Ghost on Black Mountain

You know how you read such a good book sometimes that you're lef

You know how you read such a good book sometimes that you're left speechless? That's how I felt with this debut novel by the extremely talented Ann Hite. She pulled me into the world of Black Mountain and seduced me with her gorgeous and gothic style writing. The characters were so real I could visualize them and the landscapes were so vivid and fresh in my mind.

The story is told by different characters, all of them being women. I think this is extremely powerful because throughout time women have been denied the power of sharing their story. We have been denied the ability to use our voice without feeling shame and guilt. In many ways, Nellie finds the ability to heal when she revisits the past. Even though it is painful and difficult, she works through her feelings of shame and regret. By doing this, she finally finds peace within herself.

The spirits in the story act as a reminder to the living: that the past can't be buried and forgotten. And you can't live a life if you're constantly running away from the past.

And I loved Nellie! I thought she was so strong and resilient. She changed so much from beginning to end. I felt like I witnessed the transformation of a young woman into a mature one. No one is perfect, and this novel shows how every person has demons and dreams, flaws and positive traits.

I believe this book has something for everyone. Whether you like romance, suspense, a good gothic tale, or just plain great story-telling, then Ghost On Black Mountain is the novel for you. I highly recommend it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Wonderful Read!!!!!!!

Complex characters, beautifully woven story. I can't wait to read her next book.

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Great Read

Interesting characters and intertwined stories that span generations make this a fast read. I only put it down twice in order to sleep!

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A spelling binding read

Sitting around the campfire when I was a little girl hearing ghost stories, I remember the feeling of dread as I reached the bedroom and would jump into bed and hope nothing scary would reach from underneath my bed and grab hold of me! I¿ll be honest, the first night I started reading Ghost on Black Mountain made me take off to bed feeling like that little girl again!

Ann Hite spins the web of Nellie Pritchard¿s life. The story begins during the depression-era in North Carolina. Nellie is just a young girl serving food in a food line at the local church when she meets the handsome Hobbs Pritchard who changes the course of her life. Everyone around Nellie told her to get away far away from Hobbs, but Nellie was in love and believed he was a good man. Shortly after arriving on Black Mountain the ghosts began to show up, one wanted her to leave and one had other plans for her. Life on Black Mountain wasn¿t what Nellie thought it would be. She begins digging around the attic and learns more about who Hobbs really is and then the beatings start. Nellie soon realizes she may not be able to escape him.

A moment in time takes hold of Nellie--the mountain ghosts take their revenge! A past refusing to be forgotten like a noose around her neck. Submerge yourself into Ghost on Black Mountain, but remember, "Once a person leaves the mountain, they never come back, not really. They're lost forever" (Back Cover).
The book is broken up into six parts; each part is about five different women. Each story is an extension of Black Mountain giving us greater insight into who Nellie was.

I absolutely loved Ghost on Black Mountain. It wasn¿t really scary, but has a dark eerie vibe during the whole book. I was completely engrossed the more I read the more captivated I became. I wanted to find out how all of this would come together and end. This was such a great book! I can¿t wait to see what Ann Hite writes next! An absolute recommend!

I love when a book really grabs me the way this one did!

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I loved this book!

This was truly one of the best books I've ever read. I agree with other reviewers regarding Ann Hite's marvelous confidence in the voices of her characters. Each time I left a character, I was certain I would not like reading the next section nearly as much, but each time I was wrong. Towards the end, I stopped everything I was doing to get to the end.

Having grown up in Black Mountain, I suspect that other Black Mountain residents may be put off by the story not staying true to elements of the actual place. There is little to recognize of the Black Mountain of my childhood in this book. However, I feel that the creative license she took in developing the place-as-character in the story can be forgiven, given the amazing end-product of her storytelling. Don't buy the book expecting to find landmarks of your visit to Black Mountain, because you won't find them here. But her storytelling transports you to another place so mythological, so beautiful and yet real, that you'll be so caught up in the story you won't even notice.

While there are a lot of dark themes and terrible events that happen in this novel, I have to say that ultimately, it is a story about redemption, and the power of love to overcome the darkest secrets that we can harbor. I plan on buying this book for all the avid readers on my holiday shopping list. Don't miss this one.

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Darcus @ Starcrossed

Ghost On Black Mountain was definitely one of the best books that I have read this year. I couldn't get enough of it and when I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be.

From the very beginning, the story draws you in and doesn't let go even long after you've turned the last page. I don't know what I expected this book to be, but it was a million times better. I felt for this book in a way only few books can manage. Anne Hite is an absolutely beauitful, brilliant, seductive writer and she bring the Appalachia's and Nellie's ghost story to life.

I felt like crying at the end of the book, but not because the book was sad. I felt like crying because I didn't want it to end. I will never, never forget this book. I will definitely be re-reading it in the future.

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A GREAT READ WITH A FEW TWISTS AND TURNS! GHOST ON BLACK MOUNTAIN BY ANN HITE....

GHOST ON BLACK MOUNTAIN by Ann Hite is an interesting dark gothic suspense/horror with paranormal elements set in Black Mountain,North Carolina. It is her first novel and was inspired by stories told and handed down from her family through generations of story telling.lt is written with depths,details,twists,turns,a few ghost and from the perceptive of five different Southern women,Nellie Pritchard,Josie Clay,Shelly Parker,Annie Harbor, and Rose Gardner,each with their own revelation that reshapes the truth and makes the reader wonder. Also Iona Harbor,Annie's daughter has a say or two.This story has ghosts, mountain people,murder,secrets,abuse,mountain life,mystery, spirits,hoodoo,dark past,secrets,tragedy,struggles with not only their own demons but also confronting others,and a chance of happiness. A controversial,and bold story that will leave readers with the beauty of the Appalachiam landscape and it's people. While, Nellie marries Hobbs,for love,he marries her for his own reason. He is an evil man to some,sells and makes Moonshine,beats his wife, and has killed at least one of not more people. This is a story that will have you turning pages. These Mountain people are resilence,and try to take care of their own. Some secrets will come back to haunt you and your children. Be prepared for storytelling at its best of a dark,twisted tale with secrets that are to kill for,where ghosts intersect with people on "the Mountain" and the lives of five women are interwoven by one man and the act that finally kills him. A must read. This book was received for review from the publisher.Details be found at Galley Books, a division of Simon and Schuster,Inc.and My Book Addiction Reviews.

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provocative, controversial, bold and beautiful

Move over, Faulkner and Poe-- make way for a new American classic! Ann Hite's debut novel "Ghost on Black Mountain" has enough Gothic horror and suspense to keep us reading until the candle burns out in the dark of night, yet enough meaning to keep scholars arguing for years to come. Hite's seamless and economical prose may make for easy reading, but look again. This novel is loaded. Bold, lurid and beautifully written, it has all the richness and depth of 19th C literature without the tedious, wordy prose.

The story sounds deceptively simple--a charismatic stranger comes to town and sweeps innocent young Nellie off her feet, but instead of happily ever-after, Mama sees death in the tea leaves. Nellie, like all young girls who know their own heart, blows off the warning. "Mama was just desperate to keep me home. There wasn't nothing bad going to happen. I didn't much believe in tea leaves anyway."

I marvel at Ann Hite's confidence and authority in establishing Nellie's voice. Could she pull it off in all six sections of the novel with their various points of view? Yes. All the women narrators of Black Mountain are so convincing, you can't help but nod an "amen" when they speak to us. Hite's strong, enigmatic women characters make us want more, and she delivers. Her next novel shines the spotlight on Shelly Parker, the wiser-than-age-14 ghost-whisperer who downplays her own intelligence and talent because a good black servant girl knows her place.

With beautiful prose, memorable characters and haunting themes, Ann Hite is a bright new star in the literary firmament. She is as certain to impress scholars with her multi-layered exploration of women's issues and the dark side of human nature as she is to win the hearts of the reading public for generations to come.

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