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Sweetwater Burning
by
Heather Sharfeddin (Goodreads Author)
In the small Idaho town of Sweetwater, Chas McPherson tends his blackbelly sheep and keeps his thoughts to himself. Unable to care for his terminally ill father, he must hire a home-care nurse for a job no one in his or her right mind would take. But one woman accepts. Mattie Holden comes to this cramped, cluttered house with a secret on her heels. And in brooding, hard-dr...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
June 22nd 2010
by Bantam
(first published October 25th 2005)
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I just finished the book. I really enjoyed it and am feeling a little sad that I don't have these characters to keep reading about. I'm tempted to start the book over again to avoid losing their company. The book moves at a good pace and is anything but predictable. We are given a hint of what the police officer in the story is like, leaving me wanting to know more about him, although he was not a main character. Chas, the main character, is truly a good and moral soul, despite his flaws. The de...more
Jul 12, 2011
Ed
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
modern Western fans
Recommended to Ed by:
browsing new books at my library
The first-rate modern Western was a pleasure to read. Set in Idaho during a pre-cell phone era (I'm guessing the late 1970s or maybe early 1980s), the tale involves deceit, guilt, romance, and all the good stuff found perking in fiction. The main characters are flawed with their warts and all, but they also possess a Midwestern decency that spurs them to strive to do better. I learned all sorts of technical things about raising sheep that while interesting didn't convince me to try my hand at it...more
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Sweetwater Burning (orig published as Blackbelly) follows a rancher and the nurse he hires to take care of his dying father. The plot is fueled by an accusation that the farmer burned down the house of a local Muslim family.
I loved this book. The writing style was splended, pulling me into the characters and into Idaho. While reading the book, my heart was broken. Its been awhile since a book has evoked so much emotion from me. I received this book through Goodreads First Reads, and I am glad I...more
I loved this book. The writing style was splended, pulling me into the characters and into Idaho. While reading the book, my heart was broken. Its been awhile since a book has evoked so much emotion from me. I received this book through Goodreads First Reads, and I am glad I...more
Wonderful read. Real characters with flaws, needs and the hope of making life better. Suspense builds nicely. Realistic, sad and hopeful.
This is the story of Chas McPherson, who hires a home health-care nurse, Mattie Holden, to care for his dying father, a once powerful, wrathful preacher now incapacitated by Parkinson's.
When the house of the lone Muslim family in Sweetwater is burned down, the inhabitants of the tiny Idaho town accuse Chas of arson, their old grudges against his father fueling their suspicion of the reclusive younger man.
This is a poignant story for our times. It reminds me of the saying "if we turn our skin i...more
When the house of the lone Muslim family in Sweetwater is burned down, the inhabitants of the tiny Idaho town accuse Chas of arson, their old grudges against his father fueling their suspicion of the reclusive younger man.
This is a poignant story for our times. It reminds me of the saying "if we turn our skin i...more
Oct 26, 2010
Jennifer_tang788
added it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I didn't want to put this book down; I read it in two sittings. The story of the two main characters, Chas and Mattie, is subtle and complex at the same time. The story is part romance, part mystery, with a little supernatural element thrown in. A satisfying read. I can't wait to start Mineral Spirits, the book she wrote after this, which takes one of the supporting characters of this book and makes him the main character of his own story.
Oct 17, 2009
Marnie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Marnie by:
I won this book
Shelves:
first-reads-winner
This book was very short but sweet. The story centers around Chas McPherson, who is a sheep rancher and his father, who is very ill. His father is mute and incapacitated from Parkinson's and needs around the clock care. Chas hires a nurse, Mattie Holden, who has demons of her own to face. the story is a western but also a love story. I enjoyed the book and hope Heather Sharfeddin will write another book soon.
I realy started out liking this book but then the author had to go and ruin it by putting in a vivid sex scene so I stopped reading it
This was a fun easy read
May 11, 2013
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I started my career as a storyteller in the first grade, though my teacher preferred the term "liar." Confused, I went on to become an auctioneer's assistant, carhop, billing clerk, motel maid, technical writer, knowledge management director, web usability analyst, and finally, novelist. So, you can get paid to make things up!
My first novel Blackbelly, published in 2005 by Bridge Works Publishing...more
More about Heather Sharfeddin...
My first novel Blackbelly, published in 2005 by Bridge Works Publishing...more
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