Susanne Woods Fisher is an author that is new to me and a rather random choice, however, this is a pick I do not regret.
The Amazon description of the book is as follows: "Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.
Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?
As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.
Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading."
Cora Wilson Stewart is a woman I knew nothing about and that is a terrible shame considering her enormous contributions to adult literacy. While this novel is not a direct biography of her life, we get know her through the fictional story that surrounds her. We experience the conditions she was fighting against and the reasons that drove her to fight for her people.
The novel was full of wonderful twists and turns. It was an enchanting tale through and through as it brings this forgotten page of history to light.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Team in exchange for my honest opinion.
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