I’ve never had to consider giving up a child up for adoption, but Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee shows what it might feel like—and reveals possible motives that enter such a decision. While some mothers give up their babies as an inconvenience, others are wrought with anguish over parting with a loved child for his own wellbeing. Such is the nature of sacrifice as an act of love.

Michelle visited my blog twice before:

• February 15, 2022—Under the Tulip Tree
• April 11, 2024—Count the Nights by Stars

The above two dual timeline novels were set in the Nashville area. Appalachian Song brings us to Southern Appalachia, in 1943 and 1973. 

Blurb

Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.

Thirty years later, the day after his father’s funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. With the only clue he has in hand, Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife who holds the secrets to Walker’s past.

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My Thoughts

In the case of Walker Wylie, confusion and anger win the day. In 1973, the country music star is blindsided by learning about his adoption. He has no idea if his birth mother was motivated by love or selfishness. But he intends to find out. 

He has a chip on his shoulder—understandably so since his parents never told him about his adoption till recently. Now he seems to take it out on everybody else.

Walker enlists the help of Reese Chandler, midwife and adoption advocate in a poor community of Southern Appalachia, to help trace his roots. Reese, too, is adopted and knows her own personal history. The American historical backdrop includes the recent Roe v Wade decision, the hippie culture, and the Vietnam War.

In 1943, when Songbird’s father discovers she is with child, his anger and shame know no boundaries. She runs for her safety and finds refuge at the Jenkins sisters’ cabin.

In the backwoods of Appalachia live five spinster sisters, each with a unique personality. Bertie, an experienced midwife, is as compassionate as she is stubborn. She’s also willing to take risks—which stipulates secrets—for a good cause.

Several points of view are employed—Bertie, Songbird, Walker, and Reese—in this deftly handled dual timeline story. As a reader, I knew a bit more than Walker did, but he and I still learned certain things simultaneously, especially the steps leading up to Songbird’s decision and beyond.

Appalachian culture was accurately depicted with truth and respect for mountain traditions and values. The romance is less a part of the story than the idea of belonging to a family, whether by blood or choice. Which was fine with me. The focus was where it needs to be. If I could change one thing, I would add a particular conversation in realtime rather than just allude to it later. I can’t say which one without spoiling the story. 

I loved the natural, organic tie-in to God as a heavenly Father who creates His family through adoption, and how lavish His love is compared to many earthly fathers who fail to cherish their own biological children.

Don’t be alarmed by the opening scene and reference to teen sex. The scene is  necessary to the story. 

Join me for some Q & A with author Michelle Shocklee.

Questions about Appalachian Song

What was your inspiration for writing Appalachian Song? What’s your personal connection to the story?

When my husband and I first moved to Tennessee in 2017, I was like a sponge soaking up all the cool history of this beautiful state. On our first visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, we discovered the Walker Sisters cabin where six sisters lived their entire lives in the late 1800s and 1900s. 

Tucked in the hills and hollers of Appalachia, the Walker family’s home and history captivated me. The more I studied them and their unique story, the more I wanted to write about their lives. The Jenkins sisters in Appalachian Song  are inspired by the real lives of the Walker sisters.  

How and why did you choose to write an adoption story?

Adoption is very near and dear to my heart. We have several members of our extended family who are adopted and some who have adopted children. I also have the privilege of knowing a young woman who bravely gave up her baby for adoption as a young unwed teenage mother. 

Adoption is a beautiful gift and is part of God’s perfect plan for humankind. Romans 8 reminds us that God adopts us as his own children when we put our faith in Christ, giving us the freedom to call him, “Abba, Father.” As I considered including the thread of adoption in this book, I knew the characters had to understand that truth too. The theme of “I choose you” is at the heart of the book. 

What historical parameters were imposed on you? Where did you have to fill in the gaps with your imagination?

Even though the real Walker sisters of the Great Smoky Mountains served as inspiration for the book, the story is completely fictional. The descriptions I use for the Jenkins cabin are of the Walker cabin, as are the family dynamics. The storyline, however, is pure fiction. 

How did you develop your protagonists Bertie (1943), Walker, and Reese (1973)? Did they hijack the story or did you have full rein? 

When my editor at Tyndale House asked me to write a story about a midwife, Bertie’s character immediately sprang to my imagination. I’d recently visited the Walker Sisters cabin, and I thought it would be great fun to give Bertie some sisters. Midwives were essential in rural Appalachia, and I enjoyed the research that went into that storyline. 

Walker’s character is based on a real person in my life, although he was much younger when he learned he was adopted. The impact on him and the emotions he experienced were very similar to Walker’s response to learning he was adopted. It’s a life-changing revelation, and I wanted to explore that in a deep and meaningful way. 

Walker needed someone who understood what he was going through to help him navigate that often difficult road, and that’s where Reese’s character comes in.  

What would Bertie and Reese have to say about you?

I think Bertie and Reese would appreciate my love for history, especially in their neck of the woods. East Tennessee’s Appalachia holds a unique history unto itself, and that’s what I tried to bring out in Appalachian Song. The people, the traditions, the beliefs. My research yielded far more interesting facts and tidbits than I was able to include in the book. 

This is your third dual timeline novel. What was your biggest challenge with this particular one?

My biggest challenge while writing Appalachian Song was Songbird’s character. In the first draft of the book, I did not give Songbird her own Point of View (POV). Meaning, she didn’t get the opportunity to tell her own story. Her story unfolded through Bertie’s POV. 

After my editors read the rough draft, we all agreed that Songbird needed her own POV. That meant I had to rewrite fourteen chapters! Whew! It was a huge job, but I’m very pleased with the outcome. Songbird needed to tell her own story to readers. 

Will there be more dual timeline stories in your future?

I recently finished writing my fourth dual timeline novel for Tyndale House. This story is set on a Tennessee walking horse farm during WWII and the Vietnam war. There’s lots of family secrets, character growth, and horses! Readers can stay tuned to my social media pages for a Title and Cover Reveal coming soon! The book will be released in Fall 2024.

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Back to Laura . . . On a similar note . . . 

If you like dual timeline fiction, you might enjoy my novel, A Hundred Magical Reasons. This story spotlights L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, his friendship with a young girl, and his impact through the decades. Set in Holland, Michigan, this pre-published novel alternates between 1980 and the early 1900s. Read more and watch the book trailer HERE. The story recently won the Scrivenings Press novel contest and is also under consideration at another publisher.

If you like Southern Appalachian fiction and small town/rural stories about family dynamics and secrets, you might enjoy my novel All That Is Hidden. Set near North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains in 1968, the story spotlights the bond of family and the connections of a tight-knit community. Northern exploitation threatens as a father’s hidden past catches up to him and tests family ties. Learn more and watch the trailer here.

All That Is Hidden awards:

• Winner of the Artisan Book Reviews Book Excellence Award
• Semifinalist in Serious Writer’s Book of the Decade contest

I invite you to join my monthly newsletter for writing updates, freebies, and giveaways. Sign up and I’ll send you a free gift: www.StandoutStoriesNewsletter.com

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Michelle Shocklee Bio

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels. Her work is included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. As a woman of mixed heritage–her father’s family is Hispanic and her mother’s roots go back to Germany–she celebrates diversity and feels it’s important to see the world through the eyes of one another. Learning from the past and changing the future is why she writes historical fiction. With both her sons grown, she and her husband now make their home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Connect with her at www.MichelleShocklee.com.

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Join me next time for a visit with author Terri Wangard.

Meanwhile, have you read Appalachian Song or any others by Michelle Shocklee? Do you have any experience with adoption? Answer in the comments below.

Ever reading,

Laura

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive the prequel for All That Is Hidden: www.StandoutStoriesNewsletter.com