Velva Jean Learns to Drive

This book is a perfect choice of Lorna Landvick or those just seeking a bit of satire on controlling husbands, mountain life and evangelism. All of course glossed over with big dreams of performing at the Grand Ole Oprey.

In her first captivating novel, Jennifer Niven has written a highly entertaining coming of age story. Set in the Appalachian mountains during prohibition, Niven explores the lives of preachers, bootleggers and a few dysfunctional families all of course done with a large dose of humor.

At the tender age of ten, Velva Jean is ‘saved’ for the ‘first’ time. It is not exactly all she’d expected, and in fact her life soon takes a devastating turn for the worse. Velva Jean’s father is more absent than not, which goes fairly unnoticed until her loving mother is struck with a life threatening illness. It’s during this unstable period that her mother makes Velva Jean promise to “live out there in the great big world.”

Unfortunately by the age of fourteen Velva Jean has fallen for a loud mouth troublemaking mountain boy who is soon to be her controlling, psychologically damaging husband. Now she’s stuck, or is she? She has never forgotten that long ago promise to her mother and has never forgotten her dreams of singing at the Oprey. With the continuing support of her brother, a kindred spirit, and financial finagling she may just make that dream come true after all.

Told with a witty sense of humor, this book is truly deserving of an award. In fact Niven’s works of nonfiction have won numerous awards and have been translated into eight languages. I believe it to be a thought provoking and relevant choice for book club discussions.

—review by Virginia Kress, The Reader's Loft