Under a Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry

BOOK DESCRIPTION:::

A charming and engrossing novel for fans of Southern fiction and the recent hit memoir Hillbilly Elegy about a lush and storied coal-mining town—and the good people who live there—in danger of being destroyed for the sake of profit. Will the truth about the town’s past be its final undoing or its saving grace?

1933. In the mining town of Beulah Mountain, West Virginia, two young girls form an unbreakable bond against the lush Appalachian landscape, coal dust and old hymns filling their lungs and hearts. Despite the polarizing forces of their fathers—one a mine owner, one a disgruntled miner —Ruby and Bean thrive under the tender care of Bean’s mama, blissfully unaware of the rising conflict in town and the coming tragedy that will tear them apart forever.

2004. Hollis Beasley is taking his last stand. Neighbors up and down the hollow have sold their land to Coleman Coal and Energy, but Hollis is determined to hold on to his family legacy on Beulah Mountain. Standing in his way is Buddy Coleman, an upstart mining executive who hopes to revitalize the dying town by increasing coal production and opening the Company Store Museum. He’ll pay homage to the past—even the massacre of 1933—while positioning the company for growth at all costs.

What surprises them all is how their stories will intersect with a feisty octogenarian living hundreds of miles away. When Ruby Handley Freeman’s grown children threaten her independence, she takes a stand of her own and disappears, propelling her on a journey to face a decades-old secret that will change everything for her and those she meets.

MY THOUGHTS:::

Under a Cloudless Sky was a wonderful, thought-provoking read on so many levels. Under a Cloudless Sky has an interesting intermingle of events that happened in 1933 and events of 2004, with character entwined in ways that no one saw coming. I enjoyed getting to know Ruby and Bean, children in 1933--- one the rich daughter of a mine owner, one the poor daughter of a drunk mine worker, but both of whom were kindred spirits and best friends. Each had a father, whom in his own right cared for their daughter and was trying to deal with issues in his own life. I enjoyed getting to know Ruby's children and how time had not changed Ms. Ruby in 2004.

I was intrigued in how Chris Fabry was able to entwine 2 different time frames and make them into one seamless story with powerful themes running through--- what is our relationships with our parents? How can we find hope in situations that may seem hopeless? Are we able to forgive if and when it is needed? How do we look upon "faith" in the characters and in others?  As I read the story and got more engrossed into the relationship of Ruby and Bean and the many things that they went through in their short time to know one another I thought about my own relationships with friends. As I became engrossed into the relationship that Ruby has with her own children, I began to think about the relationship that I have with my children and the relationship that I have with my parents and in-laws as they age. 

Under a Cloudless Sky is also a plain good story full of mystery, intrigue, suspense and an overwhelming sense of family love. It kept me entertained and that is important to me. Without giving away the ending, I will say that it was a powerful way to wrap up the story and not what I was expecting.  So with all these thoughts being said, I would highly recommend Under a Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry. 

DISCLAIMER:::

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are my own.