This book was a book club pick and the first book I've ever read by Donna Everhart so I wasn't sure what to expect. The Moonshiner's Daughter takes place in North Carolina in the 1960's and begins with an intense and powerful scene that drew me in immediately.
The Sasser family has been in the moonshine business for generations and this story focuses mainly on Jessie who is a teenager and like some teenagers she has an edge to her; she also holds a grudge against her father. All Jessie really wants, is to know the truth about how her mother died, but her father remains silent leaving Jessie to fill in the gaps. Jessie doesn't want anything to do with moonshine and resents her brother Merritt because he has a close bond with their father.
I like stories that make me have strong feelings for a character. Either I really like them, or I really don't like them because I'm not supposed to. I felt sorry for Jessie. She has no friends, her extended family members are not kind to her at all. In fact, they are cruel. But given all that, and even other tragic circumstances, I never felt very strong about any of the characters.
The story is ok, with some family rivalry and secrets eventually revealed, but it all kind of fell flat for me, especially since the beginning was so strong. The ending definitely had potential and I liked what the author tried to do, but I thought it could have been stronger.
I would try another book by this author and have heard good things so we will see how it goes. Content warning for eating disorders.
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