Redheaded Reviews: A Parchment of Leaves by Silias House

This novel starts off in 1914 up in the mountains of Kentucky. Vine is a Cherokee young woman who lives with her people on Redbud land. There are whites down in town who contest their claim to the land which is a familiar story that has played out often in history. One day, Saul and his younger brother Aaron are riding through their land and Aaron gets bit by a snake. Vine saves his life and catches the eye of both men. Saul comes courting and asks for her hand in marriage. Vine's mother sees a bad omen in the marriage but she won't stop it. In the Cherokee people, the mother is the one who decides whether or not you get married. It's a very matriarchal society. Vine insists on getting married at Redbud and the only people to show up from Saul's side is his brother Aaron and his mother, Esme.

While Saul is working at the sawmill he is also working on their house. In the meantime, they are living with Esme and Aaron. Esme likes Vine, though she isn't who she would have picked for Saul. When they have a huge party to celebrate the raising of the house, Serena, the local midwife and singer points out what Vine has suspected that Aaron has been staring at her and taking an interest in her that is not sisterly. Vine tries to tell Saul, but he won't hear anything bad against his brother.

Saul and Vine have a daughter they name Birdie who is weak and small. When the United States enters the war Saul's boss at the sawmill has decided to open up another sawmill on another mountain in order to make turpentine for the medicine needed for the war. He has asked Saul to be its foreman and he has accepted. However, the job will last at least a year which is a long time to be away from home. But he trusts Aaron to help out with his family.

Aaron's looks become him stalking Vine until one dangerous night at midnight when he comes stomping through her door and demands what he wants. Vine knows she can't tell anyone about that night especially Esme and Saul.

This book is filled with the breath of the mountains and the scent of the redbud tree. It contains a story that is as old as time with a fresh twist. The characters are well-drawn and interesting but its the scenery that really captivates you. I give this book five out of five stars.

Quotes

“If you want to be something, you ought to make a living playing that banjo,” I said. He thought this was funny. “Shoot, Vine,” he said. “A person can’t make no money playing music.”

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

So I named my baby Birdie, hoping that she would sing to me every day of my life. I hoped I could hear her singing when I laid on my deathbed, and willed her a voice that would smooth out all the lonlinessd carried around, tucked hidden and safe in the womb from which she had come.

-Silias House (A Parchmant of Leaves)

Her eyes were very old; they looked like they held some awful knowledge that nobody else had, as if she was haunted by miseries that she could not share.

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

Saul said things in his letters that he would have never let escape his lips. This struck me as odd. It seemed to me that a man who didn’t announce what his heart wwants to say would hesitate at putting it down in writing. Words become solid on the air when spoken, but quickly drift away. Ink lasts always.

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

Terror does things to you. It hardens a part of you. I have heard people call others hard-hearted, but it’s not your heart that turns to stone when something awful happens. It’s your gut, where all real feelings come from. That was froze up inside me and I didn’t long to thaw it.

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

There is nothing in this world as good as a baked potato. It tastes of this earth.

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

Despite everything, at least I am still free.

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

I wondered if we were put on this earth only to destroy every beautiful thing, to make chaos. Or were we meant to overcome this? Did bad things happen so that goodness could show through in people?

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)

Sometimes you can’t help but love somebody, no matter how bad they do you. And sometimes, it seems the worse somebody treats you, the more you love them.

-Silias House (A Parchment of Leaves)