The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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Based on a real character, The Moonlight School, tells in story form some of the work of Cora Wilson Stewart, the first female superintendent of schools in Kentucky. Cora was instrumental in starting Moonlight Schools that enabled adults in the Appalachian Mountains to come to school in the evenings and learn to read and write and do basic math. A lot of the supporting characters in this book are fiction, though some are based on facts and experiences.

Lucy is the cousin of Cora who lives in the city, but is in the background and scared of her own shadow. She comes to Rowan County to work as Cora's stenographer and is horrified at the idea of getting on a horse and heading up into the hills and hollers of the county. But as you read the book, you can watch her gain confidence and skill and find her purpose in life. 

The strength and fortitude of the mountain people is something we could all do with today. Life was hard for them, people could take advantage of them because of their illiteracy and yet they went through each day with a joy in life, at least most of the time. 

A few lines that stuck out to me in the book:
"Sometimes you have to give something up to make room for something new."

"When motivation meets opportunity, miracles can happen."

I received this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

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