When I started reading this book I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish it. It was depressing and sad and I wasn’t sure which of the disastrous maladies would actually what made me put it down. Jessie’s family is dirt poor, she sees her Mother die when she is only 4 years old and her Father comes from a long line of moonshiners. Jessie’s life is rough from the get-go. At times it seems as running moonshine is the least of the families worries. That’s one reason why I gave the book only three stars- the depressing storyline. Even after finishing the book, I’m sad and a little depressed. I think one reason this book has affected me is that I believe that there were people in this country

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I really loved this book. I love historical fiction, and this is an area that interests me, but I hadn't really read about. You take the childhood memories of a traumatic event that sometimes don't tell the whole story. You take a young woman who sees things in black and white, where life is often grey. This was so interesting and I enjoyed it a great deal.

The Moonshiner’s Daughter by Donna Everhart is an all-encompassing Southern Historical Fiction novel that is one of those once in a blue moon novels that only comes around once in a while that makes one stop and think, like actually contemplate life. This novel is amazing.

We see Jessie Sasser a 16 y/o misunderstood teenager growing up in the rural foothills of NC in 1960 with her collection of outcast family members whom all work in the “family business” of moonshine and her life over the next 2 years.

This is a story about so much. It is a coming of age story, a story of personal angst and demons, a story of bulimia and ED, a story of acceptance, a story of wanting to fit in, but yet not wanting to be a part of the crowd, a story of being lost only to finally find what one was looking for all along at the bitter end, and a story of just wanting to be loved.

My heart goes out to Jessie. I cried with her, and hurt along with her through her journey. I felt pride when she grew up and came into her own. I felt her losses as she did, as well as her triumphs. This was a hard story to read, so raw, rough, and real, but worth every moment. The ending is bittersweet, imperfect, like life itself is, and was fitting for Jessie’s journey.

This novel will stick with me for many days to come. Just stunning.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

This somewhat sad story is about Jessie Sasser, a member of a family that’s been making and hauling moonshine for generations. When she was 4 years old, she watched her mother die from burns she received when working at a still. Her father won’t tell her anything about her mother or her death, which adds to the mystery. She feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere, and develops an eating disorder. Although this book is fiction it made me think about what the families of moonshiners went through during that time. The author developed the characters quite well, especially Jessie. A very good book. I received and advance reader copy of this book from Goodreads. The opinions expressed here are my own.