In 1943, Allie Bert Tucker, but please skip the “Allie,” knows that it is her fault when her mother and baby sister die in a difficult childbirth in the mountains of North Carolina. Bert’s father confirms her conclusion by sending her away to help out his sister who is “in a family way” across the state in Riverton. In All the Little Hopes, Leah Weiss returns to the Appalachian setting she used in If the Creek Don’t Rise to spin another tale.
When her aunt winds up in a mental asylum with no word from her father, Bert finds herself taken in by the Brown family that already has two boys and five girls, one an albino orphan who needed a home and was voted into the family unanimously. She and Lucy, who is a week younger than she is, are alternate narrators in this World War II setting. Seeing themselves as Nancy Drew counterparts, Lucy and Bert search out the mysterious disappearance of one man, with distractions from the German prisoner of war camp and their farm production of beeswax for the war effort. They consult the community mystic and the Ouija board, but instead of successful detective work, more men go missing.
The girls’ journey puts them into a quandary as they consider what is right and wrong. Lucy tries to balance her own grandmother’s German heritage with the community attitudes toward the war and the prisoners in their town, and when Bert returns to the mountains for her father’s funeral, she must decide where she really belongs.
Though the protagonists are middle schoolers, the novel fits the age groups that would have enjoyed the younger protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird. Leah Weiss nails her Appalachian setting again for this book, making it a vital part of her story and even includes a couple of recipes from the region in the back matter. I read an advance reading copy of this book, furnished by Net Galley, that can be pre-ordered before it goes on sale in July.

All the Little Hopes is one of the best novels I’ve read in 2021. The story is told by alternating perspectives of two girls in N. Carolina during WWll It has a little bit of everything, mystery, relationships between two best friends or sisters by choice. The narrative is beautiful. I grew up reading Nancy Drew so was tickled to see these girls read the books and set off on their own mystery missions. This book kept me riveted and I have to say taught me a few things historically, I have been researching some of the things mentioned in the book so that is fun. I don’t think you will find a better historical novel in 2021. I have preordered a couple copies for friends that I know will love it as much as I did. Thank you NetGalley for introducing me to this author and this book

This was a poignant recounting of growing up in rural North Carolina, when a POW German camp arrives in town. What a mysterious time for two young girls who love Nancy Drew and know about bees. It's part coming of age, folk lore and WWII.

I was interested in reading All the Little Hopes because our town also had a German POW camp. The book is well-written and I enjoyed it. The friendship between Lucy and Bert and the interaction with Lucy's family were heart-warming. The historical details added a great deal to the story. I appreciated them more after reading the author's remarks at the end of the book. I will purchase this book for my library and will recommend it to my book discussion group.

I think it was timing for me. I struggle with the beginning of this book. I wanted to like because I liked Leah Weiss other book. This one was tough. I appreciate the opportunity to read it but I struggled.

I liked the setting of the book. I even liked the WWII tim period. I really liked all the references to Nancy Drew and there the main character read them. I read that series as a kid and even have the entire series. But this book stalled for me. I kept trying to get interested in the characters and the plot but it fizzled. This book was a miss for me.

Beautifully written book told through alternating perspectives of two girls coming of age in North Carolina during WWII. Through heartaches and adversities, the girls learn acceptance, forgiveness, and a whole lot of wisdom.
I love Leah Weiss's writing style. The superb descriptions of scenery and climate, together with the dialect and customs portrayed, help to make this story come alive. The character development is well done. Diverse characters are plentiful and it was interesting to see how the war affected everyone's lives in different ways. I was captivated with these people.
There is so much to treasure (and learn) here. Beekeeping, tobacco farming, glass marbles, purple honey, blue ghost fireflies, a German POW camp, a wolpertinger, and sacred harp singing. There are mysteries, legends, secrets, mystical events and more!
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC. I look forward to reading more from Leah Weiss!

Told in alternating chapters, we meet Lucy and Bert in 1943 North Carolina. The girls become fast friends when Bert is sent to live with her aunt, but soon she's living with Lucy's family. Lucy wants to be link Nancy Drew and solve mysteries, and they get their own when men from town go missing. The book follows them as the grow into themselves from 13-15 years old. I'm not usually one for Southern fiction, but I was transported to Riverton, North Carolina and didn't really want to come back. Recipes are included!

I started this book but it just didn't keep my interest. I'm sure it will be enjoyed by others. I believe it was the characters that I didn't connect with.

My review will be posted on July 6, 2021 to my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf/

This book was a beautiful coming of age story of two NC teens in the last two years of World War II. Lucy Brown is from a self-proclaimed bibliophile family and she loves Nancy Drew. Allie Bert Tucker is sent away to relatives she never met after her mother dies in childbirth; she feels she's exiled because she caused her mother's death. Their paths cross and Bert is quickly taken into the fold of the Brown family. While friends and eventually sisters, the girls experience friendship, competition, and jealousy. Plus, men start to go missing, so naturally Lucy (with Nancy Drew as her role model) feels she and Bert are the ones who will solve the mysteries. Told in perspectives that alternated between chapters, it was fascinating to see Bert's view of herself and then Lucy's view of her and vice versa. It was lovely to see how the power of language was used as a device and for character growth, particularly Bert. It was also incredible to learn that (1) German POW camps were setup stateside and that the prisoners were hired out by local farmers and (2) the US government paid farmers to harvest beeswax. While the book didn't end abruptly, I was sad that my time with the Brown family and the people in their community came to an end. All of the main characters and secondary characters had extremely unique personalities that make them all unforgettable. #AllTheLittleHopes Rating: 🙂 / liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on July 27, 2021. Thank you @bookmarked for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. This is a historical fiction novel that takes place with the characters growing up during WWII. My mom also grew up during this time in North Carolina and worked in the tobacco fields so it gave me a vivid picture of these girls. The girls learn right, wrong and all about life. I loved how the story evolved and the friendship between Lucy and Bert. I loved this book!! It was beautifully written and compelling.

This book pulled me in from the first sentence and keep me captive. This is a coming of age story set in North Carolina during WWll. Thirteen year old Bert and Lucy become best friends after Bert is sent across the state to help her aunt Violet, who is expected her first child. Lucy loves to read Nancy Drew books and the girls try to solve some mysteries in the town when several men go missing. This is a charming book about family and friendship with a little mystery thrown in. Thanks to author Leah Weiss, publisher Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest opinion.

As I started reading this book, I wasn't sure if it was something I was going to like. However, once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. Extremely good character development and a unique story made for novel that will appeal to many readers; the historical perspective adds to the enjoyment of reading this...in fact my only disappointment was that an epilogue detailing what the future holds for the two protaganists was not included!!!! I am hopeful that the author will write a sequel.

3.5 stars.
The story moves at a lively pace, even though it's told from alternating viewpoints. Some of the exposition seems a little clunky at times, but Weiss does an admirable job of making the large cast of characters compelling. Those initially attracted by the mystery elements may want more from the ending, but lovers of history will be intrigued throughout.

An unlikely friendship, a murder mystery, and and an intense coming of age narrative combine with a richly detailed historical setting to tell this tragically beautiful story. Lucy and Bert, our two teen protagonists, could not come from more different situations, yet the bond they form is one of sisterhood and solidarity. Watching their story develop through honeybees and Nazi POWs and more than one personal tragedy gives readers a fascinating look at this slice of history. Highly recommend.

All the little Hopes is a story of friendship, hard times and lessons learned. Although it has a Secret Life of Bees vibe with a young girl finding refuge and acceptance at a Bee Farm, it also sheds light on the daily trials faced by families during WWII. With food and supply shortages and loved ones fighting over seas, finding happiness in family and friendship unites Bert and Lucy. Lucy is from a large family with an abundance of love that works hard farming tobacco and supplying the troops with wax from their bee farm. Bert finds shelter and love within this family after leaving her own family behind. Lessons are learned about honesty, friendship and trust as these girls grow into young women. The author does a wonderful job sharing the thoughts and feelings of both of the girls. The Southern dialect and shared traditions make this story a heartwarming read.

Thanks Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this book!

I loved this book. It was heartbreaking and beautiful, not to mention it gave me so many historical facts to look up. The story alternates between Bert and Lucy as they live during the last years of WWII in North Carolina. The book weaves mysticism, family woes, and growing up during wartime into an excellent narrative. I only wish there had been more plot resolution regarding some of the Brown family members. I could have used maybe three more chapters. I also loved that this book had recipes in the back of it! I thought that was an excellent touch. This author will definitely be added to my list of autobuy authors.

’We are an innocent lot, my two brothers, four sisters and me, born on as ordinary a land as God ever made. Our tobacco farm in Riverton, North Carolina, is far from Oma’s soaring mountains in the Black Forest of Germany, where tall trees dim the light of day and the tales of the Brothers Grimm grow out of the loamy soil. Where even a polished apple holds peril. Her stories raise the hairs on the backs of our necks, and fear prickles and chills our skin. Telling tales is Oma’s best talent...our grandmother’s stories live far across the sea.

But they are real.’

Lucy is thirteen, and Oma’s favourite grandchild among her seven grandchildren. Lucy collects words, her favourite being enigma, and her brother teases her for using 'ten-dollar words in a ten-cent town' and her Mama tells her that 'language is meant to communicate, not separate', so she keeps those words to herself. She loves to read, and her hero is Nancy Drew. She wants to be just like her, solving crimes. Their town is a small one, a place where word gets around, or would if anything significant ever happened, but most days are spent doing the same things, ruled by the seasons, and the days of farming, but Lucy can’t help but see clues to solving the unsolved.

When the U.S. government needs a source for beeswax, Lucy’s father is approached. A million pounds of it is needed for a year, used to waterproof canvas, lubricate ammunition, and more. A deal is made, which means there won’t be any available to the locals.

Around the same time, Allie Bert Tucker, who goes by Bert, was sent from away from the Appalachian mountains where she had lived her family until her father sent her away. After a series of unfortunate events, she winds up living with Lucy’s family, which is fortunate for her, and Lucy is thrilled. She now has a partner her age to help solve the crimes she knows they will unearth, in this area abundant with tobacco fields, sweet tea and honeybees.

'If left on my own, I’d turn to dust and blow away. But I’m saved for no good reason I can figure...if I’m gonna be good at something, I’m glad it’s working bees, for they are holy creatures. The hum of their wings sounds like angels gathered round.'

The area where they live has also become home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. With family members still fighting overseas, these families are still worrying, waiting for news of their loved ones. An aura of tension and mystery builds as strange things begin to happen around town, including a change to the honey made by the bees.

I loved the way this story evolves, the love and wisdom shared by the family, as well as the endearing friendship that blossoms between Lucy and Bert, and the bond that develops over books and bees.

There’s so much love in these pages, an acceptance of people as they are, and not as others might wish they were. A this treat to read, the perfect book at the perfect time.


Pub Date: 27 Jul 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by SOURCEBOOKS Landmark

This book was a quick read full of Southern charm and intriguing mystery. Set in small town North Carolina on the farm of the Brown family during the time of World War II, it tells the story of best friends Lucy Brown and Allie Bert Tucker (Bert), as they attempt to solve a mystery of men who keep turning up missing in their town. Meanwhile, her family is being paid by the government to produce beeswax for the Army's use, while also taking in some Nazi POW's to work alongside the rest of the Brown family on the tobacco farm. The writing is atmospheric and beautiful,and the unique story pulls the reader in from the very beginning. I really enjoyed this book and the lovely characters.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

All The Little Hopes is a story of friendship between two young women growing up in the Southern USA, during the Second World War. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Populated with a rich assortment of well-developed characters from the girls families as well as those inhabiting their small-town environment.

The author beautifully captures the language of the locations and the times; the accents, phrases and descriptions. I loved this writing style. The richness and texture makes it easy to imagine the voices and the characters themselves.

The book is written from the point of view of the two main characters, young women in their teens, with their thoughts & activities gradually developing the background for the main incidents that drive the plot. These incidents relate to people, known to the girls, who suddenly go missing in the small community they inhabit.

In addition to these disappearances the plot includes family disruptions, coming-of-ages issues, sexism, racism, alongside the background of World War Two and how that impacts the community. These issues, which have parallels in modern life, are handled in a careful and respectful manner; realistic but without hectoring the reader, dominating or distracting from the main plot. Fiction is interwoven with factual events, which had me occasionally pausing to google historical events that are mentioned or in some way related to the plot.

I think anyone who enjoys an historical background to their novels will like this book. The language and descriptions add richness and are always a pleasure to read and savour; never a distraction. The book could possibly be considered a Young Adult publication, given the main characters age and the coming-of-age aspect to the plot line. But i think it will be enjoyed by a much wider audience who have a knowledge of or are interested in the US of 75 years ago. More simple times but with many of the issues resonating with those we see in the world today.

In conclusion, a delightful book. The language, descriptions and characters combine with the incidents portrayed to make this book a real pleasure to read. I look forward to reading more from this author and wish her all the best with the publication.