, definitely going onto the "grandchildren library shelf" once I get a copy. The author evokes the world of Appalachia in exquisite detail, and Carolina is a wonderful child who learns some tough lessons as she grows. For 8 and up.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written book, with an engaging character and setting. I thought it bogged down a bit and would have benefitted from tighter editing. Still worthwhile.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too dark. Don't think I would recommend this to kids coming in to the library.

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

After running away from her foster family, 10-year-old Carolina spends the summer of 1964 at a peaceful farm in the Appalachian mountains and learns what it means to truly belong.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

AFter her beloved parents and younger sibling are killed, a young girl runs away to find a place in the world where she belongs.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegiac and pastoral, CAROLINA HARMONY is a story of a girl, a place, a time - and also a testament to the human need for a home. Lovely.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of an orphaned girl living in South Carolina, but felt like the end was wrapped up too neatly.

[Georgene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly good story, but the ending wrapped things up too quickly to be believable.

[Dest]

Mock Newbery 2010