Holly Creek

by Teresa Hawkins Mullins, Jim Scott Mullins

In the 1940s, young Lexie Garrison and her father travel from Montana to her late mother’s ancestral home deep in the mountains of far southwest Virginia. There the path of their lives takes a surprising turn. The isolated coal mining town of Holly Creek, and the hard-working, resilient people of the region, open up a whole new world of experiences for the Garrisons. When unexpected events lead to a longer stay than anticipated, they learn that even in times of great change, struggles and sorrow, the land still yields an abundance of life, love and hope.

317 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2022

Reviews

[Summer McFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers the hardships and goodwill of Southwest Virginia perfectly. Holly Creek is beautifully written, wholesome, and a total tear jerker.

At first, I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of characters we are introduced to. But their backgrounds and descriptions are really well done- you can’t help but feel a connection to them. I mean… I cried MULTIPLE times over characters, I laughed, and I felt like I knew them…Each character is so important to the story. It just builds this sense of community which is important to the book and helps everything tie together so well. In SWVA, everyone knows everyone, and everyone helps everyone no matter how wild they may be. This book handled that beautifully.

Reading this felt like listening to my family members tell stories about SWVA, the good and the bad, the coal mines, and their families. Personally, it felt cozy to read and made me think of and miss home. I can’t recommend this enough. It’s available with Kindle Unlimited!!!!

Thank you, Jessica, for recommending this to me. I’ll be gifting copies to relatives for sure ❤️

[Gabe Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely a great book. I’m biased because I grew up in the town it’s based on, but the authors really captured the aesthetic and culture of the area. And it celebrates Appalachian values in such a genuine way. I love seeing our home celebrated, which is something Appalachian doesn’t experience often.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story of Southwest Virginia

I so enjoyed reading this story located in the area where I grew up. I loved getting to know the characters and they were very accurately portrayed. A story of love, family, coal mining, and murder. I highly recommend this book

[Danille · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a mutual friend of the authors. I was thrilled with the writing style. I started and finished in one sitting. I laughed, I cried I could imagine the setting of the story. What a great story!

[Koen Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for anyone looking for an Appalachian adventure! The plot twists, romance, and christian values of this book sold it for me! Growing up in the area where the book takes place, it is truly amazing looking at places that I can recognize and have been around my whole life.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! If there's a "Hometown" genre, this book fits the bill! This is an accurate, entertaining portrayal of life in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains during the 1940s.

[Barbara Wilbur · Rating 2 out of 5]

July 2023 Book Club feel like it took 90 percent of the book for something to happen! Way too many characters. As soon as I got invested in someone or a situation the perspective changed to someone else.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed. I cried. I didn’t want it to end.