REVIEW: THE MOONLIGHT SCHOOL by Suzanne Woods Fisher!

 Hey everyone!  Today I have a review for The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher.  Check out some of the basic info on the book before reading on for my review!

BLURB

Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?

As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading.

AMAZON | GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Woods Fisher loves stories worth telling about people worth remembering. With over a million copies of her book sold worldwide, this bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 books is always on the lookout for the unsung hero with an untold story.

Readers are invited to stop by Suzanne's website at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

MY REVIEW

This one is a solid 4/5 rating.  The beginning was attention-grabbing and the characters were definitely endearing.  While the narration switches through a couple different characters, their POVs and narration styles are so different that it's easy to to separate them.  The narration and dialogue stayed authentic to Appalachian slang, which really gave the book a unique touch.  While the middle seemed to sag a little bit -- not as much forward movement as I would've liked to see in the storyline -- it was still an enjoyable read and definitely thought-provoking.  I especially appreciated that the basis of the book was built on something that occurred historically (moonlight schools), which really adds some depth to the book if you keep that context in mind while you're reading.  The characters were quite dimensional and seemed to hop easily from the pages; the descriptions were vivid, and the storyline was compelling.  Definitely a good read for fans of historical fiction!