Lilly Gray Corbett just graduated medical school and she decided to accept an internship in a coal camp in Skip Rock, Kentucky. Her beau Paul is doing a residency in Boston and doesn't understand why Lilly would ever choose to work in such a backwater town. But having grown up in the mountains Lilly is drawn to the people she encounters in Skip Rock. It’s a town where the stubborn townspeople live hard and die harder, and women know their place. Lilly learns she has a lot to overcome, but after saving the life of a young miner, the residents learn to trust her.
As Lilly finds herself torn between joining Paul in Boston and her love for Skip Rock, she crosses paths with a very good-looking miner who strangely seems awfully familiar. Her attraction for this man grows even as she wrestles with her feelings and wonders just what exactly he is hiding.
Jan Watson’s sixth novel “Skip Rock Shallows” is a hit. It’s engaging and the writing is beautiful. Not knowing anything about Jan's writing, it was kind of hard to know what to expect. But this was such a pleasant and enjoyable novel that it was definitely not a bust. The first thing that catches your eye is the cover as it’s just so striking with the unusual pose of the woman and makes you curious about what the story is all about. And inside you see why you were so curious. The characters are so authentic and the storyline is something that I personally have never read anything about before. It was such a joy to read. It’s great that in this historical fiction novel that there are women doctors but I had also never heard of a coal miner doctor, which ended up being a key part of the book. It felt like Paul was a little stuck up but still not too irritating. Lilly, the main character, was so genuine and the writing made you feel like you were really there, though it was hard to imagine what would happen next. Keeps you guessing for sure! Though even if you can't personally relate to the story, it’s super easy to connect with it due to Watson’s fantastic writing skills. If you are into historical fiction, or well-written love stories in general, then this is the book for you! It’s a story expertly told and a pretty quick read as well. Check it out! It’s available now from Tyndale Publishing.
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