This book should be required reading for any historical fiction lovers out there!!

Suzanne Woods Fisher will make you stay up all night to finish this wonderful novel, which is what happened to me!
A historical novel about the illiteracy in the hills of Kentucky and Lucy, the woman that was a witness for the people. Lucy had the courage to affect changes for her fellow townsfolk by opening school houses to learn in the moonlight ( as the title implies).

Eliminating adult illiteracy, Lucy's story is inspiring at best! I can't wait to share this book with my friends once it is published!

Thank you to NetGalley & Revell for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

All things work together for the good

The time is 1911, the place is the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. The story is about an actual historical school superintendent Cora Wilson Stewart. The other characters although fictional are based on those that lived during that time in history.

Cora has a vision that all the mountain children should have enough schooling to read, write and do sums. Her plan was to build one room schoolhouses all over the mountains so all the children could learn. She sent for her cousin from Lexington to come and work with her. Lucy Wilson, fresh from finishing school, arrived thinking she would be working in the office as a stenographer for Cora.

Lucy found out that her job was to deliver letters and writer turn letters for the mountain people because they could not read and write. Then she found out she had to go on horseback and she had never ridden a horse before.

I won't tell the story, but after settling in to her job she talked with Cora and Brother Wyatt the singing music teacher and Minister with whom she had become friends. They all decided that it was not enough to teach the children the adults also had to be taught to read and write. This is how the idea came about for the moonlight schools for the adults.

This is a story of the mountain people. Their stories, their superstitions and their mountain way of life. The language of these characters is written in the form they spoke. The characters are authentic to those of the mountains. The elderly midwife Mollie, Barbara Jean with a house full of children and the young mother Sally Ann. Then there was Finley a young mountain boy and Angela a young mountain girl hoping to be a teacher.

This was a wonderful story and I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the Christian teachings by Brother Wyatt. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Suzanne Woods Fisher, Revell Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy for an honest review.

Lucy Wilson, finished with finishing school and looking for a purpose in life, suddenly finds herself sent to work as an assistant to her cousin Cora Stewart, Kentucky’s first female county superintendent of schools. As Lucy learns more about the local hills and “hollers”, she finds herself becoming attached to the surroundings and the people, especially the singing master, Brother Wyatt. When Cora hatches a controversial plan to educate the county’s high number of illiterate adults by having them attend “Moonlight School”, Lucy finds herself caught up in the grand scheme. Will it succeed against all odds? What will happen when it’s time for Lucy to return to life in the city? Find out in this wonderful work, which would be an excellent addition to any historical fiction collection.

I have enjoyed several books by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I always like when an author writes a historical fiction story, explains at the end where she got the idea and what parts are true from history. This book is one you will read well into the night. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. Suzanne's characters are so likable and believable. Of course some were taken from history. Brother Wyatt, I believe could be my latest book boyfriend. He was so gentile, yet strong, kind and caring. Growing up in the area, he wanted to give back. He along with Cora Wilson Stewart know the devastation the people suffer from the the plague of illiteracy. Our protagonist Lucy Wilson is repelled by the poverty and primitive conditions she sees. Her life will be forever changed by Miss Cora, Brother Wyatt and the six month job she was sent to do. I thank Revell Publishing for allowing me, through NetGalley, to read this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I stayed up ‘til 2 a.m. to finish this historical novel based on a real woman who raised adult literacy in Kentucky in the early 1900’s. The characters were all believable and I enjoyed the slow-blossoming love story as well as the mystery surrounding Lucy’s lost sister. Highly enjoyable and entertaining and I especially loved following Lucy as she discovered her own strengths and gifts as the story progressed.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of the more enjoyable books I've read in a long time! The story was incredible and totally drew me in! It's set in the early 1900's Appalachia Kentucky. Lucy Wilson suffered a tragedy in her early childhood she never recovered from. She grew up in a life of luxury, thanks to the lumber company her father owns. In an attempt to give her some direction, after finishing school, her father sends her to the mountains to help her cousin Cora. Cora Wilson Stewart is on a mission to educate the folks in the mountain hollars. She has set up schoolhouses across the county and has the idea to start educating the parents of the kids as well. Knowing they couldn't give up daylight working hours, the schools are set up on the weeks of the full moon. Lucy learns a lot helping her cousin and about herself. I really enjoyed the mountain stories and legends.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for my review. These opinions are my own.

"The Moonlight School" by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Release Date: 2.2.2021

Lucy Wilson grew up in a wealthy family. In 1911, Lucy arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky to work for the superintendent of education, Cora Wilson Stewart, who is also Lucy's cousin. Cora sends Lucy to work as a scribe for the mountain people, she is shocked by the living conditions and illiteracy rates of the residents.

Cora is well aware of the illiteracy, as she grew up in the hills. Cora decides to open schoolhouses for adults to be used on moonlit nights, with the help of Lucy and Brother Wyatt. Lucy finds her purpose.

This story has it all -- strong female characters, romance, and a positive message. Based on the actual Moonlight Schools, mixing fact with history, this book focuses on the focus to eliminate adult illiteracy in deep Appalachia.


Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for my review.

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #historicalfiction #readersofinstagram #historicalfiction2021 #2021bookreleases #booknerd #instabook #themoonlightschool #suzannewoodsfisher

As you turn the pages you embark on a wonderful adventure. Based on a true story and set in 1911 in the picturesque Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky.

Young Lucy Wilson is sent to help her distant cousin Cora, really not expecting what she is going to be doing. You can just picture her first time on a horse, yes, and add to that a steep mountain trail, crossing creeks, yup, our girl is going to feel this for days. What she does find will surprise you in more than one way.

There is also some sweet romance, and warning to be wary of going of the property where there are stills! What we learn is that these sweet caring people are mostly illiterate and Lucy's new job is to read and write letters.

Out of these journeys develops a new love for these people and a desire to help them. Her cousin Cora has an idea to help, but watch or rather read how those in power want to thwart the desire to even know how to spell their own name.

I loved being here on the mountain, and would love to stay, and follow on with the lives of the people here!

I received this book through NetGalley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

Good novel by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I liked it more than I expected to, but found some other parts to be lacking.

The beginning was a bit hard to follow with the flashback about Charlotte and Lucy's relation to Cora. However, once that was straightened out, it was a lot easier to understand. I like that Lucy's character was very strong--even in third person, I could clearly hear her voice as an outsider when she was talking to the mountain people. I liked how her interactions with Brother Wyatt always resulted in her learning more about herself and seeking God--and her reaction to reject it and feel uncomfortable with the advice at times is also true to so many of us. I felt that the romance between Lucy and Andrew was a bit forced and it felt like an afterthought to create more tension. I loved the relationship between Lucy and Angie but I would've liked to have seen that explored more earlier in the book, same with Lucy taking over the school. I could see early on in the book where all of the pieces were going, but I feel like everything ended too quickly and wrapped up in the last couple of chapters. I would have liked to have seen the Midnight Schools in action, but I can see how this ending to the book still works for its purpose.

I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful book. I had a hard time putting it down. The story is about Cora Wilson Stewart and her fight to eliminate adult illiteracy in Rowan County. I loved the mix of facts and fiction and it gave me a good history lesson. I never heard of Cora before and I enjoyed learning about her. The characters were fantastic. Lucy Wilson ,Charlotte her lost sister, Finley James and Wyatt. Very enjoyable read .

The Moonlight School is a different kind of book. I absolutely enjoyed reading it, and discovered that it was, in part, based on actual people and events. A well done story, it really had very little romance in it, the girl, Lucy, was from the city. She went into the hills to help her cousin with the school system, but she was always haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her two year old sister years before. She meets many new people, most of which cannot read or write. She finds out that many of these people have been cheated by her father's lumber company because they couldn't read the contracts for themselves. Brother Wyatt is a man that lives in the area that becomes her dear friend and helps her with meeting these people, who do not easily trust strangers. Excellent story that I very much enjoyed!

Fantastic book! I loved it. I didn't want it to end. Lucy Wilson is asked by Cora Wilson to help her as Cora serves as Education Superintendent. Lucy has no idea what she is in for as she starts working with the mountain people who are mostly illiterate. There are a couple of storylines in this book. Lucy's work with the mountain people and her memories of her missing sister, for which she blames herself.
It is wonderful to see the changes that happen in Lucy's life and the struggles she has and sees in the poverty of the people here.

This book was amazing. I was totally taken in by it and could envision the people, the surroundings, and the events that happened. This book was definitely one of my favorite books. That good!

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Suzanne Woods Fisher's story delves into the tragedy of adults who, often by no fault of their own, never learned to read. Reminiscent of Catherine Marshall's Christy, a beloved telling of Appalachian life, The Moonlight School tells the tale of Miss Lucy, a young lady from the city, who learns, with some surprise, life in the mountains has a beauty all its own. I particularly enjoyed the story of Brother Wyatt and his heart for the folks in the mountains. A variety of characters sprinkled through the story have lived fascinating lives. Cora's story, based on the real person who started the moonlight schools is inspiring. I truly enjoyed every bit of this book, including a thread of mystery. I agree with the description I found on Amazon—as I finished the last pages, I thanked God for the privilege of reading. As someone who worked in an elementary school library and as a volunteer in my daughter's first grade class, I'm accustomed to the excitement and delight little ones share when they learn to read. To read about adults who found satisfaction in the written word thrilled my heart. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Revell and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. I am a teacher so when I saw the word "school" in the title I was interested. I really enjoyed this book. In the spring of 1911, Lucy Wilson goes to help her cousin Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Lucy is first asked to go up into the hills of Rowan County, Kentucky as a scribe for the mountain people she is repulsed with the way they live. As time goes on and she gets to know the people, her life changes. She wants to help them, and she comes to see that literacy is the answer. Cora gets the idea to open The Moonlight School to educate the adults. Lucy helps her open the schools. Along the way, she finds purpose for her life as well as romance. I highly recommend this book! It is based on real events, and Cora Wilson Stewart was a real person. These schools were the beginning of adult literacy programs-so important!

Most of the time when I see Suzanne Woods Fisher's name on a book, I'd assume that I was about to read a book of Amish fiction. But in The Moonlight School, Suzanne has taken a turn away from Amish fiction and delved into historical fiction. This particular historical fiction is based in fact, much like Irving Stone wrote. She found a fascinating character in Cora Wilson Stewart, a county superintendent for the schools in Rowan County, Kentucky.


While Cora is the historical figure around which this book was built, the primary character was Cora's cousin, Lucy. Lucy is sent to work with Cora as a stenographer, but Cora really wants Lucy to go to various homesteads in the county to read letters and take dictation of the illiterate folks' answers back. Lucy has never ridden a horse, and has no knowledge of the places "over yonder"--either how to get to the places or how to get back to town. Finley James is a young teen who has a crush on Lucy and is willing to guide her around the county. Brother Wyatt is also a helpful soul who helps Lucy. The fly in the ointment is Angie, who loves Fin, and is jealous of the affection Fin has for Lucy.

Cora's mission in Rowan County is to bring literacy to the people, especially through their children. In the beginning, she didn't believe that older people could be taught to read and write, until Miss Mollie comes to town to show Cora that she'd written her own letter to her daughter. It was then that Cora realized that even the illiterate and semi-literate adults could be taught to read. She tasked Lucy with doing a census of the adults who couldn't read or write and Lucy came up with close to twelve hundred people. With this number, Cora begins working on the Moonlight Schools for the adults, along with teaching literature geared for adult interests so that the adults will find reason to want to read.

There are so many other characters populating this book, but to get into their parts of the story would provide too many spoilers. Suzanne is one of those talented writers who always put out quality fiction for their readers. This book is no exception to the high quality that Suzanne is known for.

This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a gentle horse to ride in the back hills of Kentucky.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own. I do appreciate Revell's commitment to quality in their publishing.

This was such an interesting and informative historical fiction about the moonlight schools in Kentucky.

Lucy grew up as a wealthy child of a man who owned a lumber company. She ends up going to her cousin, Cora's, in Kentucky to help her. Cora is in charge of the schools up in the mountains.

Of course, in the beginning there is a huge culture shock for Lucy but as she learns more about the people, will her heart melt?

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools in Kentucky, The Moonlight School, written by Susanne Woods Fisher and to be published February 2, 2021, brings to light the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously.

Lucy Wilson, 19, the fictional cousin of Superintendent of Education, Cora Wilson Stewart, leaves Lexington to help her cousin as an assistant in the small town of Morehead. She is sent to the hills to scribe for the mountain people and is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty. As her six-month contract comes to an end, she realizes that she has found her purpose in Rowan County. Charmed by the people, serenity, and beauty she overlooks the filth and squalor that first repelled her. Along with her cousin, Cora, and sensitive to the hill folk’s feeling of inadequacy, Lucy spearheads the moonlight schools Monday through Thursday nights, 7-9pm, when their chores are done and the darkness hides their attendance. In addition to discovering her purpose, Lucy finds answers to the two questions that plague her and experiences giving and receiving love.

I loved reading about how the Appalachian schoolhouses were used on moonlight nights to teach adults reading and writing. Being a teacher, it made my heart happy to read how in two years, the 1152 illiterates and semi-illiterates in Kentucky dwindled to only 23 illiterates through the love and concern of dedicated people willing to teach without pay. It just goes to show you that “when motivation meets opportunity, miracles happen.” The fictional characters that the author added to showcase Cora and her pledge were exceptional. I instantly loved the singing schoolmaster, Brother Wyatt, who travelled the hills as well as Finley James, the hill boy who flourished with time and attention. As teachers, we all have met a ‘Finley’ in our classes; one who really doesn’t want to be at school but somehow has found a place in our hearts. It was fascinating to watch Lucy’s growth over the six-month period. When discussing her work she admits, it’s “a terrible shame to grow up in poverty and ignorance. Yet the more I see of these people, of their lives and their hearts, I wonder if I’m the one who grew up in poverty and ignorance. Poverty of spirit. Ignorance of heart.” Reading about Lucy’s transformation was like peeling an onion; layers upon layers of protection peeled back to reveal the true Lucy. Central to the theme of this novel is the idea that people should not let their past determine their future and that a sense of belonging in a family is sometimes as important as being born a part of a family. In addition to learning about the whole word approach used to ensure quick success in the moonlight schools, you’ll also be introduced to mountain music and shape note notation that enabled the hill folk who love music, but can’t read.

If you are a teacher or liked “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michelle Richardson, you’ll love this book.

Thank you to Suzanne Woods Fisher, Revell and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a simple, hardscrabble story about a simple, hardscrabble people. Just before World War I, a lost and disoriented Lucy leaves the city to spend six months serving the rural areas of Kentucky with a family member. She learns a lot about their different lifestyle, the culture, and herself along the way. Three men vie for her attentions...but does any of them ever truly win? The sub-plot involves a search for her sister, long since gone missing, and how it has shaped her life. Some of the twists toward the end were unexpected, but overall this was a superb read....one you won't easily lay down, even to sleep.

As an aside, it comes with a glossary of terms. However, if you're a native Appalachian like myself, rather than needing it, you're going to find yourself realizing that some of these are not spoken by folks all over...

THE MOONLIGHT SCHOOL..Suzanne Woods Fisher
Lucy with orders from her father to watch Charlotte, at 2 1/2 a curious child. Absorbed in the story of Beth in Little Women, she was distracted, and now a sister missing. Life changes when her father remarried and not much older than Lucy. Then saying a cousin Cora needed a stenographer for six months. Thinking it would be a lot of making tea which she had learned well to do.
To her surprise it was visiting these people as they dictated a letter to her.
Of which riding horseback to their homes, she had never been on a horse father saying it was un lady like. Days when he lived here and knew Cora her father had ridden a horse, Now a mention of snakes and learning to interpret the language of the mountain people, what had she gotten into.
Cora wanted to see a brave courages Lucy once again, not bogged down from the guilt of losing Charlotte, and think for herself.
Life changes with a campaign for the Moonlight school for the mountain people to be educated. Needing volunteers to visit each home and tell them. A beautiful story of how a simple word to God, was prayer that easy to do, and getting the idea of how this campaign would succeed, Cora now had an answer and a purpose. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion for Net ?Galley and Revell.

A positive message based on true events in Rowan County Kentucky. Cora Wilson Stewart fought the battle against illiteracy in a fashion unheard of in the Appalachian Mountains in this moving story. I loved learning the history and about the everyday lives of the mountain people. Their strength and endurance, loyalty and faith is encouraging. The author brought the characters to life throughout. The one thing I found troubling was how the author dealt with Charlotte. Highly recommended!