Velva Jean Learns to Drive: Book 1 in the Velva Jean series

I was looking for the perfect vacation "beach read" this month-- something that would take me out of a work mind set and transport me to another time and place-- and I couldn't have made a better choice than VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE. I devoured this novel! I found the book to be moving and telling; compelling and surprising; laugh out loud funny and very poignant, too. It's fantastic. I adnit I didn't know much about this part of the country or its history before starting the book, but I found this corner of the south coming to life in electric and unexpected ways as the book progressed (I really felt like I was there). It's one of those pieces of writing that feels really well-researched without ever being dull or uninteresting. And you feel like you know these incredible characters by the end as if you've known them your entire life-- like you're part of the family. I haven't flown through a novel faster in years and I'm already recommending it to friends (and buying copies for family members). From the very first line you're hooked: it's an adventure that you don't expect and that you'll never forget. I recommend it whole-heartedly: just the reading vacation I needed this summer!!

This was a very well written, beautifully descriptive novel right from page one. Velva Jean and her family just jump off the pages and make you feel as though you're right there in 1930's-40's Appalachia with them. I won't summarize this book as it's already been done here many times, but I absolutely recommend it for those interested. If you're a fan of Southern Fiction, or coming-of-age stories, then you will love this book. There's a little bit of everything here...love, loss, sex, violence, and the finding of one's self, but it's all done very tastefully. There's nothing vulgar or offending about this story. It's just a heartwarming journey with a young child of the mountains.

What a wonderful sweet, well writtin page turner of a book. My mother and I passed it back and forth and just enjoyed the descriptions and story all the way through. We both got a little tense and worried about Velva losing her dream along the way. No more plots spoliers, this is the kind of book that gets passed around between friends and book clubs, and is just as fun to re-read next summer, and not many books make the cut for that.

This is not Jennifer Niven's first book, but it is her first novel, and what a success! I haven't read her other books, but hope to soon. And, I hope this is not her last novel. I love this book and had a difficult time putting it down. I can't wait to share it with friends! This is the story of Velva Jean Hart growing up in the Appalachians in the 30's & 40's. From a young girl who loses her mother and becomes quite a wild child to a very young preacher's wife, Velva Jean's story is filled with interesting characters. The character descriptions were so good that I felt like I knew each and every one of them -- heart and soul as well as physical appearance. Her grandparents, her brothers, the traveling preachers, the wood carver, the boys who worked on the highway all bring something interesting to the story. My favorite character aside from Velva Jean is the Wood Cutter who most people are afraid of and believe to be a murderer. He lives alone up on the mountain and he and Velva Jean become the most unlikely of friends; his wisdom and friendship become very important to her. When she seeks counsel from him, he tells Velva Jean ,"The strongest trees are the ones that bend with the storms." Reading the final chapters of the book, I had to remind myself that although she is married, she is still just a teenager facing a lot of difficult decisions. I highly recommend this book. It is the best novel I have read this year.

I have to admit, when looking at this book before getting it, it looked interesting. Then I got it. Then I thought about how I seem to be losing my taste for non-children's fiction. But... I felt obligated to read it anyway. Where oh where did I get that odd desire not to read this? While being somewhat on the cutesy side, this is a fantastic first novel that shows more raw talent than a lot of writers out there. Ms. Niven has a gift with words and even though I am a Western girl she managed to make me find a connection with this Appalachian town. The writing is clear, words well-chosen and never flowery, and the story is full of heart and meaning and interest. It is simply a good, down-home story that does not try to be pathetically original or controversial. It's just the story of a girl who wants to be a singer. So, even though that might rub some as the aforementioned cutesy, I for one certainly enjoyed it. This is the tale of Velva Jean Heart who grows up in a small Appalachian community in the 1930s. Despite various family troubles, she clings to the dream of singing in the Grand Ol' Opery. She has the company of her grandfather, her brother, and a mysterious old murderer. Later, she marries a traveling preacher. They are all wonderful characters, for this is more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven one. And yet there are other characters, such as the Scenic Highway being built through their land that gets different opinions from folk, and the yellow truck her brother-in-law buys. Niven seamlessly weaves all of this together into a touching, sweet story that explores the subtle changes in people. It's not absolutely perfect, but it certainly is wonderful and Niven should be proud.