Sitting in a jail cell, uncertain of his innocence, Hume Rankin finds himself lost and a long way from home as he recalls dismissing the blind old negro woman's warning and is haunted by the possibility that he may have played a part in how own demise.
Tim Swink's debut novel, Curing Time, is an engrossing historically based tale of tobacco farmer Hume Rankin's journey through the trials of possibly losing his land and ultimately himself in rural North Carolina in the late 1950s. Swink digs deep into Hume's life as he dangles by a thread that unravels with each blow. Swink is a master at creating a believable struggle within his protagonist as his circumstances threaten to alienate him from his family, friends, and even his beliefs, as he is tempted to turn to other-worldly methods to solve his problems. As Hume is accused of a murder and lands himself in jail, readers will find themselves despairing for Hume while rooting for him to cure himself in this absorbing Southern page-turner they won't be able to put down. A must-read for anyone who has ever touched a leaf!
This started out a little slow,but when I got into it, I couldn't put it down. A great read that will really make you think. The only thing that I had an issue with was the dates he used for the hurricane Hazel. It did not take place in 1958 or 59 but in 1954.
I read a book about growing and harvesting tobacco and the importance of mother nature’s timing of sun and water. Giving your blood and soul to the family land and losing it to swindlers is agonizing and the death of the culprit creates chaos.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of this story of a share cropper and his family, their downward spiral at the hands of neighbors, dishonest bankers and the weather.