"Brother Wyatt, a singing school master..."
What??? A book about singing schools???
SIGN. ME. UP!!!
And to clarify: this isn't a book about singing schools.
Welcome to Rowan County, Kentucky, spring 1911. The world is moving from the straight-laced Victorian era into a new century. Cities are vibrant, modern centres, but in the rural mountain communities, tradition still maintains a stronghold. This is the world of The Moonlight School.
Our heroine, the fictional Lucy Wilson, desperately needs to experience a new chapter in life. She leaves the comforts of her affluent city life to work for her cousin in the school system of Rowan County.
Cora Wilson was a real-life trail blazer. In a time when women struggled for their place in society, she led the way in the field of education. She won her position of school superintendent in a landslide election, and her idea for "moonlight schools" literally transformed literacy in her state.
Without giving too much away, The Moonlight School is really Lucy's story. It's a story of facing your own preconceived notions, questioning the status quo, and finding your purpose in life. Lucy is a worthy protagonist, forcing us to challenge the prejudices we so often hold when it comes to entering new corners of the world.
If anything, the title of the book is a bit misleading. This isn't a book about Cora Wilson, and the concept of the moonlight schools doesn't enter the story until at least halfway through the book. That said, Woods Fisher has definitely done her research. I felt fully immersed in the Rowan County's politics, class divisions, and tactile details. I found myself genuinely craving mountain air and an all day church singing.
A brief side note on shape notes: