BOOK REVIEW: Rock Bottom, Tennessee and Rock Bottom Rising by Kimberly Nixon

I just about never read a series out of order, but this time, I did. Reading the sequel made me determined to read book one.

(Book one) Rock Bottom, Tennessee by Kimberly Nixon is a poignant story of poverty and loss set in the Appalachian mountains in the early 1900s. In the argument between nature and nurture, the story comes down squarely on the side of nurture. The protagonist, Ruby Sullivan, was a sweet little girl, but she is subjected to a painfully hard life. Her father died the night she was born, her mother abandoned her, her brothers left home as soon as they were able, and she was brought up by her resentful grandparents. She grew up with very low self esteem and an underdeveloped sense of right and wrong.

Ruby is beautiful. She’s gifted with intelligence and a will to succeed, but little opportunity to do so. During her childhood, she excelled at schoolwork, but was often pulled from class to help on her grandparents’ farm. She had one friend, Leon, a similarly disadvantaged boy who worked part-time for her grandfather. And she had one supporter, Joseph MacCallum, the schoolteacher, who first comes to admire her smarts and her resilience, and then, falls in love with her.

Readers will sympathize with Ruby’s plight, her grasp at stability, and her inability to accept love that’s freely given. When tragedy strikes, Ruby throws caution to the wind and reaches for excitement and happiness in a self-destructive way, piling up one poor choice after another.

Based on the life-story of the author’s grandmother, Rock Bottom, Tennessee fits the story into its setting in a way that draws you in, and then tugs at your heartstrings.

The sequel, Rock Bottom Rising, is what I read first, and I highly recommend it also. Here’s my review:

Prepare to be inspired by this Depression-Era-to-WWII novel based on the adventures of the author's fascinating grandmother. Ruby Sullivan Ross, a resilient woman haunted by her past mistakes, must continually reinvent herself as she journeys from poverty, poor decisions, and dependence on crooked men to a promising life of self-sufficiency and self-respect. In Rock Bottom Rising, Nixon brings us a powerful tale of sacrifice, regret, and the redemptive power of forgiveness. Readers will feel Ruby's pain and root for her rise.