My Never Ending List

I always thought that bad luck came in threes but for Jubilee, it just never let up.  When she was two her mama died of tuberculosis and her brother decides to quit school to take care of her.  Being only eleven, Paul acts older than most men and with their father walking around like a “lost soul,” Paul has a lot of responsibilities.  Making due on his promise he made to his mother, Paul takes great care of his sister.  His father does not want Paul to become a coal miner like himself, so he makes Paul promise to study hard so he can move away from the dreaded mountain and find respectable work. A few years pass and the foreman is at the door letting the children know their father has had an accident and he is not longer among the living.  Forced from the mountain, the children head to VA to find an aunt they hope will care for them.  Hope, a big word when they have nothing. While applying for a job in town, a holdup gets Paul into the line of fire and leaves Jubilee alone and confused.  Ethan Allen sees Jubilee and he takes her home to his grandma. Jubilee and Paul are the strangers in town, add that to the holdup that just occurred at the area shopping market and you have some great gossip for a small town. But with Jubilee’s sweet nature, Ethan Allen and grandma’s determination, the story is just getting started.

When reading one of Bette Lee’s stories, there is this natural flow and comfort. It’s like someone is telling you the story over a cup of coffee and you are sitting back and listening, There are those shocking moments where you want to say, “you don’t say” and continue on but otherwise you feel secure and content.  In Jubilee’s Journey, I didn’t know how much more turmoil the two children could take. When they finally made it to VA, I had mixed feeling on what their aunt would do once she saw them but when Paul left Jubilee sitting on the bench, I was thinking, Paul what are you doing?  The story kept getting deeper and their journey was widening branching off grabbing everyone they made contact with.  She had me, they all had me, and I had taken the ride down the mountain with the children.   

I won a copy of this book from Fundinmental.com.  Thank you Sherry and Bette Lee Crosby.