Review: What Momma Left Behind

Synopsis:

Worie Dressar is seventeen years old when influenza and dysentery ravage her Appalachian Mountain community in 1898, leaving behind a growing number of orphaned children with no way to care for themselves. Worie’s mother has been secretly feeding a number of these little ones on Sourwood Mountain. But when she dies suddenly, Worie is left to figure out why and how she was caring for them.

Plagued with two good-for-nothing brothers–one greedy and the other a drunkard–Worie fights to save her home and the orphaned children now in her begrudging care. Along the way, she will discover the beauty of unconditional love and the power of forgiveness as she cares for all of Momma’s children.

Storyteller and popular speaker Cindy K. Sproles pens a tender novel full of sacrifice, heartache, and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

What Momma Left Behind is an amazing historical fiction read. I felt like I was actually there living the moments with the protagonist. Cindy K. Sproles wrote well. The scenes were vivid. The tension escalated with every page. Then, the was the emotional journey that pulled me in closer. Before I knew, it the novel had hooked me in deep. This story is heavy with fear, loss, and forgiveness. Unconditional love is the main theme in this book. The way the young woman had to defend her home, deal with her brothers, and a group of young children was a big challenge. Yet Worie did what she could and in the end accepted what was to be her fate. It was a struggle for her to forgive and love like her Momma did. However, in the end, Worie grew and became the woman she should be. Overall, Cindy Sproles did a great job in showing the hardships of life in the Appalachian Mountains and how courage and faith changes our lives forever.