I wrote this book, over the course of 12 years, so I am totally biased. ( )

My favorite book in at least a year. Got the recommendation from the "Southern Literature" group on Shelfari.com. I was misty-eyed through most of the book it touched me so much. And it's the first book in a long time I wrote some of Wildflower's quotes. Go out and get the book now and read it, especially if you like this type of literature. ( )

I was pretty blown away by how good this book is. I didn't read it with any expectations, hadn't heard anything about it really, so when I read it, I realized from page one that it is a a well written, powerful book.

As it begins, we learn that Louisa May "Wildflower" and all her sisters have names from the book Little Women. All use those names except for Louisa May, who prefers Wildflower, as that was the name given to her by her beloved father, now deceased. Wildflower mourns the loss of her father everyday, and doesn't understand why her mother is always picking on her. She takes care of the stray cats that live under her house, that her father fed before her, and is kind of like a stray herself, with her mother lost in grief and bothering with Wildflower only when she has a criticism. Her sisters are good and keep an eye on her, and their husbands are protective of Wildflower as well, like true big brothers.

But Wildflower can't be watched 100%; not that she is bad or a troublemaker, but because the mountain is vast and contains its own dangers out of eyesight, such as Johnny Monroe. Johnny is the teenage thug, and while I felt sorry for him at first, my sympathy faded fast. And if you ask my friends, that rarely happens- I often feel sorry for the "bad guy", feeling they were shaped that way by circumstance. Well, Johnny started that way, but Gabriel created a character I can't even feel that sorry for. An event takes places that shakes up Wildflower's world even more, and the remainder of the book is about how she and her family deal with the aftermath.

Wildflower is strong and resilient, much like her name. She took a lot of licks but still kept on going. I also would have had the biggest crush on her older sister Jo's husband Daniel, if I were Wildflower. I definitely did while reading the book! He evidenced himself to be the most thoughtful and kind character, and it was easy to see why the family loved him. I really enjoyed this book, although parts of the book were intense emotionally. The message is one of hope, even when you feel sometimes there isn't any. ( )

I could not put this book down.

The book is about Louisa May, a 13 year old living in the Appalachian Mountains. My heart went out to this girl, who throughout the book deals with things that no 13 year old should ever have to deal with.

The book was a quick read and a fantastic story. ( )

Louisa May who prefers to be called Wildflower is 13 and living in Appalachia in the 1940's. We are first introduced to her as she is still mourning the loss of her father a year ago in an accident. The characters are well written and kept me interested in the story. This was a fast read and a coming of age story dealing with tragedy, loss and the general hardships of life experienced by this young girl. ( )