Schoolteacher Ellie Fields accepts a job in a small town in Louisiana. Not only is her life changed, she changes the lives of the people in the town. There is a little plot twist and a love story that will hold your interest till the end. All in all a great read! ( )

A young woman - Ellie - wishing for more than her sheltered life in Alabama accepts a teaching position in Louisiana. The year is 1949. The town is deep in the bayou. The residents are friendly enough, especially the town doctor, but Ellie definitely has a lot of learning to do about the melting pot that she finds herself in. There is a big conflict over speaking the native Cajun dialect in school, where everyone is expected to learn proper English. Ellie soon puts everyone at ease as she accepts all and sets about learning their lingo just as she teaches them hers. She also develops an affinity for a hardworking fisherman named Raphe who is raising his young nephew. When politicians and oil men start messing around their parish, Ellie and the towns people will have to find a way to fend them off in order to preserve their way of life.
This was an enjoyable read, what I enjoyed best were the descriptions of the bayou - it really felt like you were there. The romance was nice but did not overtake the story, nor did the story end when they got married, I liked how it showed them working out issues that they had afterwards. I would definitely recommend this for those that enjoy Christian romances and southern fiction. ( )

Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy this book. I was expecting more humor and romance. Sometimes a Deep South setting really works, but this novel lacked the epic scope of Gone with the Wind or the charm of Michael Lee West. The writing felt flat to me. However, this novel may appeal to readers who enjoy an earnest Southern story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a setting that I had not heard much about and therefore I found the background information interesting along with the engaging story. ( )

I thought this would be an interesting read as I am from the South and could picture the locations of the book. I can't imagine traveling from home to a small town as Ellie did and trying to fit in with the community that she becomes a teacher in. She soon wins over many in the town as the come to see her not as a threat, but as someone to learn from. She also learns about their culture as well and soon teams up with one of the townspeople as they try to save the white gator.

I received a copy of the book to read the review is mine. ( )