The Melody of the Mulberries

Big Creek Book 2

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Pub Date 9 Sep 2019 | Archive Date 17 Oct 2019

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Description

This Appalachian Ashby sequel is set in West Virginia, during the 1920s, where granny witches and spiritualism often show the path for wanderers to take, especially in matters of the heart. Emerald Ashby's younger sister, Coral, determines to visit the family's nemesis, Charlie, now stewing in prison.

When Mercy returns to the holler of Big Creek, she comes well-armed to re-enter Ernst's life, but he has already found a new romantic attraction. No matter, Mercy has brought along her own spiritual tools and a special friend who guides her way around this inconvenience.

"Coral sat in contemplation under a mulberry tree. It was spring, and the fragrant female blossoms promised the mid-summer arrival of first white, then pink, then crimson, and finally deep purple berries. The white berries were hard and tart and enjoyed by the quail, wild turkeys, mocking birds, and blue jays. The blackish-purple berries were soft and sweet - perfect for pies and jams.

"When the berries turned white, Coral would thank the good Lord for providing food for the birds, and when the berries ripened she would thank the good Lord for the sweetness savored in her mouth and curse the birds for wanting more than their share."

Where Emerald Ashby's story leaves us in the last pages of The Whispering of the Willows, her pure and innocent sixteen-year-old sister Coral Ashby's story begins. Like the changing mulberries, the Appalachian siblings Coral and Ernest Ashby, navigate their lives and love interests through the Spanish Flu epidemic, poverty, and various as sundry prejudices.

Accompanied by friends and foes, matters of the heart complicate life for Coral and Ernest. Relationships must be journeyed carefully.

This Appalachian Ashby sequel is set in West Virginia, during the 1920s, where granny witches and spiritualism often show the path for wanderers to take, especially in matters of the heart. Emerald...


Advance Praise

“For those seeking authentic intercultural Americana histories, the Big Creek series offers romantic suspense, good humor, and spiritual intrigue that readers have come to expect of this author, who is an educator and an advocate of the Appalachian region of West Virginia,” says Capture Books editor, Laura Bartnick. "It is a portrayal of how to bless those who curse you."

“For those seeking authentic intercultural Americana histories, the Big Creek series offers romantic suspense, good humor, and spiritual intrigue that readers have come to expect of this author, who...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781951084004
PRICE US$4.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 16 members


Featured Reviews

The Melody of the Mulberries is well written with a good plot and well developed characters. I enjoyed the West Virginia setting. If you enjoy inspirational historical romances I recommend this book to you. Thanks to Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

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Have Faith

I love the style of writing, the folk beliefs and the songs and hymns. The characters are so realistic. I love the parrot. Coral made some poor choices and some good choices. In the end good won out over bad.

It seems a struggle in some of the remote towns in the Appalachian mountains between the rituals of the devil and the goodness of God. It tales people like Ernest, Charlotte, Carol, and now Thomas to teach them about Jesus.

I can see a third book coming. I am thinking there will be some weddings, Ernest and Charlotte, Coral and Kenneth, and maybe Thomas and Mercy. There might even be some romance for Minnie.

I am enjoying these clean reading books and the trials and triumphs of the mountain people. I hope there are a few more books coming. I would recommend these books to anyone.

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The Melody of the Mulberries maybe the second book in the Big Creek Series but it is the first I have read written by Tonya Jewel Blessing. I was very interested in the reading this because while I am not from the Appalachian Mountains, they run through my state. As an educator I have taught some of the history of the area, just not the West Virginia section. The first Appalachian Folk Belief listed at the beginning of the chapter is one I have heard all my life so it is not for the mountain region only. Still it made me feel right at home with the story.

I wanted to love the book and did find the characters and plot interesting. I just found the style of writing, difficult to follow. It jumps right into dialogue without enough background knowledge for me to always follow. Perhaps if I had read the first book in the series, I would have not been confused as I sometimes was. The spiritualism is very different and while it certainly could mix with Christianity in many people’s mind of that place and time, it is by no means part of true Christianity.

This leaves me with the dilemma of how to rate the story. I had hope it would be somewhat like (the late 1960s early 1970s) book, Where The Lilies Bloom but it is not at all. Still it does have a cultural flavor to it showing the uniqueness of this mountain region. So it is not a 3 exactly but not a 4 star either, perhaps 3.5 Stars.

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The Melody of the Mulberries
Big Creek Book 2

by Tonya Jewel Blessing

BooksGoSocial

Christian , Historical Fiction

Pub Date 09 Sep 2019

I am reading a copy of The Melody of the Mulberries through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:

This is the Sequel to Appalachian Ashby and is set in West Virginia, during the 1920s, where granny witches and spiritualism often show the path for wanderers, especially in matters of the heart. Emerald Ashby’s younger sister, Coral, determines to visit the family’s nemesis, Charlie, now stewing in prison.

Mercy returns to the Holler of Big Creek, ready and well armed to reenter the life of Ernst. But he has found a new romantic attraction. No matter, Mercy has brought along her own spiritual tools and a special friend who guides her way around this inconvenience.

In this book we are reminded that relationships need to be navigated carefully as they can be slippery.

I give The Melody of the Mulberries five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

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A very enjoyable read with West Virginia as the setting for this story.
I enjoyed the book very much.
I finished this book in one day because I couldn't put it down!
Great characters a good plot that was well rounded out and some sweet inspirational messages in it.
The writing style is exquisite and the storytelling made it worth the read.
I really recommend this book.
My thanks to Netgalley. NO compensations were received. All opinions are my own.
5 stars for this one.

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I loved everything about this book. The characters, the Appalachian folklore, the storyline, and the tiny mulberry leaf prints. I have not read the first book yet but will be seeking it.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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The Melody of Mulberries is a wonderful inspirational Historical novel set in West Virginia. I really enjoyed this book The characters, the plot and the setting were very well dons.

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My Thoughts on The Melody of the Mulberries:
I started out reading this book without reading the first book in the series. And then I went and bought book one because I was so lost. Helplessly lost. Maybe you wouldn’t be, but I was having too hard a time trying to figure out where I was supposed to be versus who was who and it was exhausting. I knew that I was missing parts of the story and I didn’t want to miss a thing because it was really good and captivating even if I was lost!

So read book one. Then read book two. This is one of those series where that might make all the difference.

Back to book two, The Melody of the Mulberries, this is a wonderful book. It’s definitely written in a different way. The author wants you to think you are really there in Big Creek and she writes that way. You won’t find proper grammar in this book so if you have issues reading things like they would have been spoken it might not be the book for you.

I personally love this type of writing and read it like it’s a play happening in front of me. Once I read the first book, keeping up with the people and facts in this book became much easier.

Coral is so sweet and innocent. I loved getting to know her character and immediately fell in love with her. You just know you have to pray for her and be on pins and needles that everything will be okay.

This book brings you God but also a darker side which is very much present in these remote locations both in fiction and in real life. Give it a read and you’re going to fall in love!!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

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As a child, one of my favorite books was Cynthia Rylant’s “When I Was Young in the Mountains.” Growing up in rural Ohio, near the border of West Virginia, my home is considered part of Appalachia. I’ve always been drawn to folk music and the backcountry. I remember watching the television adaptation of Catherine Marshall’s “Christy” when I was younger. There is just something fascinating about living off the grid, regardless of the time period: creating a unique community that is self-sustaining and learning what makes it flourish and what holds it together. Set in late 1920s in the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia, Tonya Jewel Blessings’ “The Melody of the Mulberries” presents a wonderful glimpse into this experience.

“The mulberry tree that shaded her from the afternoon sun sang a melody of obedience. It grew, blossomed, and bore fruit in submission to God. All flora and fauna flourished in Big Creek through obedience to the Maker of All Things.”

Despite not having read the previous book, I decided to take a chance and read “The Melody of the Mulberries” anyway, and I am glad that I did. If possible, I would recommend reading “The Whispering of the Willows” first to set the foundation for this sequel, but it is not a prerequisite. I was a bit confused for the first chapter or so; my main problem was keeping the characters straight and remembering who was who, but then again I’m terrible with names, so that could have just been my personal issue. As the story progresses, the main events from the first book receive mention, which helps establish the plot of this second book.

My favorite element was the presentation of beliefs, the amalgamation of Christianity and folklore, and how Ernest in particular does his best to disenchant others from superstitions and lead them instead to Christ. As a teacher, “Ernest thought that education was one of the best ways to combat mountain mysticism.” His wisdom in both book knowledge and spiritual matters reveals his altruistic nature: “He had choices to make. He could choose to let others dictate his life, choose to direct his own life, or make the right choice and allow God to dominate his thoughts and actions.” Two of the other main characters include his sister Coral, 16, and his fellow teacher, Lottie. Although young, Coral is attuned to the voice of God and determined to follow where He leads her, even if it means leaving home to visit a convicted felon who harmed her family. I loved her conviction! Lottie doesn’t take center stage, but her actions prove her to be an encourager and supporter. Something that stood out to me throughout the narrative was how the characters use hymns and songs to talk to God and to minister to others. So often when I am praying or when I read a Scripture verse a Christian praise song or hymn comes to mind, and they can be such a beautiful part of worship!

“The Melody of the Mulberries” does not shy away from tough subjects. It deals with wedlock, race relations, and other issues that continue to be prevalent today, but it is a clean read. Each chapter begins with an epigraph that states an Appalachian folk belief and has an image of a black raspberry branch, with a leaf image used to divide the sections of each chapter. The author’s affinity for alliteration made me smile while reading. It took a few chapters for me to become accustomed to the Appalachian dialect, more so because I was reading it instead of listening to it, but I appreciated its inclusion in the characters’ dialogue because it enhanced the story’s authenticity. As such, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mountain life, godly living, evangelizing, and tackling challenging topics.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

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The Melody of the Mulberries is the second installment from the series by Tonya Jewel Blessing, Big Creek. I have not read the first book from the series, The Whispering of the Willows, but I plan to do so in the near future. With that being said, I believe this one can be read as a stand alone. Being a Appalachian Mountain girl, I really enjoyed this story. I loved getting a glimpse of what life was like in the area a century ago.

The Melody of the Mulberries is among my favorite reads of this year. I would love to read more by this author and hope there will be more in the Big Creek series. Miss Blessing has great talent of bringing to life a beautiful and inspiring story that will speak to a reader’s heart. This one is getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

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‘Different shades ain’t always about color.’

There are many different shades in the history of the Appalachian Mountains. Some of them refer to the topography but many refer to the people that spent their lives in this lovely area of 1920’s West Virginia. This is the background of the story of the Mulberry tree. They give off a beautiful smell, have delicious fruit and can be used medicinally as well. The wind through the leaves and flowers brings a melody not soon forgotten.

Book 2 in the Big Creek series allows us to get to know several new characters. Even though I have not yet read book 1, I had no trouble following the fascinating story line. There were many twists and turns, with some humor and a little romance thrown in between. The feelings of grief were realistic and hopeful. I loved the different hymns and how the author brought the faith of these people into the forefront. They leaned heavily on the authority and power of God - something that was a good reminder for me.

This ARC was received through NetGalley, Capture books and CelebrateLit. The impressions and opinions stated are my own and were in no way solicited.

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I loved returning to this series and the Appalachian style. Each chapter has a bit on their folklore, which is so much fun! I recommend reading the first book before starting this one.

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There are some books that are part of a series and it doesn't matter if you haven't read the previous titles but I wish that I had read The Whispering of the Willows first. It is the first book in the Big Creek series and I found myself sometimes faltering with this second book, The Melody of the Mulberries. I do, however, think that 'Melody' is well-written and that author Tonya Jewel Blessing has successfully captured the culture of Appalachia in the 1920s. Her characters speak with true Appalachian dialect, there are many references to West Virginia history, and I enjoyed the Appalachian Folk Beliefs that she shares at the beginning of each chapter. I also loved how she uses familiar hymns throughout her story!

The Melody of the Mulberries centers around 16 year old Coral Ashby and her family as they deal with several controversial topics. There are instances of superstition and spiritualism; inter-racial relationships and bigotry; unwed mothers; and the problems of life in general. Blessings shows their effects but she stresses that forgiveness is necessary and redemption is always possible.

This book is Christian historical fiction and it will be appealing for people who enjoy reading about Appalachian culture.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit. A positive review was not required and these are my honest opinions.

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