COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier

FIC
FRAZIER

A love story and adventure featuring Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier who walks out of a hospital ward, tired of war and senseless killing. He begins a long journey to see Ada, his sweetheart. Ada too has seen some hard times since her father's death. She has not a clue as to making the farm work and seems destined for failure until the arrival of Ruby.

Inman's trip back to his true love is long and treacherous, filled with solitude and savagery. Like Ada, Inman acquires the courage and tenacity to reach the end of his goal.

CHARMS FOR THE EASY LIFE by Kaye Gibbons

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GIBBONS

Charlie Kate was a strong southern woman. A successful midwife and self-educated doctor of the needy, she put more conventionally trained doctors to shame. She was not so successful in her marriage, however, and her husband left her and her beautiful daughter, Sophia. Sophia also married a weak man, despite her mother's advice, but he died prematurely. Fortunately, he had already fathered Margaret, the narrator of the stories of these three generations of women.

Margaret shares the stories of all three, including their doctoring adventures and their experience of World War II. Despite her own unsuccessful marriage, Charlie Kate has excellent advice for Sophia and Margaret regarding men.

Women who enjoy southern writers, humorous stories, and recent historical fiction are likely to be charmed by the no-so-easy but most interesting lives of Charlie Kate, Sophia, and Margaret.