Book Review: Bloodroot, Amy Greene

The Plot: Myra Lamb is as wild and beautiful as the mountain she calls home.  Everyone admires her from afar, but none can come too close; until John Odom.  But when John tries to tame Myra’s spirit, the consequences are disastrous.  The curse laid on Myra’s family seems to be holding on strong.  Years before Myra was born, her great-aunt said the family would be cursed until a child with haint blue eyes was born.  When Myra was born with beautiful blue eyes, her grandmother was certain that the curse would be lifted.  But Myra is destined for a life of pain and heartache, just like the many generations before her.  Amy Greene’s Bloodroot is a heartbreaking tale of bad decisions, broken families, and the will to move on.

I simply could not put this book down.  It is a dark story, but so beautifully written that I didn’t want it to end.  Set in the mountains of Tennessee, the descriptions and dialog brought me to a place I’ve never been.  The characters and emotions were so real I felt as if the people of Bloodroot Mountain were my neighbors.  The storyline is very believable, with just enough curses and potions mixed in to allow the reader to decide if mountain magic really exists, or if some people are simply born unlucky.  The most unique part of the book, however, is the way the story is told.  Greene uses six different narrators, spanning three generations, to tell the tale.  And she does it in such a way that the reader doesn’t feel lost, but rather more involved in the story.  Fans of Wuthering Heights will love Bloodroot.  It has the same theme of all-consuming love for the wrong person.  But, without giving it away, I do have to say that I like the ending of Bloodroot better.  I give this book five stars. 

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