Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

  • THE MOURNING FIELDS by David Beaumier – Short Story Collection, Contemporary Relationships, Greek Myths

     

    Ancient Greek myths resonate across millennia for their keen yearnings, tragedies, and refrains on human fragility. The contemporary short stories of David Beaumier’s collection, The Mourning Fields, echo these myths in both symbol and pathos.

    Ranging from homage to magical realism, The Mourning Fields keeps a loose relationship to its Ancient Greek inspirations. These are fresh and intimate stories of trauma, loss, survival, and desire, rooted in modern life. These page-turning stories deliver genuine catharsis, drawing readers into characters whose struggles feel both timeless and urgently contemporary.

    The Mourning Fields approaches violence and bigotry with a careful mix of social commentary and mythic allusion. The collection thoughtfully handles difficult subject matter including sexual assault and domestic abuse.

    “Charon’s Crossing”, “Medusa”, “The White Pine”, and “Siren” confront violence against women, casting mythical powers as manifestations of trauma or justice. But even as Beaumier re-interprets these ancient myths, his stories don’t shy away from the more grounded subject matter. Their central characters hold readers close with the gravity of their fear, hope, and anger.

    Where allusion lays thinner, The Mourning Fields maintains its own thematic coherence. “Just Say Yes” and “The College Experience” emphasize self-deception’s capacity for harm, as in each story the hero blinds themselves to sexual assault under their own roof.

    Much of this collection’s tragedy springs from those characters who paint an ideal mirage over the real people around them.

    “Kalanchoe” shows the violation of autonomy inherent to anti-queer bigotry, but also how difficult it can be to leave an abuser whose love has been genuine in the past. The collection’s titular story mirrors the form of a classic Greek tragedy, its hero driven to pursue someone who seems so perfect for him if not for her polyamory and his own irrepressible jealousy. Each piece appreciates the nuances of its characters, even around those motivations that drive them to hurt others.

    Beaumier draws mounting pressure from the fault lines in close relationships. Characters warp love into frightening forms, calling into question what they might do when reality finally crashes down on them.

    Fitting for its chosen pantheon of myth—and especially its particular namesake—The Mourning Fields illustrates many facets of desire.

    Selfish and unchecked, desire burns through the heroes of “The Mourning Fields”, “Just Say Yes,” and “Hera”, leaving a painful emptiness in its wake. But shared freely between people, desire can bring light and even peace to their lives. In the darkness between an alley and balcony, two men welcome each other’s trespass (“Juliet on His Balcony”). The gift of music illuminates a father’s lost memories of reconciliation with his daughter and her wife (“Orpheus”). An adopted son’s academic passion helps him accept the love his parents offer (“Last Wish”).

    Many of these stories explore the terrible consequences of a person trying to possess someone else in the supposed name of love. The Mourning Fields shows that true connection can only be made with an open hand.

    Beaumier’s prose builds a strong sense of place, rooting characters in their moment.

    Sensory description flows through them, taking on the weight of their emotion. The perpetual stickiness of a dive bar that glows in strange orange light, its signature drink stained by the taste of decay. Familiar streets and hallways become an exhausting labyrinth. Whether drawn from locations real or mystical, these settings feel lived-in, as if they’ve seen the cycles of their myths play out before.

    Rich in its contemporary setting, mythic parallel, and characters walking between the two, The Mourning Fields by David Beaumier stirs empathy and delivers catharsis. Readers of mythology and contemporary fiction will find each of these short journeys affecting both in their own right and as a collection.

     

  • SHE WHO RIDES HORSES: A Saga of the Ancient Steppe Book One by Sarah V. Barnes – Historical Fiction, Ancient World, Horse Fiction

     

    Wild horses race across the ancient Pontic-Caspian Steppe, hunted by predators and pastoral clans. But in Sarah V. Barnes’s She Who Rides Horses, Naya, daughter of a clan chief, ventures beyond the understanding of her people to form a bond of true partnership with a young filly.

    Naya spends day and night watching a wild herd, drawn to a filly who shares her burning red hair and a dream of purpose to be found between them. But, nearing adulthood, Naya will soon be expected to marry and likely leave her clan for another. Her mother Sata and grandmother Ajiwa conspire to give Naya the chance to prove that she can forge a bond with the wild horses like those her people treasure with their livestock.

    Though she has a vibrant will and the promise of a mystical vision behind her, Naya risks much more than social standing to ride the red filly.

    An accident leaves Naya terribly injured, separated from most of her clan on their migration south, and caught on the steppe as winter winds howl. Sata has only two mistrusted strangers—travelers Oyuun and Aytal—and a few sleds of spare supplies to watch over her daughter throughout moons of cold and hunger. But in the midst of the snow, a familiar band of horses draws near their camp.

    Through the wondrous vistas of the spirit world, the precarity of survival, and the choice whether to forgive the young man who wounded her, Naya reawakens to her dream of becoming She Who Rides Horses.

    Barnes fleshes out the Pontic-Caspian Steppe of 4000 BCE with complex and well-researched societies.

    Naya’s people live with a palpable connection to the natural world. Their relationships to plants, animals, and the landscape itself show how comprehensively their pastoral lifestyle shapes both daily life and culture. She Who Rides Horses explores the power structures in such a society, with Naya’s father Potis balancing his influence against that of the clan’s priests who claim sole access to the realm of the spiritual—something which Naya herself could threaten.

    Barnes builds this story on an impressive foundation of historic research for such a long-gone time. Drawing from archaeological and genomic findings, she presents a fictional but realistic setting for such a monumental development as the early domestication of the horse. The words and names of her characters even reference the Proto-Indo-European language, among those of other nearby cultures. For lovers of ancient history, Barnes includes a list of references on her author website.

    This historical detail comes through in colorful descriptions of every location and the tasks required to live within them. Wilderness and pockets of human settlement alike become palpable. As this world flows through the senses of each character, it reveals more about them both.

    She Who Rides Horses stands out for its central cast caught between conflicting burdens and desires.

    Naya and Sata share a painful distance from their own culture. Sata yearns for the far-away people of her childhood, and Naya bucks against patriarchal limitations while hoping that her elders can learn to appreciate the horses as she does. Oyuun, having lost his beloved many years ago, finds a connection growing between himself and Sata that could tear the bonds of both of their lives. Aytal gives up everything that he can in pursuit of forgiveness, even if it means turning away from his own purpose.

    Each must find their true path forward, and decide which responsibilities to drop from their shoulders—or which to take on.

    She Who Rides Horses switches between these characters’ perspectives, showing a more rounded view of their ancient world. No two have the same thoughts on their societies or relationships. The more readers learn of these disparate people along their shared journey, the more deeply they’ll care for each of them.

    For anyone interested in ancient history, nuanced character-driven stories, or of course our world-changing equine companions, She Who Rides Horses by Sarah V. Barnes will satisfy and fascinate in equal measure.

    Readers will gladly bound right into the second book of the Saga of the Ancient Steppe, A Clan Chief’s Daughter.

     

     

  • LILY’S MYSTERIOUS ODYSSEY by Anne Lacourrege, Illustrated by Joshua Wichterich – Picture Books, Children’s Adventure Books, Children’s History Books

     

    Lily’s Mysterious Odyssey by Anne Lacourrege, illustrated by Joshua Wichterich, follows a young girl named Lily through her dreaming nautical adventure.

    Homes hold onto the history of their families. With only herself to play with in her family’s old house, Lily comes across a hidden chest of antique keepsakes, unaffected by generations of storms and floods across the New Orleans coastal area. Lily and her parents soon find even more items hidden away that paint the history of 1800s sailor Captain Harry and his family.

    That night, Lily dreams of Captain Harry’s daughter, Anne, who invites Lily to see her father’s ship. Lily’s mysterious odyssey truly begins as the ship sets sail with Lily still on board. She soon finds herself on an journey to Greece, where she learns about Greek culture and its similarities to her home when a Mediterranean cyclone hits.

    Joshua Wichterich’s watercolor illustrations, especially the beautiful landscapes of Greece, add an enchanting and lively feel to the story.

    His artistic style has a nostalgic quality to it that will appeal to older siblings and parents of young readers as well as the young readers too.

    Anne Lacourrege’s literary voyage encourages readers both to dive into the history of their own surroundings and learn about other cultures.

    Embracing the differences and similarities between ourselves and others builds compassion and is an important lesson for children. Readers will grow curious about what life was like a few hundred years ago, and what it’s like in other parts of the world.

    Anne Lacourrege ends Lily’s Mysterious Odyssey, “One never knows what stories lie in the heart of old homes if the wall could actually talk,” leaving readers with an invitation to seek out the stories that are all around us.

     

  • BIOCHEMISTRY For POETS LIVING In A CELL by Hari Hyde – Poetry Collections, Physiology, Nature Poetry

     

    Hari Hyde’s Biochemistry for Poets Living in a Cell encourages readers to reach beyond the scientific discourse and explore humanity through this collection of poems for creative intention.

    Written for lovers of science who enjoy poetry with a lyrical word play focused on all the interconnected workings of our physiology, these poems discover at the core of every one of us all the minutia of functions through the lens of a scientist. They create a conversation with the substructures that drive our nervous system as in, “Nerve Storm of GABA,” say, or our circulatory system, “L-asparaginase: Juggler in Bondage,” for example, or a virus such as the flu as it enters our body and proceeds to infect, as in “Influenza Virus Traitor.”

    This collection stands as a love poem that, within each vignette, explores the building blocks of what it is to be human, cell by cell.

    These poems meld science with poetic form in a way that only a talented scientist can achieve, and his mastery of both science and writing craft shine in this thoughtful assembly.

    Hyde’s latest collection of poems was written to explore the science behind what it means to be human beginning at the cellular level with “A Night in New Orleans with L10A Protein” and “The Inner Outpost of the Cell.”

    Hyde’s poems imagine the world at a subatomic level. He populates this world with actually occurring phenomena, as in “Microbiome Gangland,” or “Enzymes: Militant Maniacs.” Readers will enjoy the fun he has with his subject matter and witness his mastery in biotechnology shining through each stanza.

    Readers will see the poetic beauty in “Keratin, Fur, and Fun,” or the reality of aging in “The Heart’s Cold Clock.” Hyde’s expertise as poet coupled with his career as a research director in the biotechnology industry for three decades shines through each line as he explores the science behind the cellular structure of the average human as seen through the eyes of a poet.

    As a seasoned-published author, Hyde has honed his craft of short stories and poetry to deliver satisfying reads in several genres. This work will not disappoint. Fans of poetry, science, or fans of Hari Hyde himself will count this as another valuable addition to their collection. Five-Stars

     

  • LANDER’S GATE by Kevin S. Moul – Supernatural Suspense, Conspiracy Thriller, Mystical

    What fears, desires, passions, and talents in our bodies are shaped by past cycles? Lander’s Gate by Kevin S. Moul merges such Buddhist teachings of reincarnation with suspenseful fantasy into a riveting thriller.

    Lander Gate has the ability to access others’ past lives and relive that experience with them, spinning new stories that change the course of their futures. Through its cinematic setting and rich language, Lander’s Gate encourages readers to remain curious about their past lives and current passions.

    Our window to Lander opens on October 26th, 2009. A bruised and battered man wakes up on the street without any memories, only a hospital bracelet with the name “Lander Gate” and the strange ability to walk through the stories of others’ past lives.

    Despite his unfortunate circumstances, Lander is determined to make the best out of his situation. Somewhat aware that his experience in Wrimo Hospital was haunted by extreme violence, Lander hides on the streets of Phoenix, Arizona. He learns to endure the discrimination faced by the houseless community, trading support for his newfound skills at life-changing storytelling.

    In experiencing moments of others’ past lives, Lander makes himself vulnerable to overwhelming emotion but wields a vast amount of affective power.

    He solves past and future crimes, inspires people to locate their hidden talents, and reaches into people’s psyches to reveal the origin of their deepest fears. However, Lander’s powers drain him even as they save his life. Each time he makes contact with another’s past, they spiral into a doubled experience that merges the present and the past. “You can think of it as being in two times at the same place,” Lander explains. He must walk the line between using his talents for the benefit of his community and drowning in an infinite pool of the past.

    Along the way, Lander gathers a collection of friends who benefit from his gifts and join him on his mission to understand his own origins and destroy Wrimo Hospital’s evil core: the powerful Dr. Aradice. Tracing the story of Aradice’s past medical abuse and finding empowerment between the lines, Lander learns to understand his power, accept his story, and receive love from others.

    Lander’s Gate is steeped in enlightening Buddhist principles that allow readers to imagine a humanity built on shared experiences, intentional care, and honesty.

    Readers who are drawn to morally complex narratives, Eastern philosophy, and action-packed mystery will find Lander’s Gate by Kevin S. Moul impossible to put down.

     

  • A BLANKET Of STEEL: The Rise of Oceania Book 6 by Timothy S. Johnston – Techno Thriller, Global Thriller, Sci-fi

     

    In the year 2131, some people are now living in large underwater cities. They are free from the surface world’s rapidly deteriorating climate, overpopulation, rebellion, and dictatorships—but not its violent powers. In Timothy S. Johnston’s A Blanket of Steel, the fledgling marine union Oceania might be crushed from above, if it isn’t torn apart from within.

    Most of the great upper world countries want to maintain a tight yoke on the water world, hungry for their mining resources and advanced technology. Massive warships from the world’s top terrestrial nations—China, Russia, and others—are assembling on the surface.

    Truman McClusky, mayor of Trieste City off the Florida coast, declares the formation of Oceania to bring the 14 underwater cities together. Defense is their top priority. But within minutes of the announcement, a massive power blackout strikes Trieste. Is it an accident or an opening salvo?

    A war with the upper world is only one of McClusky’s problems, as subtler enemies circle him in the water.

    His chief of security, Cliff Sim, undertook a top-secret mission to a mysterious stretch of Oceania, and is murdered in a brutal fight. His murderer may be one of the world’s most ruthless killers, known as Steel Shiv—but why? Answering the questions of Cliff’s death might take dredging up the true nature of his mission.

    Speculation about the murder turns to Ivan Arkady Ventinov, the captain of a Russian dreadnaught, one of the largest undersea subs in existence. He has vowed to reap vengeance on McClusky at any cost for the destruction of his former vessel.

    Closer to home, three representatives from other undersea cities join McClusky in his upcoming fight with the land-based powers. But with Cliff’s death, and the dawning realization that information from inside Trieste is being leaked to the city’s enemies, McClusky suspects that one of the three city representatives is a spy. They could even be the Steel Shiv himself.

    The tension builds when Cliff’s mission is uncovered—he was searching for a substance called “graphene.” As a coating for the exterior of undersea vessels, this super-substance could allow them to brave further into the ocean’s depths than ever before.

    Warring nations, rogue international forces, would-be assassins; McClusky must battle with all of these forces at once.

    Fast paced and fully imagined, Timothy S. Johnston’s tale of underwater cities illustrates political dynamics only a few small steps from our own. But it’s also a personal story of trust, friendship and betrayal. A Blanket of Steel marries its science fiction setting and human conflicts to create a complex and rapidly changing world.

    A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Global Thriller Awards.

     

  • NEVER OUTMATCHED: Military Strategies to Lead Innovate and Win in the Modern Marketing Battlefield by Lee Pepper – Business Strategy, Leadership, Marketing

     

    Part leadership manual, part tactical playbook, Never Outmatched: Military Strategies to Lead, Innovate, and Win in the Modern Marketing Battlefield by Lee Pepper blends military wisdom and modern insight into sharp, grounded business guidance.

    Pepper draws heavily from his dual experience as an army officer and a high-level marketing executive, offering more than just inspiration. Never Outmatched is a practical, story-driven guide that borrows from the discipline, mindset, and adaptability of military strategy.

    Lee Pepper distills years of hard-won experience into a collection of mental models designed to help leaders act decisively even when the odds feel stacked against them or the path ahead unclear. Strategies like “Commander’s Intent” teach you how to lead with vision while empowering your team to move independently. “Force Multiplication” shows how to get more from the people and tools you already have, and “War-Gaming” helps you anticipate problems before they hit.

    Never Outmatched is not a book of buzzwords or silver bullets but a steady, reliable companion for anyone trying to lead well under pressure or turn obstacles into forward momentum.

    Lee Pepper writes with the kind of clarity that only comes from having actually served in the military and thrived in business. The prose is confident but conversational, crisp in delivery and never sterile. Pepper doesn’t bog you down in jargon; when he introduces a military term or historic reference he gives it context, then connects it back to the messy, real-world problems business leaders face today.

    The structure is tidy and intuitive, with each chapter written like a mission briefing, complete with strategy, application, and action steps. Pepper builds a kind of conceptual world where military models make marketing feel navigable rather than nebulous. It’s not a narrative in the traditional sense, but the through-line “never be outmatched” serves as a rallying cry that gives the book emotional cohesion.

    So often, similar books talk about innovation and strategy in vague, glossy terms but Pepper drills down into decision-making without perfect information, managing people who are resistant to change, and motivating a team when you’re outgunned in budget, resources, or time. These are not just metaphors. He literally thrived in stressful situations where acting fast meant succeeding in the field and in the boardroom, and he now shapes that wisdom to keep it relevant to building a marketing campaign or navigating office politics.

    If you’ve ever felt like the marketing world is a little too much like a battlefield—chaotic, high-stakes, and constantly shifting—then Never Outmatched might just be the field manual you didn’t know you needed.

    This is a resource that acknowledges failures and false starts, as well as the fear and imposter syndrome that can creep in especially when you’re a new leader trying to prove yourself.

    Never Outmatched: Military Strategies to Lead, Innovate, and Win in the Modern Marketing Battlefield by Lee Pepper is a call to stop waiting for perfect conditions, to act with intention, and most importantly, to never let yourself be outmatched even when you’re outnumbered.

     

  • THE REALM Of GODS: The Chronicles of Chaos Book 3 by Glen Dahlgren – Epic Fantasy, YA, Action/Adventure

    The Realm of Gods, book three of Glen Dahlgren’s The Chronicles of Chaos series strikes a delicate balance. It has the familiar hallmarks of fantasy: swords and sorcery, daring and disaster. Yet it also subverts expectations, avoiding a too-simple “good versus evil” narrative.

    The gods wield phenomenal power, able to make their whims reality, but can be as fickle and foolish as any human. Mortal lives are inextricably intertwined with their gods, for better or worse. Even the “faithless”, who lack direct connections to the gods, are exploited and oppressed by the elaborate religious structures around them.

    But there are some humans who imagined a better way, and then fought for it. The Realm of Gods begins in the aftermath of this grand battle.

    A rebel group has managed to banish the implacable gods of Order by using the oppositional forces of Chaos. Banishing the gods might have been the right choice, but it cost some lives and left a complicated mess behind. Now, it’s up to the remaining characters to heal the world’s wounds as best they can.

    A young girl named Eve emerges as the hero of this story, facing a chain of god-related consequences she accidentally sets off.

    This book is fast-moving and action-focused—perfect for holding the attention of its younger target audience.

    Dahlgren switches perspectives rapidly, weaving the viewpoints of different characters to move the story forward. A few viewpoints are surprising: even a truly detestable character gets a chance to show things from his perspective. There’s no lack of suspense as we switch from character to character and even world to world, waiting to see how all the pieces fit together.

    Sometimes, those pieces come together literally. Dahlgren’s experience as a video game designer shines through in pivotal moments when two main characters, while navigating a complex unfinished temple, must solve puzzles to reach their destination. Following along as they figure it out is almost as satisfying as solving the puzzle yourself.

    Author Glen Dahlgren has younger readers in mind, but the complex story he’s woven has lots to love for readers of all ages, and plenty of surprises along the way.

    As the last in the series, The Realm of Gods delivers unexpected and compelling turns of fate for several beloved characters.

    Dahlgren’s certainly left the possibility of a sequel open. However, in this for-now-final book, he offers closure to the story with a few twists left up his sleeve. The characters seem just as surprised by how things turn out as many readers will be.

    Dahlgren also pays off the series’ longstanding questions. The gods are real in this world, but it wasn’t always that way. When two characters explore a magical realm called the Dreaming, they find they can visit scenes from the past, learning how the gods of Order came to life—in a very unexpected way. Just as the gods can be brought into the world, they can also be banished. But are they eternally bound to return, or can this world be rid of them for good?

    Multiple storylines meet as a team assembles around Eve, determined to help her enact her solution to the god problem.

    A world with too much Order needs the force of Chaos to keep it in check. Eve and her friends will have to go far beyond the boundaries of the known world to find the Chaos they seek, bringing the universe back into balance.

    Eve’s plan isn’t perfect. Problems arise and mistakes are made. In the end, not everyone ends up quite where they were supposed to be. But as the book winds down, there’s plenty of happiness to be had in The Realm of Gods. Dahlgren lingers on joyous reunions and newly-discovered talents, giving readers one last moment to bask in his vibrant world. His characters bring one saga to a close and begin a new journey. Though readers can’t come with them down this new path, it’s a satisfying parting nonetheless.

    The Realm of Gods by Glen Dahlgren won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction.

     

  • IT’S YOUR TURN: How to Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being & Thrive with Purpose by Shari Biery – Personal Transformation, Women’s Self-Help, Midlife Change

     

    Blue and Gold First Place Winner Badge for Mind & Spirit AwardsThe detailed and actionable guide, It’s Your Turn by Shari Biery, encourages women to reclaim the time and space they deserve in life from the slow creep of demands like home, childcare, and supporting a spouse’s career.

    To help women take “their turn,” much of this book is devoted to slowing down: why, how, and when to do it. Even its conversational writing style is an invitation to do so. It’s Your Turn leads readers to reflect, assess, and make effective changes in their lives. This isn’t a quick-hit self-help book, but a meditation for navigating midlife flux amid marriage and family responsibilities.

    Biery draws on her own experiences living through many challenges frequently encountered by modern women. She struggled most with balancing personal needs and family responsibilities. Biery’s own needs and dreams long fell by the wayside in favor of managing her household and supporting her husband with his career in the military. With It’s Your Turn, she hopes to share her process of reclaiming those needs and dreams and reclaiming her well-being.

    It’s Your Turn is loosely organized around Biery’s “C.A.L.M. method.” Through Clarity, Awareness, Learning, and Mindset, she teaches women how to carve out necessary space for themselves.

    After Part I sets the book’s intentions, Part II guides readers through the C.A.L.M. method. Then, Part III helps them reenter the world to “embrace your turn.” Throughout the book, boxed text inserts offer actionable tidbits like questions to reflect on and even a self-care game. This format invites readers to break out the highlighters and sticky notes, adding their own marks to the parts that resonate with them most.

    Some of the lessons are more widely applicable than others. Biery is a military wife, and certain advice is clearly designed for military spouses in particular, including a list of military spouse resources near the end. Yet other advice, like a detailed guide to journaling, can truly apply to anyone.

    This book focuses its advice for family-oriented women who want to find more balance and self-care in their lives.

    It’s Your Turn isn’t intended as a guide for decision making about looming relationship difficulties, major financial issues, or long-term career and education choices, although women navigating divorce, business failure, and other major catastrophes may still find benefits here. Biery occasionally touches on more serious issues like health problems but is careful to stay within her realm of expertise.

    Clever use of anecdotes adds to the messages of well-being in It’s Your Turn. The chapters begin with windows into real people’s lives which illustrate Biery’s advice in action.

    Some anecdotes are drawn from Biery’s career as a health and wellness coach, while others come from her own life. In one instance, Biery uses her experience navigating the Covid-19 pandemic as an example for slowing down daily routines to bring clarity to what one truly need in life.

    The advice shared in It’s Your Turn is given by a qualified expert who has used these methods to successfully make changes in her own life, and the welcoming, encouraging, and authentic anecdotes make it feel as if the reader and the author were supportive friends chatting over a cup of coffee. A wonderful combination for delivering the message that “It’s Your Turn.”

    It’s Your Turn by Shari Biery won First Place in the 2024 CIBA Mind & Spirit Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction.

     

  • MIRACLE On The MOUNTAIN: An Appalachian Christmas by Gail Heath, illustrated by Barabash Sviatoslav – Children’s Books, Holidays & Miracles, Picture Books

     

    Gail Heath’s Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas shares a message of love and redemption through the heart-warming tale of Granny, a faithful, disciplined, and generous Appalachian woman.

    On a blustery winter day, Granny starts down her home’s snowy, mountain landscape to attend Christmas Eve service in the village. When her dog, Shep, wanders off, Granny runs into Pete. The young man uses firewood collecting as an excuse to not attend service, hiding a deeper motive beneath.

    Granny asks after his grandfather, who is in the midst of a long recovery after being attacked by a boar. Pete is forlorn, casting aspersions at Granny’s message that a miracle may yet happen, especially on this of all nights. Sensing his loss of faith, Granny offers Pete a few cups of her warm chicory as she regales the miracle on the mountain she witnessed ten years ago that made her a true believer.

    In Granny’s tale, a cantankerous man named Luster appears one spring on Granny’s mountain. He lives in a ramshackle cabin with his dog and complains any time Granny makes noise. Following the guidance of her upbringing, Granny campaigns to sweat out Luster’s gruffness with kindness and prayer, but to no avail. By winter, Granny has left it up to the Lord to thaw the man’s misery.

    On Christmas Eve, a snowy night much like the one ten years later, Granny feels the Lord encouraging her to visit her solitary neighbor.

    She walks through the storm with a fresh loaf of bread to wish Luster a merry Christmas, which earns her his hottest bout of temper yet. The grinch refuses any of Granny’s warmth, and she reconciles that she can do no more, deciding Luster has no heart to be touched.

    Later that night a tragedy befalls the village. Granny offers her warm home and hot chicory to a sheriff and his volunteers searching for a lost child. She seeks out Luster once again, hoping he would lend his mass and strength to the search effort, but his shack is empty. Luster’s hound, Shep, bounds through the snow and coaxes Granny to follow him. Together, they brave the wintery weather, and Granny encounters a miracle beyond her imagination.

    What makes Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas special is its simplicity alongside the sharpness of Heath’s writing craft.

    With lively characters in Granny and Luster and dialogue that stays true the spirit of Appalachian character, the reader gets everything they need to feel Granny’s message in their hearts.

    The artwork from Barabash Sviatoslav creates an immersive Christmas atmosphere through detailed backgrounds that place readers firmly in the heart of an Appalachian winter. Each scene radiates warmth despite the mountain chill, inviting readers to step into Granny’s world of snow-covered cabins and frosted landscapes. The characters are portrayed with dynamic energy, their active poses drawing readers directly into the unfolding story and making them feel part of each scene’s emotional moment.

    Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas by Gail Health expresses the spirit of Christmas through a fresh perspective.

    Its message isn’t confined to one set of beliefs. Friendship, understanding, and sacrifice may be protected by people in ways we don’t always understand, but even at times when we’ve given up hope a surprise may just remind us that miracles do happen, sometimes where we least expect.