The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry

★★★★★
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The summer of 1972 was the most pivotal of Matt Plumley’s childhood. While his beloved Pirates battle for back-to-back World Series titles, Matt’s family moves from Pittsburgh to Dogwood, West Virginia, where his father steps into the pulpit of a church under the thumb of town leader Basil Blackwood. A fish out of water, Matt is relieved to forge a fast bond with two unlikely friends: Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed-race boy, and Jesse Woods, a tough-as-nails girl with a sister on her hip and no dad in sight.

As the trio traipses the hills and hollers, Matt begins to fall for Jesse, and their promises to each other draw him deeper into her terrifying reality. One night, the wrath of the Blackwoods and the secrets of Jesse’s family collide, and Matt joins Jesse in a rescue that saves one life and ends another . . . and severs the bond of their friendship.

Years later, Matt is pulled back to Dogwood and to memories of that momentous summer by news of Jesse’s upcoming wedding. He could never shake the feeling that there was more to the story of that fateful night, and he’s determined to learn the truth behind the only promise Jesse Woods ever broke.

Chris Fabry’s The Promise of Jesse Woods is a compelling coming of age story. From the start, the characters and their unlikely but budding friendship made me love them, and the historical setting around them seemed vividly authentic. As the plot of the novel progressed, I felt thoroughly engaged, and all my emotions went through the ups and downs with the characters. It’s easy to say that I absolutely loved The Promise of Jesse Woods, and I now highly recommend it!

Thanks to Tyndale BlogNetwork, I received a copy of The Promise of Jesse Woods and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.