WHAT MOMMA LEFT BEHIND
by
Cindy K. Sproles
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: June 2, 2020
Number of Pages: 256
***Scroll down for the giveaway!***
Worie Dressar is seventeen years old when influenza and typhoid ravage her Appalachian Mountain community in 1877, leaving behind a growing number of orphaned children with no way to care for themselves. Worie's mother has been secretly feeding a number of these little ones on Sourwood Mountain. But when she dies suddenly, Worie is left to figure out why and how she was caring for them.
Plagued with two good-for-nothing brothers—one greedy and the other a drunkard—Worie fights to save her home and the orphaned children now in her begrudging care. Along the way, she will discover the beauty of unconditional love and the power of forgiveness as she cares for all of Momma's children.
Storyteller and popular speaker Cindy K. Sproles pens a tender novel full of sacrifice, heartache, and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
PRAISE for What Momma Left Behind:
"Worie Dressar isn't your typical heroine—she's tough, she's opinionated, and she's loud. But at her core she wants to love and be loved—just like the rest of us. Cindy's special talent is in telling about life the way it is—hard parts and all—while preserving the beauty and wonder of love shining through even the darkest night." —Sarah Loudin Thomas, Christy Award-nominated author of Miracle in a Dry Season "Seldom does a story move me to tears and encourage me to examine my life. A powerful story. Highly recommended." —DiAnn Mills, author of Fatal Strike
"Cindy Sproles has a way of placing readers inside the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her ability to transport readers into her Appalachian adventures is nothing short of genius. Leaving us hanging on every word, Cindy writes with feeling and incredible historical knowledge. This book is a must-read!" —LaTan Murphy, writer, speaker, author of Courageous Women of the Bible.
CLICK TO ORDER ON:
AMAZON • BARNES & NOBLE • BAKER PUBLISHING • INDIEBOUND MORE PURCHASE OPTIONS
Historical Note from
What
Momma Left Behind
By Cindy K. Sproles
Though
the isolated life in the Appalachian Mountains was hard, for many years it
protected the people from many of the illnesses that ran rampant in other
places. Rivers and streams were clean and clear, the air fresh, and illness at
a minimum. During the 1800s, as the industrial age entered, isolation became
the enemy. As railroads and coal mining made their way into the remote areas of
the Appalachian Mountains, woodlands were cut, streams were polluted, and the
air grew dark from black smoke. The purity and protection of isolation turned
deadly. Typhoid fever, dysentery, tuberculosis, and influenza spread through
the valleys and hollows, taking lives by the hundreds.
With
no records kept until the mid-1900s, there is no way to estimate how many lives
were lost to these diseases. Given that, we draw our history from the stories
given to us by our grandparents and great-grandparents. We know influenza ran
wild and spread quickly. With few doctors, isolation, and the lack of trust in
modern medicine, the mountain people seemed doomed.
According
to local historians, influenza spread through the Smoky Mountains and across
Cumberland Gap, killing more adults than children, with the only reason being
that adults had more interaction with one another than the children. This, of
course, is only speculation since records were scarce. However, the theory
makes sense.
This
story is loosely based around two diseases that plagued the mountain
people—typhoid and influenza, both referred to as the fever. Devastating and
deadly, they changed life in the mountains forever.
Cindy K. Sproles is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. An author, storyteller, and popular speaker, Cindy teaches at writers’ conferences across the country and directs the Asheville Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina. Editor of ChristianDevotions.us and managing editor for Straight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, Cindy has a BA in business and journalism and lives in the mountains of East Tennessee with her family.
Website ║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║ Goodreads
--------------------------
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS
First Winner: Copy of What Momma Left Behind + $20 B&N Gift Card
Second Winner: Copy of What Momma Left Behind + $5 Starbucks Gift Card
Third Winner: Copy of What Momma Left Behind
June 23-July 3, 2020
Second Winner: Copy of What Momma Left Behind + $5 Starbucks Gift Card
Third Winner: Copy of What Momma Left Behind
June 23-July 3, 2020
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY.
Or, visit the blogs directly:
6/23/20
|
Book Trailer
| |
6/23/20
|
Author Video
| |
6/24/20
|
Review
| |
6/25/20
|
Author Interview
| |
6/26/20
|
Review
| |
6/27/20
|
Excerpt
| |
6/28/20
|
Author Interview
| |
6/29/20
|
Review
| |
6/30/20
|
Excerpt
| |
7/1/20
|
Review
| |
7/2/20
|
Review
|
blog tour services provided by
