What readers think of Bloodroot, plus links to write your own review.

This is a sensitively written novel, an often tragic yet poignant depiction of life in the Appalachian mountains. Specifically Bloodroot Mountain, named after the bloodroot flower that gave Myra Lamb her name. A flower that contains the ability to heal, and also to poison.
Meet Myra, a mysterious young girl and her grandmother Byrdie, who has the "touch" that is magical and fascinating to anyone she comes in contact with. Meet four generations of strong men and women, leading difficult lives in an unforgiving atmosphere. These are unforgettable and intimate portraits of what it takes to stand up to all that life throws at them. A southern gem sparkles in these poetic and heartfelt pages.

Bloodroot is a gut wrenching, raw, tense, exquisite debut. Bloodroot has been compared to The Color Purple or the Glass Castle. For me, it is more like She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb. It is the kind of book you need to read yourself, not easy to explain. Tense, taut; powerful storytelling. I wanted Bloodroot to end so I could breathe but when it was over I wanted to go back, to savor, to ponder, to enjoy the richness of the whole once again.

There has been criticism that the shifting voices in chapters leads to confusion, but I did not feel this way at all. The voices were incredibly authentic, and although the pace was slower in the beginning the increasing tension continued to build. I was sorry to put this book down.