"Kick back with this tale of the choices and secrets of 5 southern Depression Era women."
Reviewed by Lynn Cunningham
Posted January 5, 2013
Paranormal Thriller
Meet the women connected with Black Mountain: Josie, Nellie,
Rose, Shelly, and Iona. They lived during what became known
as the Depression Era. These North Carolina women carried
the innocence that the majority of the female population of
that time period did. They didn't vote, usually worked
menial jobs if they worked at all, and took care of their
men. Sadly, the men of this era weren't always as loving as
they should have been toward their wives.
The one thing that all of these women have in common is a
man named Hobbs Pritchard. Hobbs, by most accounts, is a
mean sort of man but can also be charming when he's trying
to get something he wants. He's a man of many deep, dark,
and wicked secrets; secrets that could have him swinging
from a hanging tree if others could ever prove the truth of
them.
This tale opens with 17 year old Nellie meeting 26 year old
Hobbs in the church soup kitchen that she works in. Hobbs
seduces Nellie with his charm and sexy blue eyes. She
marries him within a couple of weeks and he takes her to his
family home on Black Mountain. That's where she learns the
truth about what her new husband is. She quickly discovers
that no one on the mountain likes Hobbs, but they all seem
to be pretty afraid of him as well as hate him.
Josie Clay is Nellie's mother. She tried so hard to talk
sense into her 17 year old daughter. It was clear to her
that Hobbs was no good. But Nellie was in love and she had
to follow her foolish heart. Josie's story is also told. Her
marriage wasn't as bad as Nellie's turned out to be, but it
wasn't great, either. She never actually made it to Black
Mountain but Nellie was her tie to it.
Rose was Hobbs' girlfriend. She had a rather different
relationship with Hobbs than Nellie did. In fact, Hobbs was
still seeing Rose even after he was married. She knew he was
bad but she loved him anyway.
Shelly was a 14 year old servant girl of the preacher of
Black Mountain. She met Nellie when she was hired to clean
up Hobbs' house where Nellie lived. Shelly liked Nellie and
tried to help her in as many ways as she could.
Iona had a very close connection to Nellie and Josie. It's
up on Black Mountain that she discovers the secrets that
change her life forever.
All of these women have The Sight and they carry on
discussions with the ghosts on and off of Black Mountain as
easily as if they were talking with humans. Those ghosts are
pretty forthcoming with needed information for the most part
and try their best to help guide these women at different
points in time.
The real story begins the day that Nellie makes a final and
horrific choice, changing the lives of everyone on Black
Mountain forever. You, as the reader, get to follow along
the path she creates by her choices.
I loved GHOST ON BLACK MOUNTAIN! It flowed together like
lemonade and cookies on a warm spring day. You'll love these
women and their strength. Author Ann Hite's writing places
you right in the middle of this long ago time period and
makes you feel right at home. You'll find yourself riveted
to your spot until you've read the very last page. Happily,
there's another book coming up from this one. Treat yourself
to GHOST ON BLACK MOUNTAIN. You'll be glad you did.
SUMMARY
Part ghost story, part powerful sweeping epic, Ghost on
Black Mountain is a powerful debut which launches a bright
new voice in Southern fiction.Meet the women of Black
Mountain and the one man that ties them all together… Nellie
Pritchard:I married Hobbs Pritchard without noticing he was
a spell conjured into a man—a walking, talking, ghost story.
He took me up Black Mountain and it was there I learned
sometimes good and bad get mixed together so well a person
can’t tell the difference until it’s too late. Rose
Gardner:I fell deeply in love with Hobbs as if some hoodoo
was put on me. Then Miss Nellie came into our lives and
changed everything. Josie Clay:Hobbs Pritchard was like a
spoiled potato at the bottom of the barrel. But my daughter
Nellie didn’t believe me. Something stunk to high heavens,
something rotten. Eventually I’d find out what it was…
Shelly Parker: I got me this gift—restless souls line up to
get my notice no matter what I’m doing. Daddy warned me not
to have nothing to do with the Pritchards. Some things in
life just can’t be avoided and getting mixed up with Nellie
was one of them. Mama told me the same bedtime story each
night. She told it with such detail I was sure Hobbs and
Nellie were real. But they were just characters in a tale
spun to keep me in line. They were my moral compass. Or so I
believed… Haunted and healed by ghosts of the past in
surprising and unexpected ways, the women of Black Mountain
experience their amazing journeys at the hands of talented
story weaver Ann Hite.
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