The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart is at the top of my TO-READ list. I love fiction like this one. It takes place in North Carolina during the 1950s and I can’t think of a better time or place for a story about a young girl on a cotton farm during the summer.

I do love a dark, twisty thriller and can’t get enough of stories that keep me on the edge of my seat but in between the creepy books, I want to read something new and different like The Forgiving Kind.



For twelve-year-old Martha “Sonny” Creech, there is no place more beautiful than her family’s cotton farm. She, her two brothers, and her parents work hard on their land—hoeing, planting, picking—but only Sonny loves the rich, dark earth the way her father does. When a tragic accident claims his life, her stricken family struggles to fend off ruin—until their rich, reclusive neighbor offers to help finance that year’s cotton crop.

Sonny is dismayed when her mama accepts Frank Fowler’s offer; even more so when Sonny’s best friend, Daniel, points out that the man has ulterior motives. Sonny has a talent for divining water—an ability she shared with her father and earns her the hated nickname “water witch” in school. But uncanny as that skill may be, it won’t be enough to offset Mr. Fowler’s disturbing influence in her world. Even her bond with Daniel begins to collapse under the weight of Mr. Fowler’s bigoted taunts. Though she tries to bury her misgivings for the sake of her mama’s happiness, Sonny doesn’t need a willow branch to divine that a reckoning is coming, bringing with it heartache, violence—and perhaps, a fitting and surprising measure of justice.



The early reviews are absolutely glowing. I am so eager to sit down and do nothing else but read all day!

January 29, 2019.

1950's North Carolina

"Water Witch", twelve-year-old "Sonny" Martha Creech loves her cotton farm. It, and her family are her entire world. Her father, her two older brothers, her mother and she work the land. It is all she has ever known, and she loves it just as much as her father. Then one day tragedy strikes, and it changes all of their lives forever. As the heartbroken and grieving family try to move on and farm the land, their greedy neighbor, Mr. Fowler, comes over and offers them a deal. Sonny is instantly on edge. She does not like this man and her best friend, Daniel, knows that the man has ulterior motives.

Mr. Fowler makes fun of Daniel and often makes statements which make Sonny uncomfortable. "He's just a man" her mother tells her. A man who does indeed have an ulterior motive, an angry man, a bigoted man, a cruel man, an intolerant man. There are also those in this small farming community who hide behind masks, who target those who are "different."

This is a coming of age tale for Sonny, but it is also a story about loss, decisions, bigotry, friendship, grief, abuse, heartache, doing the best you can, regret, prejudice, forgiveness and survival. The setting is the 1950's on a cotton farm and the Author did her research. There are descriptions of farming and the cotton plants which help to set the stage and provide the reader a glimpse into the hard-long days of work these farmers put in. I found this book to be well written and carefully plotted. Boy, did I want better for this family and Sonny friend's Daniel.

This is another book where I encourage readers to read the Author's note at the end. She discusses how she approached writing certain characters and how some scenes were hard for her to write. Some of those scenes will be hard for readers to read.

Enjoyable, thought provoking, riveting and well researched.

I look forward to reading more books by Everhart.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of The Forgiving Kind from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Donna Everhart has been a favorite author of mine every since I read The Education Of Dixie Dupree. This book is another southern fiction story that takes place during the 1950’s in North Carolina. It’s about a family that lives on a cotton farm and experiences many struggles. Some of the topics that the author covers is prejudice, bigotry, and homosexuality. What I liked about reading this was that parts of the story brought back forgotten memories from my own childhood. I thought it was an enjoyable story, although there were parts that were hard to read, there were things that really infuriated me, but that’s what made the story complete. There were some characters I loved, some I didn’t quite understand and one in particular that I despised. I was pleasantly surprised at the end by the Mother’s strength to do what she did all for the love of her family. I easily gave this a 5 star rating and would recommend anyone who enjoys reading historical, southern fiction to give it a try. I promise, you’ll be glad you did!

I've been a fan of this author for awhile, and this book did not disappoint. Such difficult times for adults and kids on a cotton farm in the 50s; admist times of the KKK and cruelty. It was a page turner for me; watching it unfold and wanting to jump in the book and help this struggling family from all they endured. This authors writing enevelopes you into the scenes where you feel like you are right there experiencing it real time. It will tug at your heart strings and have you cheering for the characters until the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

I love reading books where I can relate to a character and in The Forgiving Kind I totally related to Sonny. Sonny narrates the story, she lives with her family on a cotton farm and has 2 older brothers. She adores her father and would do anything to please him. Rather than work inside cooking and cleaning, she prefers to help work the farm with her dad and brothers. She also shares the gift of "dowsing" with a tree branch for water with her father. Life seems great until one day something happens to her father. When a family works together for their livelihood and must rely on others to help survive, a lot of things can happen. Dealing with a rich reclusive neighbor who wants to move in on the family and a friend who has a dark secret, Sonny has her hands full.

This story deals with family relationships, bigotry, intolerance and growing pains. While the story takes place years ago in the deep south, sadly, we still face similar bigotry and intolerance today.

I strongly recommend this book, it is a very satisfying read and at the same time makes you think!

I received this book "The Forgiving Kind" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. This book was an easy enjoyable read. Sonny is a 12 year old girl and this is her story. Sonny's story will transport you into 1950's North Carolina on her family's cotton farm. You will share her struggles, fear, grief and happiness. The words flowed smoothly and was well written.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Written in twelve-year-old Sonny's voice, there is no place more beautiful than her family’s cotton farm in 1950's North Carolina. When her father dies suddenly, her stricken family struggles to fend off ruin—until their rich, reclusive neighbor offers to help finance that year’s cotton crop.

There was something rather simplistic and naive about this story even though the kids were coping with some very complicated, flawed adults and their issues.

3.25☆

This book had me transported back to the 1950's in North Carolina, on a cotton farm. It was a time when life was a struggle.
Sonny is a 12 year old girl who loves her family. She loves her Dad. He is her hero!
He unexpectedly dies one day and she is lost. Her family is devastated, and unsure how they will make ends meet. Can the farm survive? Can her family survive?
Her Mama, in her grief and fear, accepts the friendship of her neighbor who has offered help her.
Sonny knows this is not a positive decision and she is worried about her family. Mr Fowler is downright vindictive. He makes it known that he is in charge and will not stand for anyone or anything that is different to be in his home or on his property. Punishments will ensue!
This is a story of family, friendship, prejudice and resilience and the details in this novel, will have you cheering for Sonny and her family, and holding your breath at times as you turn the pages!
Donna Everhart has a fabulous way with words. Excellent!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
This was my first book by Donna Everhart, but after finishing it last night I've already purchased her previous two novels. I adored this book and was sad to see it end. It's the story of Sonny, a twelve-year-old girl living in the South, and the choices she and her family make after her father dies from a snakebite. The character development was absolutely fabulous, and the story was compelling. Highly recommended reading!

1955 "Daddy never wanted to do nothing much other then grow cotton,and the way he'd gone at it,we figured that would be the thing to kill him." "We got three hundred acres across Jones county ,north carolina."School is let out in the fall for cotton picking. The story shows a tragedy and then goes from 1952 back to 1955. Too slow paced for me but the beginning was interesting.

This was a hard book to read. A lot of hate and prejudices. When I read Donna Everhart’s notes she said how hard it was to write and I felt the same about reading about the issues she addressed. At first I was not going to rate it highly due to it’s darkness but can not do that knowing she expressed how hard it was for her too. It was well written.

This is a beautifully written story of a family in rural North Carolina the 1950's. Sonny and her family own a cotton farm. When her dad tragically dies, her family doesn't have the money for this years crop. Sonny's mom takes help from their neighbor Frank Fowler. He has ulterior motives by helping the family. This is a story of wonderful characters, a beautiful setting, and so many layers to the story. It is a story of love, forgiveness, and redemption. I reccieved an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

Captivating Historical Fiction, Unforgettable Characters

Donna Everhart once again achieves the difficult task of expertly weaving light into a dark story, this one rooted in a 1950s cotton farm where, much like the delicate bolls in the field, uncontrollable circumstances can shred vulnerable fibers overnight. In THE FORGIVING KIND, we come to know the family of feisty Sonny Creech, a devoted daughter who has inherited her daddy's gift of dowsing water, and her best friend Daniel, with whom she conjures scenes from his favorite movies.

One of the things I admire most about Everhart's storytelling is her ability to write flawed characters, especially the heroes. Readers will undoubtedly identify with the self-centric twelve-year-old who wants what she wants, brushing away potential risk to her best friend, and feel empathy for a mother who so badly needs to believe she's making the best choice for her children that she handicaps her own intuition.

This North Carolina farming community is infected with neighbors who wield powers of intimidation and physical abuse under the cowardly hoods of bigoted ideology. The author has done her research and perfectly captures the hardscrabble farming life, the cancerous growth of power cultivated in evil hands, and, much like the water below the surface, the indiscriminate nature of bounty vs lack. Everhart tenderly midwifes the debilitating weight of regret into the liberating fullness of forgiveness, both of others and self. The Forgiving Kind

Martha (Sonny) Creech and her family do not lead a life of luxury. Just the opposite, as they try to make a living on a cotton farm in 1950’s North Carolina. The work is hard and the rewards few, but Sonny loves her family farm. Everything changes when Sonny’s father dies and it would appear the only way they can survive is to sell the cotton crop to a wealthy neighbor. Frank Fowler has a motive for helping out the Creech family, Sonny can just tell, the way she can tell where water can be found underground. This book is so beautifully written, I could see myself on the farm and Sonny just leaps off the page and into life