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The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner
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441 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Andrea Smith
2 books53 followersAndrea Smith has received fellowships from the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center and The New York Council on the Arts. She was born and raised in Brooklyn and now lives in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
December 5, 2007
If you want to see genuine sisterhood in action(with some playa hating on the side), then this is the book for you. You have this lady who wants babies, and her husband doesn't. He finds an abandoned baby which just hurts her to the core. In a community meeting to deal with the problem, she makes a statement to bring the unwanted babies her way, and that's what start up the network of little babies that end up her way and go to homes that truly want a baby. Of course, things go well for a bit, but of course, something always comes along and spoils the brew. Great read and highly recommended.
August 29, 2024
Bonnie And Thora
I approached Andrea Smith's "The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner" (2007) thinking it would be a sentimental novel not to my liking, but I found the book endearing. The story is set in a predominantly African American three-county community in South Carolina called the Three Sisters and in a town in the community, Canaan Creek. The community is poor, close-knit and centered around the church. Smith's book focuses upon the lifelong friendship between two women, Bonnie Wilder and Thora Dean. The time of the story alternates between the mid-1950's and the mid-1980's.
The book takes time to unfold. It opens in 1985 when Bonnie receives a mysterious letter from a young, pregnant married woman, Augusta, who wants Bonnie to tell her about her birth mother. Bonnie is reluctant to respond to the young woman or to revisit this area of both their lives. The book juxtaposes the relationship between Bonnie and Augusta with events in the Three Sisters area in the 1950's, when the events leading to the relationship began.
In the 1950's Bonnie had been married for some years to Naz. For some years, the marriage had been happy. Naz had been a pitcher in Negro baseball with a promising future before he suffered a career-ending injury. Naz missed baseball, but Bonnie missed the inability she and Naz had of having a child even more. On a summer day, Naz and his friends find a dead baby abandoned in the waters of Canaan Creek. This sad, mysterious event ultimately spearheads Bonnie and a small group of women to found a group called "The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner" which, outside established legal channels, places abandoned babies and children in homes where they are wanted. Bonnie's marriage comes apart when she learns that Naz has been having an affair with a woman named Lucinda in a community about an hour's drive away.
The novels portrays the tensions and friendships among women in the South Carolina community. The Sisterhood's project, which gives Bonnie, Thora, and several other women an activity that brings renewed meaning to their lives is at the center, but the church, schools, farms, restaurants, and activities of the community are portrayed as well. The book does not have a polemical tone as the male characters are portrayed kindly and with understanding. Bonnie is portrayed sympathetically, with her ambitions and her mistakes, as is Bonnie's eccentric, tough, and flamboyant friend, Thora. I became involved with their lives and cheered for them.
The book tells a simple, unpretentious story. It flows smoothly and picks up momentum after a slow beginning. I read the book in a group that focuses on Black literature and would not have found it otherwise. The novel taught me about places and communities that I haven't known directly. I liked reading Andrea Smith's little book, expanding my horizons, and getting to know this small African American community.
Robin Friedman
I approached Andrea Smith's "The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner" (2007) thinking it would be a sentimental novel not to my liking, but I found the book endearing. The story is set in a predominantly African American three-county community in South Carolina called the Three Sisters and in a town in the community, Canaan Creek. The community is poor, close-knit and centered around the church. Smith's book focuses upon the lifelong friendship between two women, Bonnie Wilder and Thora Dean. The time of the story alternates between the mid-1950's and the mid-1980's.
The book takes time to unfold. It opens in 1985 when Bonnie receives a mysterious letter from a young, pregnant married woman, Augusta, who wants Bonnie to tell her about her birth mother. Bonnie is reluctant to respond to the young woman or to revisit this area of both their lives. The book juxtaposes the relationship between Bonnie and Augusta with events in the Three Sisters area in the 1950's, when the events leading to the relationship began.
In the 1950's Bonnie had been married for some years to Naz. For some years, the marriage had been happy. Naz had been a pitcher in Negro baseball with a promising future before he suffered a career-ending injury. Naz missed baseball, but Bonnie missed the inability she and Naz had of having a child even more. On a summer day, Naz and his friends find a dead baby abandoned in the waters of Canaan Creek. This sad, mysterious event ultimately spearheads Bonnie and a small group of women to found a group called "The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner" which, outside established legal channels, places abandoned babies and children in homes where they are wanted. Bonnie's marriage comes apart when she learns that Naz has been having an affair with a woman named Lucinda in a community about an hour's drive away.
The novels portrays the tensions and friendships among women in the South Carolina community. The Sisterhood's project, which gives Bonnie, Thora, and several other women an activity that brings renewed meaning to their lives is at the center, but the church, schools, farms, restaurants, and activities of the community are portrayed as well. The book does not have a polemical tone as the male characters are portrayed kindly and with understanding. Bonnie is portrayed sympathetically, with her ambitions and her mistakes, as is Bonnie's eccentric, tough, and flamboyant friend, Thora. I became involved with their lives and cheered for them.
The book tells a simple, unpretentious story. It flows smoothly and picks up momentum after a slow beginning. I read the book in a group that focuses on Black literature and would not have found it otherwise. The novel taught me about places and communities that I haven't known directly. I liked reading Andrea Smith's little book, expanding my horizons, and getting to know this small African American community.
Robin Friedman
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2024
This was such a good book! An emotional rollercoaster. Disgust, anger, pride, and joy. Loved the way the author wrote the characters, each one was their own person. Appreciated the epilogue and how the story was tied up in the end. Thora was my favorite as well as Ruby-Pearl and Bonnie. Tilde was a nuisance and envy spilled out of every orifice of her body. She was just awful. And because of her actions the Sister of BlackBerry Corner found themselves in detrimental circumstances. As the story unfolds it gets wilder and wilder. Some of the twists you won’t even see coming!
May 28, 2013
'The Sisterhood Of Blackberry Corner' is set in South Carolina, America's Deep South, and is written with Southern dialogue and idioms. The story is about the African-American community of Canaan Creek in the 1950s.
Bonnie Wilder tells her story, sitting on her porch in 1985, and looking back at the year of 1957-58. Bonnie's story interested and horrified me, because Bonnie's community is all African American, there was no integration and a great deal of racism, but it is part of Bonnie's life and she accepts it.
The book isn't about racism or fighting for equal rights though, it's a satisfying story about Bonnie and her friends' lives, their friendships and their great adventure. The story begins when a letter arrives for Bonnie. Dear Miss Wilder, it says 'I'm hoping to find out who my real mother is.' What a shock for Bonnie and her closest friend, Thora Dean, for this from one of those unwanted babies they found loving homes for back in '57-'58. The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner came into being after Bonnie's husband, Naz, found a dead baby in the local creek and quiet Bonnie was provoked into speech at the town meeting. She hated the vindictive attitude towards the mother and wanted to help mothers with unwanted children. '...bring the child to me.' she said and they were. Each baby fond a home and happiness. Members of the sisterhood, like devastated widow, Ruby-Pearl, found a new meaning to life and then it all came tumbling down.
This is an American read by an African American for African Americans. But the book is worth reading by anyone who does not know what racism in the USA was like, especially as the book is not a rant against racism but simply a description of how it was. For non-Americans it's an eye opener as well as a fascinating story.
October 4, 2020
A truly down-to-read story about life, friendship, God's graces, marriage, & lessons learned. I thought that this was about religion but it's a funny story about people seeing the issues in this world & trying to make a difference for others. Just like in any story you truly enjoy, sometimes there's this one character you may want to give a piece of your mind to. My character was Tildy; know it all but don't know anything.
Five women trying to save lost children by finding a family who will love them unconditionally, find themselves blessing many but forgetting about the legality of their decisions. A good book that will have you laughing at the shenanigans & conversations throughout the book.
Five women trying to save lost children by finding a family who will love them unconditionally, find themselves blessing many but forgetting about the legality of their decisions. A good book that will have you laughing at the shenanigans & conversations throughout the book.
March 11, 2018
Slow read in the beginning but after chapter 3 it was on.
Poor Ruby Pearl my heart went out to her 🙏🏾😰😰.
I hated Tilde from the beginning.
Thora had me laughing she’s such a good friend.
Bonnie was my favorite 🤗🤗🤗🤗 she received abandon children 👶🏻 and blessed people with babies. She even went to jail for what she believed in. Her husband had me shaking my head more than once I’m so glad she had the power 🔋🔋🔋to leave. Baby 👶🏻 Wynn and Noah grew up to be good men I thought they were going to be gone forever.
This book 📖, made me feel blessed that I could have kids 🧒 and sad 😢 for those who cannot. Overall good hearted book 📚 that’ll have you crying, cussing, happy, then crying again.
Poor Ruby Pearl my heart went out to her 🙏🏾😰😰.
I hated Tilde from the beginning.
Thora had me laughing she’s such a good friend.
Bonnie was my favorite 🤗🤗🤗🤗 she received abandon children 👶🏻 and blessed people with babies. She even went to jail for what she believed in. Her husband had me shaking my head more than once I’m so glad she had the power 🔋🔋🔋to leave. Baby 👶🏻 Wynn and Noah grew up to be good men I thought they were going to be gone forever.
This book 📖, made me feel blessed that I could have kids 🧒 and sad 😢 for those who cannot. Overall good hearted book 📚 that’ll have you crying, cussing, happy, then crying again.
September 22, 2017
Such a excellent read! Ups, downs, turn around... Life! The camaraderie of the ladies and the love of true friendship... endearing. I couldn't put the book down and enjoyed every character, feeling and emotion. I felt like I was apart of the book, sitting in the corner of Bonnie's house. Great read!
September 2, 2017
Unexpected goodness. I've read Andrea Smith before but I still wasn't prepared for my heart to open and swallow this story whole.
In their senior years, Bonnie and her best friend Thora live together in Canaan Creek, SC. Bonnie is sweet and caring, while Thora is a bit of a spitfire. The book delves into their lives as young women, married and living somewhat social lives in their small town where everybody knows everybody. Their tight knit community is upended when a dead baby is found in a local creek. No one understands why someone would kill a baby, or who could do such a thing. Soon Bonnie figures out why and how it could happen, and makes it her life mission to lead a circle of women who will do what they can to prevent it from ever happening again.
Filled with love and laughter, this book shines a light on the difficulties of motherhood and marriage, and the friendships that help heal all wounds. It also shines a light on the workings of social clubs and auxiliary organizations and how they helped sustain many Black communities in the early and mid 1900s.
Overall, this novel was a testament to the sacrifices that many Black women make to protect family life, and how magic happens when they band together for the greater good.
This novel is like sipping on cold lemonade on a hot summer evening, on your grandma's veranda, surrounded by your favorite cousins catching fireflies. So heartwarming. I which Andrea Smith would write more historical fiction. Her stories make my heart smile.
In their senior years, Bonnie and her best friend Thora live together in Canaan Creek, SC. Bonnie is sweet and caring, while Thora is a bit of a spitfire. The book delves into their lives as young women, married and living somewhat social lives in their small town where everybody knows everybody. Their tight knit community is upended when a dead baby is found in a local creek. No one understands why someone would kill a baby, or who could do such a thing. Soon Bonnie figures out why and how it could happen, and makes it her life mission to lead a circle of women who will do what they can to prevent it from ever happening again.
Filled with love and laughter, this book shines a light on the difficulties of motherhood and marriage, and the friendships that help heal all wounds. It also shines a light on the workings of social clubs and auxiliary organizations and how they helped sustain many Black communities in the early and mid 1900s.
Overall, this novel was a testament to the sacrifices that many Black women make to protect family life, and how magic happens when they band together for the greater good.
This novel is like sipping on cold lemonade on a hot summer evening, on your grandma's veranda, surrounded by your favorite cousins catching fireflies. So heartwarming. I which Andrea Smith would write more historical fiction. Her stories make my heart smile.
July 26, 2020
This book was a pleasant surprise. The book cover art and synopsis lead me to believe this was going to be the stereotypical story about the church gossips, messy pastor and "chatty"congregation filled with drama and scandals.
This story was actual about a typical church ladies society that "partially" morphed into a loving sisterhood of compassionate women trying to do the right thing for the community, (primarily the young women of the community) and surrounding counties.
After a deceased baby is found in the lake, a group of women are determined to become vigilantes by providing a safe house for "unwanted" babies to be given to loving homes under the cloak of secrecy.
While the premise of the sisterhood is honorable, it is illegal and this is where all the drama begins.
Charming story with an decent plot and semi-predicable ending that will warm your heart and soul.
This story was actual about a typical church ladies society that "partially" morphed into a loving sisterhood of compassionate women trying to do the right thing for the community, (primarily the young women of the community) and surrounding counties.
After a deceased baby is found in the lake, a group of women are determined to become vigilantes by providing a safe house for "unwanted" babies to be given to loving homes under the cloak of secrecy.
While the premise of the sisterhood is honorable, it is illegal and this is where all the drama begins.
Charming story with an decent plot and semi-predicable ending that will warm your heart and soul.
May 28, 2020
Good book. It looks at different kinds of love, trust, good coming out of evil, whether there's a higher law than the laws on the books. Satisfying ending.
April 6, 2022
This was a beautiful , heart-warming, well written story about love, loss, friendship and community. I really enjoyed this book.
March 29, 2024
This book spoke to my heart. Loved it!
February 21, 2008
From Booklist
In a small black town in South Carolina in the 1950s, Bonnie Wilder is happily married to Nazareth but longs for a child. When her husband and his fishing buddies come upon a dead baby in a nearby river, shy Bonnie stands up at a community meeting and speaks up for the possible anguish of the mother. Surely there needed to be outlets for women who didn't want or couldn't raise their children. Soon she becomes the recipient of abandoned babies left on her doorstep. But Naz won't hear of raising another man's child, so Bonnie and a few friends, most prominently her brash girlhood friend Thora, develop a secret network to match abandoned babies with childless families. The women enjoy their surreptitious and blessed work even as the sheriff issues warnings. Thirty years later, an adopted woman--now married and pregnant with her first child--wants to know about her mother, and Bonnie is forced to recall the personal cost she paid for her mission. Smith's deftly drawn characters exude the warmth and intimacy of a small town. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Canaan Creek, South Carolina, in the 1950s is a tiny town where the close-knit African-American community is united by long-term friendships and church ties. Bonnie Wilder has lived here, on Blackberry Corner, all her life, and would be content but for her deep desire to have a child. She and her husband Naz cannot conceive, and he refuses to adopt. Even the support of her outrageous best friend Thora—to whom Bonnie tells everything—can’t help fill the emptiness inside her.
Then Naz finds a blanketed infant on the banks of Canaan Creek, and suddenly Bonnie’s life is transformed. She has found her calling. Together with Thora and the rest of the hilarious, tough, and all-too-human women from her church group, Bonnie creates an underground railroad for unwanted babies. But one of these precious gifts will come back to haunt her: a deception begun in good faith comes full circle, ultimately forcing Bonnie to find the courage to confront a difficult truth at the center of her own life.
Filled with compassion, humor, and tenacity in the face of almost insurmountable odds, here is a rich, inspiring tale of friendship and family, sisterhood and mother love…and of finding grace where you least expect it.
From the Hardcover edition.
In a small black town in South Carolina in the 1950s, Bonnie Wilder is happily married to Nazareth but longs for a child. When her husband and his fishing buddies come upon a dead baby in a nearby river, shy Bonnie stands up at a community meeting and speaks up for the possible anguish of the mother. Surely there needed to be outlets for women who didn't want or couldn't raise their children. Soon she becomes the recipient of abandoned babies left on her doorstep. But Naz won't hear of raising another man's child, so Bonnie and a few friends, most prominently her brash girlhood friend Thora, develop a secret network to match abandoned babies with childless families. The women enjoy their surreptitious and blessed work even as the sheriff issues warnings. Thirty years later, an adopted woman--now married and pregnant with her first child--wants to know about her mother, and Bonnie is forced to recall the personal cost she paid for her mission. Smith's deftly drawn characters exude the warmth and intimacy of a small town. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Canaan Creek, South Carolina, in the 1950s is a tiny town where the close-knit African-American community is united by long-term friendships and church ties. Bonnie Wilder has lived here, on Blackberry Corner, all her life, and would be content but for her deep desire to have a child. She and her husband Naz cannot conceive, and he refuses to adopt. Even the support of her outrageous best friend Thora—to whom Bonnie tells everything—can’t help fill the emptiness inside her.
Then Naz finds a blanketed infant on the banks of Canaan Creek, and suddenly Bonnie’s life is transformed. She has found her calling. Together with Thora and the rest of the hilarious, tough, and all-too-human women from her church group, Bonnie creates an underground railroad for unwanted babies. But one of these precious gifts will come back to haunt her: a deception begun in good faith comes full circle, ultimately forcing Bonnie to find the courage to confront a difficult truth at the center of her own life.
Filled with compassion, humor, and tenacity in the face of almost insurmountable odds, here is a rich, inspiring tale of friendship and family, sisterhood and mother love…and of finding grace where you least expect it.
From the Hardcover edition.
February 11, 2018
The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner is a beautiful story, well told.
Bonnie Wilder is desperate to have a child but biology and fate haven’t smiled upon her. Her macho husband Naz won’t agree to adopt and his refusal unfolds to a sad and ironic revelation. Meanwhile, her ride-or-die lifelong friend Thora saves Bonnie’s life in a major way neither of them could’ve predicted.
Author Andrea Smith spins here an engaging tale that includes both 1950s South Carolina cultural history and some light mystery. She also demonstrates an excellent ability to depict a Southern Black dialect. Through her writing you can almost hear the characters talking and their speech doesn’t seem forced or corny.
If you aren’t crying by The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner’s ending you might consider whether you’re suffering from a heart defect. It’s a wonderful book and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Bonnie Wilder is desperate to have a child but biology and fate haven’t smiled upon her. Her macho husband Naz won’t agree to adopt and his refusal unfolds to a sad and ironic revelation. Meanwhile, her ride-or-die lifelong friend Thora saves Bonnie’s life in a major way neither of them could’ve predicted.
Author Andrea Smith spins here an engaging tale that includes both 1950s South Carolina cultural history and some light mystery. She also demonstrates an excellent ability to depict a Southern Black dialect. Through her writing you can almost hear the characters talking and their speech doesn’t seem forced or corny.
If you aren’t crying by The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner’s ending you might consider whether you’re suffering from a heart defect. It’s a wonderful book and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
March 22, 2022
Next Book Club Meeting Thursday March 28th @ 8:30pm
Shari pick
This was a Fantastic and also an Excellent Book. I gave it 5 stars.
Shari pick
This was a Fantastic and also an Excellent Book. I gave it 5 stars.
October 24, 2017
Well-written and true to the time frame.
Three stars because I'm biased heavily against cheating men, and against adoption fantasies... I think I've seen too much for this story to have been believable for me. I'd imagine someone as vehemently anti-choice and anti-birth control (and who was intentionally a single mother) as my mother was might have adored this book and agreed with the moral overtones, but to me it seemed like a parable about how every life is precious and every baby can easily find a loving adoptive family if religious people are in charge...
If the characters had had more depth or had changed at all during the story I might've had some emotional tie to it, but as it was, the wittiness of the writing did give me a few laugh out loud moments, but that was about it. It just made me sad that none of the main male characters in the story had any backbone, and all of the women (and men) were unable to change or grow from what happened in their lives (except one, and not the main character).
Three stars because I'm biased heavily against cheating men, and against adoption fantasies... I think I've seen too much for this story to have been believable for me. I'd imagine someone as vehemently anti-choice and anti-birth control (and who was intentionally a single mother) as my mother was might have adored this book and agreed with the moral overtones, but to me it seemed like a parable about how every life is precious and every baby can easily find a loving adoptive family if religious people are in charge...
If the characters had had more depth or had changed at all during the story I might've had some emotional tie to it, but as it was, the wittiness of the writing did give me a few laugh out loud moments, but that was about it. It just made me sad that none of the main male characters in the story had any backbone, and all of the women (and men) were unable to change or grow from what happened in their lives (except one, and not the main character).
February 24, 2015
I struggled with the rating of 4 or 5 stars only because the story took a tad bit long to build...but when it did, we were off to the races! I loved the story. I experienced a range of emotions as I read. In the beginning I thought Naz a stand up guy; he is a buster! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Thora Dean, she had me in stitches the entire time. Tilde, I wanted to beat her like a thug in the street. Lucinda reminds me of some women today, smh, just ugh! This was a bittersweet story mixed with love, sisterhood, abuse, and frustration. As I read, there were two distinct stories going on and they both ceneterd around creating a village and dealing with the things that hold us captive. I cried at the relationship between Thora Dean and Bonnie WIlder. I believe this can be possible today. It was so powerful and moving. This story challenged me to be a better sistergirl to my friends to protect the village. I love Andrea Smith's writing, she is amazing.
April 16, 2015
This was such a great read to me. It made me laugh, smile and cry. The story is of a group of women from the same town but with different backgrounds working together to help others. These ladies felt they were changing children's lives for the better. At the heart of The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner, is Bonnie and Thora, I truly loved the friendship these two had and really believe this is the type of friendship that we all want. I relate more to Bonnie, she was on the quiet side, her roots are important, family is important and she put others first. She had so many ups and downs in her life but nothing but God saw her through. This is one that will go on the self for me to read again
July 20, 2018
Heart-Warming Read
Some of the reviewers of this book made it sound like it was "Christian literature." For those readers, who shy away from books that testify to the author's faith, please be reassured that The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner is not at all that kind of book. It is a heart-warming read about how women can nurture one another, how life can throw you a curve ball, and how you can be brave and rise above life's challenges. I could really picture this book becoming a movie. Yes, it would be a chick flick, but a darn good one.
Some of the reviewers of this book made it sound like it was "Christian literature." For those readers, who shy away from books that testify to the author's faith, please be reassured that The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner is not at all that kind of book. It is a heart-warming read about how women can nurture one another, how life can throw you a curve ball, and how you can be brave and rise above life's challenges. I could really picture this book becoming a movie. Yes, it would be a chick flick, but a darn good one.
August 20, 2017
Starts off like a little snowball rolling down a mountain
I was initially thrown off by the country speaking, and had to really focus and wade through the story. But once the storyline picked up, this book became a page turner! I came to love the growth of the characters and their respective journeys.
No spoilers for you, but I assure you, perspective reader, that you will enjoy this story!
I was initially thrown off by the country speaking, and had to really focus and wade through the story. But once the storyline picked up, this book became a page turner! I came to love the growth of the characters and their respective journeys.
No spoilers for you, but I assure you, perspective reader, that you will enjoy this story!
August 25, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! It it the epitome of sisterhood and friendships among women. It started out slow.....too slow (that would be my only complaint but once it picked up I couldnt put it down. I was drawn in by Bonnie's character because her heart was pure but was looked at as WRONG....I can relate to her. My favorite character was that of none other than Thora Dean. She is Bonnie's bestfriend, her ride or die....she reminds me of my bestfriend. Wonderful story! I loved it!
July 31, 2020
Enjoyed the book. I listened to the audio version and the reader did a great job with the different character voices.
This story is a wonderful story of community, friendship, ladies chatter, birth, and lost. The story opens with finding an infant floating. In light of this tragedy, Bonnie (Shero) decides to become the community placement agency.
The story provides the reader and listener different twists and turns that will have your jaw dropping and yelling at the different characters.
This story is a wonderful story of community, friendship, ladies chatter, birth, and lost. The story opens with finding an infant floating. In light of this tragedy, Bonnie (Shero) decides to become the community placement agency.
The story provides the reader and listener different twists and turns that will have your jaw dropping and yelling at the different characters.
August 6, 2013
This book was really good. I really enjoyed it. There were parts in the book that had you laughing out loud, angry and to tears. I love a book that can bring out all of your emotions. Didn't want it to end and still thinking about it several days later.
December 29, 2017
Warm, refreshing story
I read this book in one sitting and growled at anyone that tried to disturb me. I liked the strength between friends, the different views on the adoption system and how one woman faced her fears. Definitely worth reading.
I read this book in one sitting and growled at anyone that tried to disturb me. I liked the strength between friends, the different views on the adoption system and how one woman faced her fears. Definitely worth reading.
January 13, 2018
Charming, with compelling characters, a few twists and turns, centered around a painful topic.
January 14, 2018
This is a well written and interesting book. It is set in a time and place different than what I have known, but the story is full of intrigue and held my interest.
January 18, 2019
I had my doubts about the writing from the beginning of this book, and they never truly went away. The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner is a fairly light, feel-good kind of book, despite focusing on the presence and desirability of babies in a woman's life. It centers a rock-solid female friendship, between two strong and very different women. Other members of the town become dedicated, lovable allies in Bonnie's quest to prevent any baby being killed because it's unwanted.
But I wouldn't recommend this book. The writing isn't bad, but I can't say it's good either. Smith never blew me away; instead, her characters and scenery felt lacking. The diverse members of this town don't feel incredibly unique--I was reminded of The Help, personality-wise, aside from the characters in that book being predominantly white. I certainly giggled a couple times, near the end, at Bonnie and Thora's bickering, and I liked some of the messages they espoused, but I'm sure there are better books out there with a similarly light-weight feel.
But I wouldn't recommend this book. The writing isn't bad, but I can't say it's good either. Smith never blew me away; instead, her characters and scenery felt lacking. The diverse members of this town don't feel incredibly unique--I was reminded of The Help, personality-wise, aside from the characters in that book being predominantly white. I certainly giggled a couple times, near the end, at Bonnie and Thora's bickering, and I liked some of the messages they espoused, but I'm sure there are better books out there with a similarly light-weight feel.
August 4, 2018
Canaan Creek was a place where nearly everyone knew everybody. However on a normal day something happened that changed the life of Bonnie and Naz Wilder forever. A baby was found. Bonnie being the caring soul that she was wanted a child but God had not blessed her with one. The circumstances that surrounded the child left and her wanting to help another mother if she ever got the chance were strong.
Her and her BFF Thora kept many a secret over the years. Follow them as they and some sister friends help other women and families with difficult choices and decisions. Share the journey as heartache and pain on many levels stomp through their lives. Then watch as a long buried secret come back around and give peace and to a young mother whose life is intricately connected to a baby found in a river over 40 years earlier..
Great read by this author but I cried as this story touched my heart and soul in places I have hidden within my own heart because of secrets.
Ms. Smith, I hope you will write many more stories..Thank you
Her and her BFF Thora kept many a secret over the years. Follow them as they and some sister friends help other women and families with difficult choices and decisions. Share the journey as heartache and pain on many levels stomp through their lives. Then watch as a long buried secret come back around and give peace and to a young mother whose life is intricately connected to a baby found in a river over 40 years earlier..
Great read by this author but I cried as this story touched my heart and soul in places I have hidden within my own heart because of secrets.
Ms. Smith, I hope you will write many more stories..Thank you
May 19, 2019
The best in storytelling
This is one of those books that makes you want to curl up on the porch on a fine spring day to sip tea and just read, read, read. Reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston and Andrea Michele Bowen, this is an uplifting story of faith, love, betrayal, and resilience. I started reading this book on Friday night and was finished on Sunday afternoon. What did I love most? I loved that the story wasn't weighed down with explicit violence and sexuality in order to keep me as a reader interested. Ms. Smith's writing reminded me of some of my people in North Carolina (where I live), and I fell absolutely in love with them. As a writer who is still working on her first book, I pray that it turns out as well as this one. I hope to read much more from this author.
This is one of those books that makes you want to curl up on the porch on a fine spring day to sip tea and just read, read, read. Reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston and Andrea Michele Bowen, this is an uplifting story of faith, love, betrayal, and resilience. I started reading this book on Friday night and was finished on Sunday afternoon. What did I love most? I loved that the story wasn't weighed down with explicit violence and sexuality in order to keep me as a reader interested. Ms. Smith's writing reminded me of some of my people in North Carolina (where I live), and I fell absolutely in love with them. As a writer who is still working on her first book, I pray that it turns out as well as this one. I hope to read much more from this author.
August 31, 2019
I loved this story so much! There is a feeling that readers get when they've encountered a well written story...it warms the heart and it just makes you feel good. This was such a story and it makes it even more enjoyable when you genuinely like the main character. I won't do a synopsis because you can read the synopsis here on Goodreads. What I really loved were the twists and turns that I never saw coming. The characters were well rounded and it was about everyday people doing the best they could and living life. I love life stories. They are relatable because it's about the human experience and we all can relate to that. I don't give 5 stars often, but some books deserve nothing less. I've been very fortunate this year to have read several 5-star rated books. Excellent read...🤗
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