Serena by Ron Rash

Ron Rash really hit home with this novel. Serena follows the lives of Serena and her husband George Pemberton, king and queen of the timber empire in the Appalachians. George becomes infatuated with Serena and her strong-willed persona during a visit to Boston, MA after having spent months at his timber camp in North Carolina and fathering an illegitimate child on sixteen year old Rachel. Serena soon moves to North Carolina and makes herself at home, displaying her own expertise in the timber business and handling investments in a non-traditional way (I don't want to give it away!) After Serena discovers she cannot have children, she turns her eye on Sarah and her growing son, George's son.

The novel is absolutely thrilling. It was definitely a fast faced book, and I finished it with two days. The story is suspenseful, well-planned, and gives the reader an ending that is more satisfying than enjoying a glass of wine at the end of a hard day, at least for me it was. Sip, Sip.

The film adaptation to this book stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as George and Serena Pemberton. I have not had the chance to watch the movie, but it has terrible reviews, signaling that the film does not live up to the book's standard (which is almost always the story).

While I love Bradley Cooper and JLaw, I imagined George a little rougher around the edges and Serena a bit older and not so fresh faced. 

Check out this Goodreads List!

If you enjoyed the setting of this novel, check out the above list of fiction novels set in Appalachia on Goodreads! I have mentioned Goodreads before, and I absolutely love the plethora of book lists on this site. Goodreads is an excellent tool for finding books to read, and I'm off to find my next one!