My friend Alison, of the Literary Atlanta podcast, gave me an uncorrected proof copy of a debut novel called Holding On To Nothing over lunch one day a few weeks ago. I was finally able to read it during my holiday break from work.

All I have to say is WOW. It grabbed me from page 1.

I don't know that I would exactly call this an Appalachian novel. As I was reading it I thought to myself that the themes in the book are just human nature and not necessarily Appalachian. The setting could have been anywhere; South Alabama, Texas, etc. It's just rural farming community living. I've even seen this in the city.

The storyline itself isn't that new either. One night stands, pregnancy, alcoholism, poverty, bar drinking, day drinking, music, and all the other themes that go with that.

I had even painted a picture in my mind of what this place looked like. When I went to Shelburne's website she's got a photo on it of some barns in the country and that is exactly the way I pictured it.

But what makes it special for me is Shelburne's lyrical way of writing these themes and making the characters so relatable that you want everything to work out. You know it won't, because this isn't a fairy tale, but you have no idea how it won't. You want Jeptha to quit drinking. You want Lucy to get that college degree. You begin rooting for these characters to buck the system and prove everyone wrong. But, just when you think it might happen..............

..........BOOM! Plot twist. I literally yelled a WTF! from the couch. My husband peered around his computer and asked if everything was ok.

No, it most certainly was not. I totally didn't see it coming.

But I'm not going to spoil it for you.

Just read the book. ( )

4.5 stars.

Holding On To Nothing by Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne is a raw and gritty novel about life in a small town in East Tennessee.

Lucy Kilgore has suffered the heartrending loss of her parents but her mom's best friend LouEllen Moss stepped in to raise her. The town is also very supportive of their golden girl as her plans to go to college are on the verge of coming to fruition. Lucy works two jobs in order to save up enough money to leave but an ill-advised, impulsive decision alters her future. Pregnant after drunken one-night stand with Jeptha Taylor, Lucy's dream of creating a family is within reach, but can she trust Jeptha to take care of her and their unborn baby?

Jeptha is a talented musician but he lives up to his reputation as a aimless drunk. His feelings for Lucy are well-known and he is hopeful their one-night stand will lead to a relationship. At first rebuffed by Lucy, Jeptha is surprised when she suggests they date. However, his low self-esteem and dysfunctional siblings cause self-doubts that sabotage his chance with Lucy.

After discovering Lucy's pregnancy, Jeptha leaps at the opportunity to stop drinking and prove to her that he is up to the challenge of providing a stable home for her and their baby. But Jeptha's sobriety is precarious and his reputation makes it virtually impossible to find a steady job. Nonetheless, Jeptha wins Lucy's heart but is their fragile relationship up to the challenges that await them?

Holding On To Nothing is a truly captivating novel that is heartbreaking yet hopeful. Jeptha and Lucy are beautifully rendered characters who breathtakingly life-like. Life in a small town is realistically portrayed and the residents are vividly drawn. A thought-provoking, poignant and sorrowful debut by Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne that will linger in readers' minds long after the last page is turned. ( )

This book. So many feelings. It was very honest about the ability of people to change and make the best or worst of their situations. I might read it again and that's not something I do very often. ( )