An assured, inspiring debut which demonstrates the power of the human spirit to give comfort in times of hardship. In 1931 Carbon Hill, a small Alabama coal-mining town, nine-year-old Tess Moore watches from the darkness of her back porch as a strange woman lifts the cover off the family well and tosses a baby in without a word. It is the height of the Depression; while Tess's father, Albert, performs backbreaking and dangerous work at the mine, her mother, Leta, makes do without meat on her table. But the family are luckier than most; the food they can grow on their plot of land has so far saved them from the crippling poverty and near-starvation that besets their neighbours. As Tess tries to unravel the mystery of the woman at the well, a portrait emerges of a family and a community struggling to survive the darkest of times. Resonant, vivid and clear-eyed in its portrayal of both the best and the worst of human nature, The Well and the Mine is a stunning novel about love, hope and the importance of doing the right thing.
The Well and the Mine
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** 'Gripping' Red ** 'A lovely, subtle novel, a moving portrait of the Depression-era American south' Observer ** 'A gentle, thoughtful and moving book' Psychologies ** 'Phillips portrays the characters with uncommon clarity, demonstrating human nature at its best and worst. The result is a book that triumphs on the insight as much as the lyricism of its narrative' Easy Living ** 'A gripping evocation of hard times and unquenchable hope ... A tender-hearted, involving tale of a hard-scrabble existence in a mining town in 1930s Alabama ... A vibrant novel' Marie Claire ** 'The warmth and wisdom of the writing make this a highly rewarding read' Kate Saunders, The Times ** 'The Well and the Mine doesn't just give you characters who'll stay with you - it gives you a whole world' Fannie Flagg, author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe ** 'A tight-knit miner's family struggles against poverty ... Phillips fully enters the lives of her honorable characters and brings them vibrantly to the page' Publishers' Weekly ** 'Gripping' Red ** 'A dazzling new novelist ... A bold debut, full of heart' O, the Oprah Magazine **'Beautiful and gracefully written - practically perfect' Emma Giacon, Amazon (Booksellers' Choice) **' 'A thought-provoking and moving read' Sarah Clarke, The Torbay Bookshop (Booksellers' Choice)
Book Description
* A deeply affecting, timely, and emotionally uplifting story set in Depression-era Alabama about the value of community, charity, family and hope.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Buzy Bea
Format:Paperback
As a debut novel this is a little gem of a book written with restraint and tender regard for its wonderful characters who leap off the page and stay with you long after you have come to the end of this rather short but exquisite book.. The economy of expression gives huge emotional impact and the multi-layers of meaning contained in every expression defy the deceptive simplicity of the story. On the surface this is a story of an old Southern family living in difficult times and in straightened circumstances along with the rest of their community but it is so much more than an account of their trials and tribulations or how their love for each other together with their faith and moral compass keeps them united. Racial tensions, criminally punishing working conditions in the mines, poverty and small-town prejudices are all depicted and there is a great sense of the period. Running parallel is a mystery who-done-it as the book opens with the family discovering the body of a baby in their well. This is a most refreshing read and makes one long for the old-fashioned standards of fifty years ago when there was respect for others, when hard work brought its own rewards, when the kindness and generosity of members within a community made all the difference between life and death. The family in this charming story is remarkable: the parent's selfless solicitude and moral guidance and their solid values are inspirational and heart-warming. This is a highly recommended and highly commendable first novel by a writer with a great future.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A debut novel and a very satisfying read.
The story starts with Tess, the youngest girl in the family witnessing a terrible thing. A woman throws a tiny baby into the well in her family's yard. Although the story centres around this mystery - who did it and why the novel is really not plot driven. It is a story of a small American town in the depression - a town that depends upon the coal-mine to keep it going.
Completely character driven, this is a wonderful little book and reminded me of time of To Kill A Mockingbird in that the main male character; Albert, is a hard-working family man with sound morals that he and his wife Leta pass on to their children, and the female child lead is something of a tom-boy. The people in the town work hard to keep their community together, but as expected in a novel about 1930s southern American there is the underlying notion of racism and despair.
A very touching novel that is narrated in the first person by the individual family members that starts with a terrible act and although the mystery is solved, it isnt really that important to the reader by the end.
The story starts with Tess, the youngest girl in the family witnessing a terrible thing. A woman throws a tiny baby into the well in her family's yard. Although the story centres around this mystery - who did it and why the novel is really not plot driven. It is a story of a small American town in the depression - a town that depends upon the coal-mine to keep it going.
Completely character driven, this is a wonderful little book and reminded me of time of To Kill A Mockingbird in that the main male character; Albert, is a hard-working family man with sound morals that he and his wife Leta pass on to their children, and the female child lead is something of a tom-boy. The people in the town work hard to keep their community together, but as expected in a novel about 1930s southern American there is the underlying notion of racism and despair.
A very touching novel that is narrated in the first person by the individual family members that starts with a terrible act and although the mystery is solved, it isnt really that important to the reader by the end.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
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In "The Well and the Mine", Gin Phillips presents a heart-warming picture of small-town Southern USA during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Carbon Hill is a small Alabama coal-mining town and the Moore family is typical of many of its inhabitants. While the head of the household, Albert, works underground in the coal mine throughout all the daylight hours, his wife, Leta, works even longer hours at home, cleaning, cooking, raising their three children, Virgie, Tess and Jack and generally scrimping to make ends meet.
Ms Phillips hooks her readers from the opening sentence of this book with a shocking plot element that runs as a thread through the whole book, adding an air of mystery and intrigue to what is essentially a straightforward account of times that were both physically and emotionally punishing for those living through them. With a country sunk deep into economic depression, the story is set against a backdrop of crippling poverty for the entire community, racial divides and intolerance.
The book uses all five of the family's members to unravel the tale in a mix of voices, each presenting their own take on events as viewed from their particular perspective, either recounting events, providing back-story or even, in the case of the youngest member, Jack, providing a retrospective view from his present day adulthood, highlighting just how so not very long ago those times really were.
Despite the shock of its opening and the dark theme which that promises, this book is, in reality, an absolute delight throughout -- a gem of a tale which shines like a beacon and shows how even the darkest times can be lit with the light of human decency, understanding and, above all, compassion for one's fellow human beings.
Ms Phillips hooks her readers from the opening sentence of this book with a shocking plot element that runs as a thread through the whole book, adding an air of mystery and intrigue to what is essentially a straightforward account of times that were both physically and emotionally punishing for those living through them. With a country sunk deep into economic depression, the story is set against a backdrop of crippling poverty for the entire community, racial divides and intolerance.
The book uses all five of the family's members to unravel the tale in a mix of voices, each presenting their own take on events as viewed from their particular perspective, either recounting events, providing back-story or even, in the case of the youngest member, Jack, providing a retrospective view from his present day adulthood, highlighting just how so not very long ago those times really were.
Despite the shock of its opening and the dark theme which that promises, this book is, in reality, an absolute delight throughout -- a gem of a tale which shines like a beacon and shows how even the darkest times can be lit with the light of human decency, understanding and, above all, compassion for one's fellow human beings.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Jackie
Format:Paperback
The Well and the Mine has one of the best opening lines I've ever come across:
"After she threw the baby in, nobody believed me for the longest time. But I kept hearing that splash."
The book is set in a small American mining town during the 1930s and gives a vivid portrait of a community struggling to cope with the Depression.
The blurb implies that the book is a mystery revolving around who threw the baby into the well, but anyone looking for a mystery will be disappointed. The identity of the person who throws the baby is revealed, but is really of no consequence. Instead the book is more like a character study; revealing the thoughts and relationships of those living in the American South at the time.
Unfortunately the book was too slow for me. Very little actually happens. I admired the quality of the writing and the rich characters that were described, but I longed for the people to actually do something.
Recommended to people who enjoy gentle books.
"After she threw the baby in, nobody believed me for the longest time. But I kept hearing that splash."
The book is set in a small American mining town during the 1930s and gives a vivid portrait of a community struggling to cope with the Depression.
The blurb implies that the book is a mystery revolving around who threw the baby into the well, but anyone looking for a mystery will be disappointed. The identity of the person who throws the baby is revealed, but is really of no consequence. Instead the book is more like a character study; revealing the thoughts and relationships of those living in the American South at the time.
Unfortunately the book was too slow for me. Very little actually happens. I admired the quality of the writing and the rich characters that were described, but I longed for the people to actually do something.
Recommended to people who enjoy gentle books.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
good story
this book is about a young girl who see a stranger throw her baby down a well. I would recommend this to read.
Published 1 month ago by bookmoviefanatic
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well written, but not for me
Full of great period feel, The Well and the Mine is certainly a very promising debut novel from Gin Phillips. Read more
Published 21 months ago by IWFIcon
3.0 out of 5 stars
Two-and-a-half stars
As at least one other reviewer has said, this novel opens promisingly. Witnessed by a child, a stranger thows a baby into the family's well. Read more
Published on 29 May 2011 by F. M. M. Stott
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not a popular book club read.
I chose this book for my book club and out of 5 (female) readers only one person liked it, which was me! Read more
Published on 28 April 2011 by Mr. R. D. Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Baby thrown down a well? Actually that doesn't matter too much
This is a gorgeous book describing life in a poor mining town. All the men work in the mine and that extends to black and white people who in the mine work side by side. Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by R. Lawson
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little too sweet
There's no doubt that this is a very wel written book. It's obviously thoroughly researched and has a real ring of truth to it. Read more
Published on 16 April 2010 by L. Holdsworth
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent but unexceptional read
I like reading a wide range of novels on all sorts of subjects and set in a variety of locations. But somehow I really did not warm to this novel. Read more
Published on 12 April 2010 by Gabrielle O
4.0 out of 5 stars
A little gem
This is truly a gem of a book. It is mainly a mystery - centered around the story of who threw the baby into the well. Read more
Published on 5 April 2010 by Lily
4.0 out of 5 stars
Subtle but strong...
"AFTER SHE THREW THE BABY IN, NOBODY BELIEVED ME for the longest time. But I kept hearing that splash".
What a fabulous opening to this debut novel! Read more
What a fabulous opening to this debut novel! Read more
Published on 1 April 2010 by Lovely Treez
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Well-Written Debut Novel
The story starts with Tess, the youngest daughter of a family living in 1930s Alabama. Tess witnesses someone throw a baby into their well. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2010 by H. Pierce
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