Book Review: The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart

My Rating:

3.5⭐

Set in the depression-era South, The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart gives us a look into the turpentine industry and the people employed in the work camps around the pine forests. The story revolves around Rae Lynn Cobb and Delwood ‘Del’ Reese both of whom find themselves under the employ of the Swallow Hill work camp in Georgia. Del has a working knowledge of the trade, his parents having once worked in a similar camp when he was a child. However, before Swallow Hill, he was employed on a farm where his promiscuous misadventures with the wives of his boss and coworkers got him into trouble. Rae Lynn ,recently widowed under tragic circumstances, once ran a small-scale turpentine farm with her late husband . In an attempt to escape her previous life she on the run and ends up at the Swallow Hill camp.

Disguised as a man “Ray Cobb” she seeks employment and is put to work with the rest of the men. She finds it difficult to keep up with the men in the labor intensive work required of the job, which places her in the crosshairs of Crow, one of the most vile overseers who also has an issue with Del on account of Del’s easy demeanor and fair treatment of all the workers in the camp, irrespective of the color of their skin. 'Ray' and Del meet and gradually become friends, with Del even saving 'Ray'’s life when Crow metes out particularly harsh punishment for Ray being unable to meet the requisite daily quota. The narrative alternates between Rae Lynn and Del’s PoVs and takes us through their backstories and describes the difficult working conditions in the camps and the cruelty that some of the overseers inflict on the workers. The story also explores racism and misogyny in both the workplace and society in general. The pace does falter in places but overall, the story is engaging.

I enjoyed Rae Lynn's story most of all. Her friendship with Cornelia “Nellie”, the wife of the abusive Otis who owns and operates the commissary in the camp, was one of the brighter tracks in what was mostly a dark and melancholic narrative. However, the romantic track between Del and Rae Lynn felt a bit forced and I felt Del’s story was left somewhat undeveloped. What is described as a significant moment in Del’s life, a moment that had a life-changing impact, is not explored in much depth and is mentioned only in passing in the latter part of the novel. But overall I did enjoy the story and was impressed with the writing. . This is a very well-researched novel with vivid imagery and a realistic portrayal of characters and their motivations. Heartbreaking yet insightful and informative, The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart tells a story of friendship, hope and survival in an era of economic hardship and societal injustice wherein one struggled to simply stay alive and earn a living under the most adverse conditions.

This was my first Donna Everhart novel and I look forward to reading more of her work.