Review: A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek, by Carol McClain

A New York Yankee on  Stinking Creek, by Carol McClain

A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek, by Carol McClain (Hummingbird Hill Press, 2019)

Mourning the sudden death of her fiancé, popular New York artist Kiara Rafferty flees to the property he had bought for her in the remote rural area of Stinking Creek, Tennessee. An outspoken atheist, Kiara is horrified by the condition of the property and even more so to discover that her nearest neighbours are a Christian pastor and his family.

Delia Mae, the pastor’s wife, is as outspoken as Kiara yet she offers help and support as Kiara struggles to find her way in this unexpectedly difficult place. The two women develop an unlikely friendship that helps them both. At one point, Delia Mae says, “We’re kindred spirits—from polar worlds.” [Chapter 19]

The collision of two cultures and belief systems, plus a Northerner encountering puzzling Southern dialects and cuisine, makes for interesting and often amusing reading. I appreciated the honest dialogue between the two women and the tentative romance between Kiara and Shann (Delia Mae’s brother-in-law).

As Kiara progresses toward faith, largely due to the consistent love demonstrated by Delia Mae, Shann, and his children, Delia Mae’s strained marriage begins to crack. While we see glimpses of her husband, Beau, as the man she fell in love with, mostly we see how rigid and demanding he’s become. We see her desiring to please God but somehow trapped in trying to please her husband and the church ladies.

This is a novel about friendship, family, love, marriage, and faith—about courage and second chances. I enjoyed the story, and it left me considering my own life for ways I might have allowed expectations, real or perceived, to rule me instead of living in God’s grace.

Carol McClain has also written Yesterday’s Poison: A Novel of Forgiveness. For more about the author and her work, visit carolmcclain.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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