Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank tells the story of Lydia Hawkins and her attempt to understand the circumstances surrounding her mothers' imprisonment. Set in 1953 West Virginia, Shank unwinds her tale using an authentic Appalachian voice to describe the life of a poor mountain family and their trials with other community members, religious, and medical institutions.
Lydia Hawkins doesn't mind being poor. She is rich with her love of books and a tight-knit family. Her younger brother BJ, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, is accepted in to an all expense paid medical study in the hopes of finding a cure. But as BJ's condition worsens, Lydia pleads with her mother to bring him home. Earlier attempts to withdraw BJ from the study resulted in threats of legal action to reclaim medical expenses. So Lydia and her mother must technically kidnap him. Everyone understands why BJ should be at home with his family, but when it comes time to explain this to the judge, Lydia gets confused. As her dreams of reuniting with her mother slip further away, Lydia must learn to find the strength to fight for what is right.
The characters are endearing and there are several passages that are quite inspiring with their messages of strength, faith, and tolerance. However, we felt like the resolutions to the conflicts were too quickly settled and that perhaps the author didn't trust that either her main character or her readers would be interested in a bit more substance to the story.
Next Up: The Running Dream- June 22nd
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