3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I really liked this book, although I'll admit that going into it I expected that I was going to *love* it. To that end, it fell short. The book is entirely too long, and with tighter editing could be shortened by at least 100 pages, resulting in a more powerful story.

After refusing to marry a man of her parents' choosing, Layla Beck is cut off from her family's money and forced to get a job through the Works Progress Administration writing the history of Macedonia, West Virginia. During her stay in WV, she boards with the Romeyn family, and we meet the other two main characters (and narrators of the novel) Jottie and Willa.

Barrows does a beautiful job of describing the setting: "I do believe you were the one who told me I would be entranced by the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley. You may be right, but in downtown Macedonia, natural beauty has been crushed by red-brick buildings and splintery storefronts, punctuated every now and then by a limestone monstrosity with Latin on its cornice. The Depression here seems more than ever a depression, a sag." The numerous descriptions of heat and humidity reminded me of my childhood and made me want to turn on a fan!

While Layla's assignment is to write the official history of the town, she learns there are plenty of secrets --and lots of character -- about her subject. Her inquiries force the Romeyns, and the town, to confront the truth about some painful memories, all while dealing with the challenges of The Depression.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a galley of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )

Really slow start but you have to stick with it to appreciate the writing style. Very good overall story with great pacing. ( )

This is a delightful book about West Virginia during the Depression, especially the WPA projects at that time. Layla Beck is a Senator's daughter on the outs with her family since she won't marry the man they've picked out for her. Her father sends her away to write the history of Macedonia, West Virginia, for a commemorative anniversary. She boards with the Romeyn family, once prominent in town but now regarded as more eccentric. The family consists of Felix, his three sisters (Jottie and a pair of twins), and his two daughters, Willa and Bird. The story changes POV from Willa, Jottie, and Layla, intermixed with letters and excerpts from the book.
This is a perfect slice of life during the Depression, detailing the labor movement and small-town life. Felix is a charmer who only wants to please himself, but Layla falls for him; she's much younger and more naive. Willa is adorable, intelligent, and determined to be fierce and protective of her family. Jottie is hiding deep sadness from an incident twenty years earlier when her lover was killed in a fire while stealing from the safe at the local hosiery mill that Romeyn's father ran.
I especially loved the parts where Layla interviewed and wrote about the town's history. I've used these books for genealogical research, and I know enough that they're more for color than factual. Ms. Barrows does an excellent job of showing how Layla shaded the truth often, depending on who she interviewed. It was a lot of fun to read about.
All in all, this is a beautiful story about an irregular Southern family during a time that isn't always written about. They support and love each other, even when it may not be deserved. ( )

The smallest towns have the biggest secrets.
Miss Layla Beck despises small town life.
After refusing to marry the man her rich father has picked for her, Layla is banished to the remote town of Macedonia, West Virginia, a place where nothing important happens - or so she thinks.
Tasked to write down the history of the town, Layla meets the seductive Romeyn clan. As she peels back the layers of family feuds and deceit, she discovers to her cost an unknown story far darker than she could ever have imagined.
I really enjoyed this book. I have to be honest and didn’t think I was going to like it but I soon changed my mind and found it quite enthralling. After reading the ins and outs of this family I think I’m going to miss them. ( )

4.5 stars. I stayed up late to finish because I wanted to see what happened next. The narrative style took a little getting used to, but I found the writing style, characters, and story completely engaging. This isn't quite as good as the Gurnesey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society, but it's definitely worth picking up, especially if you're a fan of historical fiction. ( )