Book Review: Sons of Blackbird Mountain

Sons of Blackbird Mountain
Joanne Bischof
Thomas Nelson, 2018

In search of a place to call home, widowed Aven Norgaard travels from Norway to America at the invitation of her husband’s aunt, Dorothe. Thinking to help care for the three young brothers that Dorothe writes about in her letters, Aven is surprised and alarmed to find that Dorothe has passed away and the youngsters she pictured are actually three strapping men. Unsure what her future holds, Aven accepts the offer to stay on and keep house for her late husband’s cousins.

It takes no time at all for her to grow fond of the brothers, and she soon finds her attention divided between Thor and Haaken.  The youngest and most lively, Haaken is appealing but immature. Thor, despite being Deaf and unable to speak, communicates a gentleness and steadfastness that draws Aven. But there are many obstacles that stand between them, not the least of which is Thor’s addiction to the hard cider he makes from the apples in their orchard. Aven has dealt with an alcoholic husband before, and it’s not a road she’s willing to travel again.

Set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Appalachia, this tight-knit family is thrown into upheaval as the two youngest brothers vie for Aven’s hand. She must make her choice carefully, knowing that hearts and brotherly bonds are on the line.

This most contains affiliate links. Read more about that here. Thanks to TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy of Sons of Blackbird Mountain to review.

This book is utterly delightful. I can say without hesitation that Sons of Blackbird Mountain will most certainly make it on my top 10 list for 2018. It is such a beautiful story of love and loss, and broken people finding redemption, and it deals with many important and interesting issues.

The thing that initially drew me to Sons of Blackbird Mountain the most was that fact that a main protagonist is Deaf. That’s not something I’ve ever come across before and I loved the way looking at the world though Thor’s eyes changed the story. I’ve always thought that sign language was a beautiful way to communicate and I’m feeling inspired to learn more of it myself. I loved that Aven was not put off by what most people considered to be a pretty significant flaw, and it was heartwarming to see the way everyone in his family rallied around and supported him. It was also interesting to get a glimpse into the historical view of and treatment of Deaf people. It’s certainly much different than today.

Another thing that was interesting to contrast with today’s standards and culture was alcoholism and it’s treatment. In many ways the addiction and recovery seem to be the same, but there are some striking differences in what was available to help an alcoholic on the path to sobriety. I thought the whole topic was handled with grace and honesty, and I loved that.

And as if the family drama of alcoholism and a love triangle that includes two brothers with a checkered history wasn’t enough, there is plenty of outside conflict from the community in which they live. Though not the main theme, Sons of Blackbird Mountain does touch on racial issues in the post Civil War south. The family’s willingness to offer jobs and kindness to former slaves, is something that certain neighbors don’t look kindly on, and the backlash of that is felt by all.

Sons of Blackbird Mountain is such a wonderful love story, beautifully written and full of faith, hope, and redemption. I would recommend it to anyone, and I can’t wait for the sequel, scheduled for release in March of 2019. In the meantime, I plan to check out more of Joanne Bischof’s books, because if they are even a fraction as good as this one I know I’ll love them.