**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ In the Fields ~ Willow Aster

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Willow Aster's In the Fields. My stop includes everything you need to know about the book, my review, and a giveaway.

This tour was organized by The Indie Bookshelf.

*****

In the Fields by Willow Aster

Release Date: September 8, 2013
Source: eARC from the author in exchange for my honest review

1971—In the tiny, backward town of Tulma, Tennessee, optimistic, bookish Caroline Carson unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a forbidden romance. Severely neglected by her family and forced to flee Tulma to protect her secrets, Caroline’s young life comes crashing down around her. She finds refuge in a new town, but the past always has a way of stretching around time and stirring up trouble.

When a new love comes into her life, she has to decide if she can give her heart to someone else, or if she will always be tied to someone she can’t have.

**This book is intended for mature readers. It contains references to rape, alcoholism, and child neglect.

I'd read a multitude of rave reviews for Ms. Aster's debut novel. But I hadn't had time to read it yet. After reading In the Fields, I now know what all the fuss was about.

In the Fields is a story that resonates deeply with me. I grew up in small town, Texas. Segregation didn't exist any longer, but prejudice certainly did. And I remember being appalled at the use of derogatory words and racial slurs. I don't know why I felt it was wrong but I did. And reading this story now, forty years later, it's still relevant. 

This is a story that illustrates the best and worst of humanity. It's a story of love and hate, acceptance and prejudice. Ms. Aster paints such a genuine picture of life post desegregation. Her prose is fluid and lovely. And her ability to convey the depth of emotions in her characters is incredible. 

Caroline Carson endures so many tragedies and hardships in her young life. She learns early on that the people she loves, the people she should be able to depend on, always let her down, and don't stick around. She's fiercely independent though, and immensely resilient. And she receives protectors when she needs them most. I relished the unbreakable bond between Caroline and Isaiah. There love is young love but seems to have staying power. We are witness to their love's power and stability. But loving someone enough to stand up against a society that's not accepting is challenging.

I greatly appreciated the strong women cast as Caroline's protectors - Ruby and Sadie, Ms. Sue and Ms. Greener. A strong heroine is always a positive and the fact that Caroline is so strong, courageous, and resilient, and is also surrounded by the strength of these women was gratifying.

Caroline didn't have strong males in her life when she was young and maybe that is part of the initial draw to Isaiah. But Dr. H, Davis, and eventually her dad prove to Caroline that some men are worthy of her affection. Isaiah, though, he's Caroline's true savior and protector.

In the Fields broke my heart. It demonstrated some of the worst humanity can do. But this story also tells of second chances, redemption, and the power of love. In this display, Caroline and Isaiah's story mended my heart and restored my faith in humanity as a whole.

a Rafflecopter iPad Mini giveaway

Willow Aster is the author of True L̶o̶v̶e̶ Story and In the Fields, two standalone books published in 2013. When she's not writing, you can find her staring out into space, dreaming about new characters. She also enjoys sliding across the hardwood floor in her socks and twirling in the sand.

Website | Facebook (Author Page) | Facebook (Personal) | Goodreads