Ghost On Black Mountain by Ann Hite

Nellie Clay marries Hobbs Pritchard against her Mama's wishes at the tender age of only seventeen.

 

"she saw my future in her tea leaves: death."

 

He is eight years older than her and they move to the Appalachia Black Mountain to live. Nellie should have listened to her Mama's wise words, Hobbs isn't a nice man, as his new bride gradually realises. Not long after moving into her new house Nellie starts to see ghosts and finds out that, although a powerful man on the mountain, Hobbs is disliked by most people and with good reason too.

The story is set during the depression and told through the voices of five women who are all connected in some way including Nellie and spans different generations. Hers is the first part in the book and my favourite as well but they're all gripping. Ghost On Black Mountain is Southern fiction story telling at it's best, a book to pick up and lose yourself in and one that I didn't want to end.

 

Rating: 5 out of 5