This book reminds me a bit of Catherine Marshall's "Christy" and another book a friend (AC) gave me about a Kentucky teacher (can't remember the title of that one).

A well-to-do, educated young woman moves to Rowan County, Kentucky to assist her aunt. The aunt soon has her reading letters to and scribing for illiterate adults in the hollers. She even gets thrown in to teaching school for several weeks. We get to see many changes in her and see how she finds a purpose for her life.

The book title comes from Cora Wilson Stewart's campaign to teach the illiterate adults in the county to read and write by having school in the evenings on moonlit nights (so they had light by which to walk to and from the schoolhouse). ( )

"Sometimes you have to give something up to make room for something new."

In 1911, Lucille (Lucy) Wilson left home. Lucy expected to be away from Lexington for 6 months, as her father had said when he told her she would be a stenographer for his cousin, Cora Wilson Stewart. Cora was the 1st female superintendent of schools in Eastern Kentucky, specifically for Rowan County Schools. Little did Lucy realize all the firsts she'd experience in Morehead. Within hours of meeting Cora, Lucy was on horseback for the first time, and learning the meaning of over yonder and hollers. But that was simply the beginning. There were superstitions, omens, signs, and sayings. As the months passed, Lucy also learned why her father had never wanted to return to Morehead, although he was more familiar with the land and people than she could ever have imagined.

It is a captivating story of the beauty of the land and people of Appalachia. In bringing to light Cora Wilson Stewart's life work, the author has continued the gift of storytelling that was so meaningful in the hollers of Kentucky, although the stories were verbally passed from the old to the young. The author's storytelling is written and shares Cora's wish to bring the opportunity to learn to read and write not only to young children but opened opportunity for learning to adults and to those who had dropped out of school or were never able to attend due to needs at home.

The reading experience is further enriched by additional material at the end of the novel, including So . . . What Happened Next? Fact or Fiction? Recommended Reading About the Life of Cora Wilson Stewart, Discussion Questions, and Acknowledgments to learn the inspiration for this novel.

It seems incomprehensible that, having dedicated my career to the joys of reading as a librarian, I didn't know Cora Wilson Stewart's story. Thank you, Suzanne Woods Fisher, for your meticulous research and exquisite storytelling so we could learn Cora's story. I'll never forget her.

Highly recommended. ( )

I think this is my new favorite Fisher book! The story of a real life adult literacy champion is blended into this historical fiction in such a beautiful and powerful way. Learn more about Cora Wilson Stewart and her mountain community in this amazing story! ( )

A beautifully written novel about the struggle to bring literacy to one corner of rural Kentucky.

This book just so happens to be set in my hometown, and although I knew about the moonlight schools and had heard the name Cora Wilson Stewart, I hadn't taken in any of the details. This book really brings them to life. Cora Wilson Stewart became superintendent of Rowan County schools when she was still in her 20's, and she eventually triumphed over the prevailing wisdom that illiterate adults could not be taught to read. Her success and passion for education took her to positions of national importance and made a tremendous difference in the literacy level of rural America.

However, this story is actually seen through the eyes of a fictional cousin... a Miss Lucy Wilson, who moves from Lexington to Morehead for six months to help out Cora.
The book begins with a gut-wrenching moment from Lucy's childhood in which her baby sister goes missing. As an adult, Lucy has never fully come to terms with this tragedy. When the opportunity arises to take the job in Morehead, she hesitantly accepts it. What she doesn't realize is that it will bring her in closer contact than she's ever had with poverty, illiteracy, and primitive living conditions. From being horrified at the outset, Lucy gradually comes to appreciate the positive aspects of the mountain life, and the urgent need that exists to bring education to the "hollers" so that the people can better protect themselves and their families.

There's a sweet little love story on the fringes of the plot, but mostly it is a tale of learning to see dignity and beauty even in places that are different from what you're used to, and the value of education for every corner of the world.

Recommended if you enjoyed "Christy," by Catherine Marshall, or the 90's TV series based on it. ( )

The Moonlight School is the perfect example of how to seamlessly blend historical fact with fiction and create one compelling narrative.

This is not the first historical fiction I’ve read about the Kentucky moonlight schools but it is the first that truly swept me into the Appalachia life, and the dire need for education in that region.

I learned so much about Kentucky and the Appalachian people, their history, their traditions and their land. How their songs told stories: the good, the bad, and the ugly. How many of them were quite smart, even if they weren’t “educated”, and how they were good, hardworking people. Their quirks and superstitions and also their love and compassion for their own make them uniquely fascinating and I hate that they’ve gotten the stigma that they’ve gotten over the generations.

The reader is allowed insight into the minds of several characters, but Lucy, an city outsider, is the is the most dominant, and through her we see the Appalachia, and superintendent Cora Wilson Stewart’s fight for education, with fresh eyes. I definitely got Little House on the Prairie vibes, especially when you see how close the community is with one another, and there are several characters that won me over, but Wyatt’s quiet strength and wisdom stole my heart.

I immensely enjoyed this novel and love how Suzanne Woods Fisher does such a tremendous job of bringing stories to life, especially one that is seeped in history. ( )