Thursday, February 14, 2013

Walt Larimore

Dear Readers,
I just finished Hazel Creek by Walt Larimore over the weekend.  Yes I know the book came out a bit ago and I always meant to read it, I just never got to it.  So I put it on my book club's list which forced me to read it.  Boy am I glad I did.  We will be discussing this book tonight so by the time you read this I will know if others in the group liked it or not.  (So far the ones I have talked to have loved it.)
Hazel CreekNate Randolph lives up in the mountains of North Carolina.  He has acres of virgin wood that the lumber company would love to get their hands on.  They will get it any way they can.  Legally or not.  Even if it means sneaking onto people's land and cutting down trees and dragging them off to be sold.   Nate stand firm while trying to raise his girls to be wonderful upstanding people.
While reading this book I kept thinking it reminded me of someone that I knew.  I finally put my finger on it.  They reminded me of the Waltons.  Each family member is a unique person and celebrated for that and accepted.  They squabble; they have differences and in the end love each other dearly.  Family comes first and yet even the neighbors are like family. 
The story is full of quirky and loveable characters; ones that make you just want to continue reading to see how they fit in the tapestry of the story.  They even had their very own Haint who protected the family and yet is a thing of myth.   Reading about the Smokey Mountains and some of the folk lore that goes with it was fun to do.  The book itself was a wonderful get away from the business of everyday life.  There is always time to sit a spell on the porch and visit. 
The story of the Randolphs continues in Sugar Fork which is already on the shelves also.   
Happy Reading

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