A well-written and heart-warming story about two girls that are thrown together and their experiences, from dealing with a world of war and unravel a mystery of disappearing men. ( )

Set in North Carolina during WWII, All the Little Hopes by author Leah Weiss is a beautiful coming-of-age story of two young girls, Bert (Allie Bert) and Lucy. Bert has grown up in the mountains and was sent by hr father to live with her aunt but her aunt’s mental health is deteriorating and she is becoming increasingly volatile. When Bert meets Lucy, the daughter of a fairly prosperous farmer, they quickly become best friends despite the differences between them and soon she is living with them, not just as a friend but, under the warmth and wisdom of her ‘adopted’ mother, a part of the family.

The story alternates between the different voices and points of view of the two girls and it follows them from their meeting in 1941 to the end of the war. It is a rare writer who can make children seem real - Stephen KIng is one and Leah Weiss is clearly another - the girls have distinct and complex personalities. They argue frequently and, especially in the case of Lucy, display petty jealousy occasionally but their friendship never falters. They also show an adventurous side and I quite enjoyed their attempts to solve a mystery just like Nancy Drew.. Along with the girls, there are many other well-drawn characters who help to move the story along.

All the Little Hopes gives a finely drawn portrait of a particular time and place and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the details of life in war time, in sickness, and in grief, drawing the reader into the story completely.. There is also a mystery that runs through it, the solution of which is somewhat bittersweet but fitting. This is a wonderfully written story of the joy and strength of friendship and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )

This WW II historical fiction, set in N. Carolina, is a lovely family saga featuring two pre-teens thrown together by circumstance and bound by mutual admiration. Bert, from a poor mountain holler, is sent across the state to live with her sister in a small Inner Banks town upon the death of her mother. Lucy, one of five children of a relatively prosperous tobacco farmer and beekeeper, rescues Bert from her violent brother-in-law and mentally ill sister, and Lucy's parents bring Bert into the family's warm circle. The girls are a week apart in age but totally different in personality: Bert, bereft of education and attention, thrives on the energy, gentleness, and wisdom of her adopted mother; and Lucy, eye open to the privilege she’s always taken for granted. The war is a painful limitation, and there's the never-ending fear for the local men who are serving, which is heightened by the construction of a prison camp for captured Germans on the outskirts of town. Despite the circumstances, the girls have fine adventures as they investigate several mysterious disappearances a la their idol Nancy Drew. The best parts of the novel feature Bert's lessons in learning not to be a thief and Lucy's discovery of the beauty of Bert's mountain home, when the girls travel to her father's funeral. This is an absorbing novel of the power and joy of friendship. ( )

Once again Leah Weiss has woven her magic by creating a story about Southern family. She has chosen the Browns, a farming family with lots of members, a loving devoted mother, a hardworking progressive thinking father and a gaggle of children on the cusp of becoming the next generation. The location is a tobacco farm in North Carolina. The timing encompasses WWII. The characters have their own voice and Lucy prevails with her ten dollar words and her desire to roam.

One day Allie Bert Tucker, with her atrocious table manners and strange dialect, crosses paths with Lucy. “Bert” (as she is wont to be called) is from over the mountains landing in this strange place to help with her Aunt Violet’s household. But something is way off with her Aunt and Bert and is subsequently embraced by the Brown family. She becomes the catalyst that changes and moves the story. Who wouldn’t love the dotty Aunt Fanniebelle and the “arcane” Trula Freed and her dog Biscuit, Tiny Junior, the Mayhews and The Velveteen Rabbit. We live with these people through, war and loss, sickness, fear, premonitions and “the sight”showing tremendous strength of character. Unique for the depth of kindness imbued in the characters I could only marvel at how strongly I related to everything. I loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a copy. ( )

My two favorite genres are historical fiction and southern fiction. So this book set in North Carolina in the early 1940s was a perfect book for me. It's one of few books that after I read the last page, I wanted to go back and read it for the first time again. I am probably one of the few people who hasn't read this author's first book but as soon as I finished this book down, I ordered If the Creek Don't Rise from Amazon.

The story is told from the POV of two thirteen year old girls. Lucy lives in the eastern part of NC with her family. She is a reader and a lover of Nancy Drew mysteries. She loves to learn and is always using difficult words. Allie Bert Tucker , known as Bert, is from the mountains of NC. After her mother died in childbirth, she was sent to the eastern part of the state to help an aunt she'd never met. She felt like she was the reason that her mother died and looked at this trip as a banishment from her family. "My punishment is exile from my homeland." (p 22) When Lucy and Bert meet for the first time, they decide to be friends. Eventually, the living arrangements with her aunt changes and Bert goes to live with Lucy's family. All sorts of strange happenings in the town - a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking - Lucy decides that she and Bert can be Nancy Drew and solve the mysteries. Bert isn't so sure of this but agrees because they are friends. The two girls spend their days working with bee hives because their father has a contract from the government for beeswax and in their free time, they work to solve the mysteries in town. The more they try to learn about what's going on, the more the mysteries continue to happen.

This book is a picture of a small southern town in the 40s. Along with the two main characters, there are lots of other characters - from Lucy's nurturing mom to the quirky Trula Freed who can tell the future. The main lesson that Lucy and Bert learn is that family is made up not just through blood but also through the people who love and care about you.

Fantastic southern fiction!

Thanks to Book Browse for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. ( )