On Viney's Mountain

On Viney's Mountain
by Joan Donaldson
Historical Fiction
227 pages
New York : Holiday House, 2009

There couldn't be two sisters more different than Lizzie and Viney! Lizzie, the oldest by a year, is well aware of her feminine charms and uses them to their utmost advantage. She is not afraid of work, but desires a man of money to take her away from their rustic and primitive mountain home. On the other hand, Viney loves the Cumberland mountains with every fiber of her being. She is a weaver and loves to create beautiful things with her hands. She too is a hard worker, but has no desire to settle down and be subservient to any man. Their lives are turned upside-down when a group of wealthy Englishmen choose their mountain to build a near-Utopian society upon. Young gentleman are sent to clear the land, build a town, and learn farming. Lizzie sees this as a fabulous opportunity to meet her dream man whereas it is nothing but a nightmare to Viney.
A wonderful historical fiction novel for pre-teen girls and older. The characters have depth and personality so as you read you can feel everything they feel, from the depths of anger to the heights of love and everything in-between.

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