Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham

Hope Like Wildflowers
by Pepper Basham

ISBN-13: 9781636099514
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: October 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
1910s Appalachia. Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose?


My Review:
Hope Like Wildflowers is a romance set in 1917 in the Appalachia area. Kizzie was seduced by the son of the household where she worked as a maid. She honestly believed he'd marry her soon, but it slowly became clear to her that he intended her to be his mistress. She may have a nice house and scraps of attention from him, but she's scorned by many of the townsfolk and some get violent in an attempt to run her off. She struggled with how to deal with her situation, especially having a baby to support. With the help of a friendly family, she realized that God still cared about her. She chose Him and to change her ways, starting anew somewhere safe.

The Kizze that Noah meets is full of banter and is lighthearted. She quickly finds a job and a purpose, and she helps Noah understand what's going on with his overbearing brother and the mill. The main characters were likable, complex, and I cared about what happened to them. Noah and Kizzie supported each other and built each other up. But I didn't like that Noah and his mother just paid the price for Noah's brother's actions rather than forcing him to take responsibility.

There were some realism issues that kept me from getting fully immersed in the story. I find it doubtful that the brother could have gotten away with the things he did as there are safeguards against it. Also, the story started with Kizzie being chased by coyotes, which can kill small livestock but I've never heard of them being a danger to humans. Later, the snow storm was so bad that four inches of snow fell very quickly. The carriage horses struggled through the snow on icy roads. Then suddenly a horse galloped by with no problems. Also, it's unlikely the carriage could overturn on it's side in a ditch and the horses be left standing unaffected by the twisting and pull on their harness. And there were inconsistencies in places, like a wagon suddenly was a carriage, and the author didn't seem to quite know what the 'cotton mill' really did: sometimes the machines were knitting machines and others they were weaving machines. I read an Advanced Reader Copy, so some of this might be cleaned up in the final copy.

Kizzie learned to trust God with her future. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, touching story of hope and second chances.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.