Light Comes to Shadow Mountain
In 1937, eleven-year-old Cora Mae Tipton dreams of becoming a newspaper reporter—a dream for which she knows she’ll need at least a high school education. But Shadow Mountain in southeastern Kentucky doesn’t have a high school, and in order to study at night for the tests that will win her a scholarship to the nearest boarding school, Cora needs electric lights. Fortunately, a local electric cooperative is finally coming to Shadow Mountain, and they only need three households to join.
Desperate to electrify their little community, Cora and her best friend, Ceilly, cook up plans to raise the money needed to include their school as one of the three members. But Cora’s mommy, heavily pregnant and fighting depression sparked by the death of Cora’s older sister, is hard set against any changes coming to the mountain. Cora finds herself caught between her dreams and her mother, who she wishes more than anything could smile again.
This immersive novel captivates readers with its charming characters and atmospheric setting. Middle-grade readers will relate to Cora’s dreams and inquisitive nature, as well as her clashes with her mother and the occasional failures of her schemes. Adults will appreciate that Buzzeo shows both sides of the debate of electrification. Rather than merely writing off the people opposed to it as ignorant hillbillies, Buzzeo, through Cora, validates their concerns and treats them with respect. Most importantly, the novel explores what can be made possible through compromise. The author’s note and additional back matter provide further information about the Rural Electrification Administration, settlement schools, the Frontier Nursing Service, the Pack Horse Library Project, and herbal and plant medicine. This book is a treat.
