RENDER UNTO THE VALLEY by Rose Senehi

Karen Godwell grows up ashamed of her Appalachian heritage. Karen does not know who her father is and her mother flits from one boyfriend to another, some of whom are abusive and from whom Karen tries to protect her brother and sister. After Karen’s mother abandons her children, Karen and her brother and sister are raised by their grandparents, frugal people who are hard-working and expect the same from their grandchildren. Karen leaves her past behind when she goes to college and works hard at losing her accent and reinventing herself. Years later, she holds a prestigious job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and lives a luxurious lifestyle. After her husband dies from cancer, Karen learns her brother has placed her grandmother in a nursing home and taken all her money and property. She packs up and, with her daughter, moves back to the mountains, intent on making things right. But her brother harbors a dark secret about Karen, one she has tried to forget, and now Karen must decide whether to do the right thing concerning her grandmother or risk losing everything if the secret is told. Rose Senehi is known and appreciated for incorporating environmental issues into her stories which are rich with historical and geographical detail. Karen is a woman hardened by her earlier life with a chip on her shoulder and anger issues. However, one empathizes with her feelings about her past and her conflict over protecting a brother whom she loves yet knows is mentally unbalanced and evil at heart. The characters surrounding Karen are well-developed and it is interesting that several are based on actual persons. The cultural and historical aspects of the Western North Carolina Appalachian region are intriguing and a welcome bonus to this compelling story.

IN THE SHADOWS OF CHIMNEY ROCK BY ROSE SENEHI

IN THE SHADOWS OF CHIMNEY ROCK
By Rose Senehi
Ingalls Publishing Group
197 New Market Center #135
Boone, NC 28607
www.ingallspublishinggroup.com
ISBN: 9781932158830
Paperback, 292 pages, $15.95
Genre: Fiction


Hayden Taylor Parks’ life has been in turmoil since the death of her child and subsequent estrangement from her husband. Hayden grew up never having known her father and is shocked to learn that he only recently passed away. In an attempt to learn more about her father, Hayden moves to his home in Chimney Rock, NC and takes over the art gallery he owned while trying to decide what to do with the 400-acre tract of land she inherited from him. Ben Beckham is a former pro football player who recently lost his wife. After taking a position with Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Ben meets with Hayden in an effort to persuade her not to turn the land over to developers. The two become friends and are drawn to one another, but neither feels ready to make the first move. While going through her father’s things, Hayden discovers evidence that he may have been involved in illegal activity. In an effort to redeem his reputation, she unknowingly places her life and the disposition of her father’s land in danger.

Rose Senehi draws her readers into the majestic expanse of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, creating a powerful story about one woman’s journey to overcome grief and tragedy and begin a new life. Senehi’s knowledge of the region shines through in vivid detail, with colorful descriptive and instructive geographical data. Her gentle nudge regarding conserving this magnificent area is well understood and appreciated. Characters are well-developed and the plot engaging and suspenseful. Highly recommended.