On Viney's Mountain by Joan Donaldson

Summary

Strangers have come to Viney’s mountain, and she is furious! The arrogant invaders are leveling acres of forest in her beloved home in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a Utopian democratic settlement in 1880, the dream of English writer and labor pioneer Thomas Hughes. Sixteen-year-old Viney Walker is determined to sabotage their plans, but her sister Lizzie is thrilled, convinced that she will find a wealthy husband among the newcomers. Independent and uncompromising, Viney rails against the traditional fate of a mountain woman–marriage, children, unending drudgery–and prefers to focus on her true love and extraordinary talent–weaving. But Viney hasn’t reckoned on Charlie Breckenridge, a handsome Englishman who takes a fancy to her. When she feigns a relationship with Charlie to put an end to the pressure from her family to find a man, her plot backfires in surprising ways, changing Viney and her mountain forever.

Strangers have come to Viney’s mountain, and she is furious! The arrogant invaders are leveling acres of forest in her beloved home in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a Utopian democratic settlement in 1880, the dream of English writer and labor pioneer Thomas Hughes. Sixteen-year-old Viney Walker is determined to sabotage their plans, but her sister Lizzie is thrilled, convinced that she will find a wealthy husband among the newcomers. Independent and uncompromising, Viney rails against the traditional fate of a mountain woman–marriage, children, unending drudgery–and prefers to focus on her true love and extraordinary talent–weaving. But Viney hasn’t reckoned on Charlie Breckenridge, a handsome Englishman who takes a fancy to her. When she feigns a relationship with Charlie to put an end to the pressure from her family to find a man, her plot backfires in surprising ways, changing Viney and her mountain forever.

2010 Friends of American Writers Award for Outstanding Young Adult Novel

Selected by the State of Tennessee to represent Tennessee at the 2010 National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress.

Appeared on The Bank Street List of the Best Books of 2010.

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Foreigners are coming to 16-year-old Viney Walker’s home in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee. Arriving from England in 1880 to establish Rugby, a Christian Social Community where young men hope to buy land and be treated equally, these flatlanders are grading new roads, trampling her wildflowers and luring her pretty sister Lizzie into town. But as much as Viney loves her mountain way of life, especially her weaving, she is drawn to Charlie Breckenridge, a handsome English man with gentian blue eyes. The jacket copy likens this historical romance to Jane Austen, and it is funny, poignant and always centered on whether or not Viney and Charlie will get together. Viney and her mountain ridge are beautifully realized, the prose full of well-researched details of flora and fauna, though a bit heavy handed with similes. The first-person point of view is just right for getting into the mind of this homespun girl with dirt under her fingernails and grit in her spirit. Readers will come to love feisty Viney and cheer her on. (Historical fiction. 10 & up)

School Library Journal

Grade 7–9—In 1880, in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, Viney Walker, 16, lives on a subsistence farm with her sister and brother. All are accustomed to long days of hard labor, but Viney makes time for her art—weavings that make warm blankets and add beauty to drab mountain cabins. When men from an English utopian settlement begin to tear down the forest to clear land for their new farms and town, Viney is outraged and determined to undermine the settlement. A few tricks, however, cannot stop progress, and the teen despairs of losing not only her way of life, but also her sister to the wiles of an Englishman. Just as she begins to appreciate what the settlement has to offer, and to fall in love with one of the young men who comes to work there, disaster strikes. Based on the life of Dicey Fletcher and the ill-fated Rugby colony, this book offers a glimpse into the lives of women in the mountains during this period. While Viney’s disinterest in marriage and family makes her unusual in her time, she is a somewhat drab heroine by today’s standards. Offer this novel to fans of historical fiction and light romance who won’t be put off by the absence of a happy ending.—Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA

Booklist

Lavinia’s pristine community in the Cumberland Mountains is about to be shattered by a new planned utopian settlement led by Englishman Thomas Hughes. While some folks welcome the change of pace and new job opportunities, Viney reacts with shock and defiance. Some of the newcomers are arrogant and the felling of so many trees crushes the gifted young weaver’s heart. Donaldson portrays stark social realities of 1870s America, in which Viney has to battle suspicion and doubt when she is assaulted and endure endless prodding to dress more ladylike to attract a man. As one young Englishman works hard to gain her favor over several months, however, a gradual transformation takes place in her heart. Based on actual events, this is historical romance with strong characters and plot development that illuminates without romanticizing the past.

— Anne O’Malley

Book Club Questions for On Viney’s Mountain

  • While Thomas Hughs thought he was building a Utopian community that would benefit both the English and the Appalachian folks, Viney had a different view of his settlement. What benefits did she discover from Hughs’ experiment, other than her love for Charlie?
  • While their aunts influenced the siblings’ choices, Viney, Lizzie, and Jacob grew up without parents. How do you think their lives and decisions would have changed if they had parents?
  • Most of the English settlers had never experienced manual labor such as weeding and picking crops. What were the individual ways that the young gentlemen responded to the tasks?
  • Lizzie only sees the settlers as a way to flee both poverty and the ridge for a wealthy lifestyle. How did loving George and his death change her?
  • In her pursuit to banish the Englishmen, Viney plays tricks on them, such as planting the snakes during a celebration. What other methods could she have used to encourage a conversation between the settlers and the mountain folk?
  • The weather and landscape are characters in the story. How does where we live, and the weather affect our lives?
  • Viney loves designing new weaving patterns, spinning and dying wool, and watching her design take shape on her loom. Is there some creative activity that you enjoy? Knitting? Quilting?