The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher is about a young woman who tries to overcome a childhood tragedy by finding her own voice. In the spring of 1911, Lucy Wilson traveled to Rowan County to help her second cousin Cora Wilson Stewart, the superintendent of education for the entire county. Lucy hopes that the change of scenery will help her quell the hurt of losing her sister. When Lucy was young, her father tasked her to watch over her younger sister, Charlotte. Lucy was nose deep in her book before she realized Charlotte was missing. She has been haunted and filled with guilt since her sister’s disappearance years ago.
Cora sends Lucy to the hills to act as a scribe for the mountain people. Lucy is disgusted by their living conditions and norms. She feels that they are uncivilized with their behavior. She is heartbroken when she realizes that only a few of the mountain people can read and write.
Lucy’s father was born in the hills and is familiar with the illiteracy that plagues the people. As Lucy tries to figure out the hills, she crosses paths with Brother Wyatt. He was also born in the hills and is a singing teacher who travels through the hills to share and spread the gospels. As Lucy spends more time with Cora and Brother Wyatt, she finds herself becoming attached and caring for the community.
After seeing the community being taken advantage of by a local lumber company and political leaders, the trio decided they needed to do something to help. They decide to create an after school program for adults to help them learn basic writing and reading skills. They believe it is the best way to help the community rise out of poverty.
They face opposition from a local company and leaders. The local leaders want to keep the community under their control through ignorance. Lucy wonders if their idea will survive or if anyone will show up to the program. Lucy needs to find her confidence and voice to fight for their cause if she wants the school to have a chance. Will Lucy be able to find her purpose in life?
The book is inspired by events and the life of Cora Wilson Stewart. I liked reading how the team was making strides to improve the lives of the illiterate and impoverished citizens. There were a few times when the author mentioned the sadness and isolation a person can feel by not being able to write or read. It was heartwarming seeing how learning made the students feel empowered and independent. It made me appreciate how much freedom and joy reading can bring to someone.
I enjoyed seeing Lucy grow as a person. She went from someone who was sheltered and afraid to an outspoken woman. I loved when she found her voice to speak about literacy programs that benefited others and she was willing to put aside her own biases and discomfort to help.
I was surprised to learn that Cora Wilson Stewart was a real person. I like that the author included notes on which elements were true in the story. I loved that Cora believed in helping others become literate even if she had to fight every single step of the way.
The book was a bit slow in the beginning. It was only towards the middle before the idea for a midnight school came into fruition. The earlier parts of the book was about Lucy understanding and bonding with the community along with seeing the need for the literacy program. If you love historical fiction with a bit of romance and strong female leads, then you will enjoy this book!
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