Paul and Jubilee Jones grew up in the mountains in Coal Fork, a coal mining town.  A few years after their mother Ruth died of tuberculosis, their father Bartholomew was killed in a mining accident.  Paul, though still a teenager, was left to care for his sister.  When the mining company told them they could no longer live in the house owned by the mining company unless someone worked in the mines, Paul remembered his father adamantly making Paul promise to never step foot in a mine. He took his seven year old sister and walked off the mountain to find their mother’s estranged sister Anita in Wyattsville.

When they reached Wyattsville, Paul directed Jubilee to wait on a bench across the street from a store with a sign advertising “Help Wanted”. They needed money and he was willing to work for it.  They would look up their aunt after he got a job.  Neither he nor Jubilee could have known what events would follow.  Jubilee showed strength in her unwavering belief in her brother’s good character. Her journey through the next weeks was difficult, but the people she met formed a protective circle around her, until she could be reunited with her family.

I loved the characters in the story.  They were well developed and exhibited the best side of humanity. The plot was outstanding and kept me turning pages in anticipation of what was to come. I couldn’t put the book down.

This award winning novel is the second book in the Wyattsville series by Crosby.  (I read and reviewed SPARE CHANGE, the first in the series – my review is here).  Though I had come to know and love Ethan Allen Doyle, Olivia Westerly Doyle and her wonderful circle of friends, and Officer Jim Mahoney when I read SPARE CHANGE, I was delighted to meet up with them again, as well as new members of the Wyattsville community, in JUBILEE’S JOURNEY.

Though you don’t have to read SPARE CHANGE first, I would recommend that you do so you can follow the flow of one book into the second.  (PASSING THROUGH PERFECT, the third book in the series will be out January 2015).

Bette Lee Crosby writes in the colloquial of the setting.  She doesn’t just write a novel, she tells a story.  I think that is what draws me back to her books.  They are comfortable, well crafted, beautiful stories. JUBILEE’S JOURNEY is unforgettable.

 

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby’s books are “Well-crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances.” – Midwest Book Review

The Seattle Post Intelligencer says Crosby’s writing is, “A quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about important things in life and madcap adventures.”

Samantha from Reader’s Favorite raves, “Crosby writes the type of book you can’t stop thinking about long after you put it down.”

“Storytelling is in my blood,” Crosby laughingly admits, “My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write.”

It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win nineteen awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal, Reader’s Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award.

Crosby’s published works to date are: Blueberry Hill (2014), Previously Loved Treasures (2014), Jubilee’s Journey (2013), What Matters Most (2013), The Twelfth Child (2012), Life in the Land of IS (2012), Cracks in the Sidewalk (2011), Spare Change (2011). A Cupid inspired romance, Wishing for Wonderful, is scheduled for release in November 2014 and Book Three of The Wyattsville Series, Passing through Perfect, will be be available in January 2015.

Please click the link to visit the author’s website Bette Lee Crosby Words Wit and Wisdom.

Follow Bette Lee Crosby on these websites:

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JUBILEE’S JOURNEY and Crosby’s other novels can be found online at iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

Would I recommend JUBILEE’S JOURNEY? Positively!

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.