The Well and the Mine

The Well and the Mine, by Gin Phillips

You MUST read this book! I picked it up at Border's because of one sentence on the back cover:

"In a small Alabama coal-mining town during the summer of 1931, nine-year-old Tess Moore sits on her back porch and watches a woman toss a baby into her family's well without a word."

The other introductory part made this a book that I usually wouldn't read -- a little too sappy, maybe -- but that sentence drew me in, and I'm so glad it did! This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

I liked the format of the book, too. Different characters are the narrator on and off throughout the book -- Tess and Virgie, the daughters, Jack, the son, and Albert and Leta, the parents. It's never confusing, though. It is always clearly labeled who is the narrator.

Not only does this book explore the mystery of the baby in the well, it also touches on the ideas of sacrifice, family, race, and small town life, all without being preachy. I'm not going to go into too many details about the story itself, because I want you to read it without knowing what's going to happen next! So, find this book at your library, or ask me to loan you mine. I will, as long as you promise to give it back! :)

©2007, Riverhead Books
ISBN 978-1-59448-449-0