When The Mockingbird Sings

by Katherine King

As a young child, Mattie doesn’t realize she’s a slave until she’s plucked from the main house and taken to a new Georgia cotton plantation working the fields. She hates everything about it, except one thing: her friendship with James, the plantation owner's young son, and their secret meetings where he teaches her to read. As desperate as her circumstances are, a seed of hope is planted that will take root and not let go until her dreams of freedom are realized.

Now adults during the Civil War, James and Mattie must overcome family betrayal, oppression, and the horrors of war for their love, for Mattie’s freedom, and for the tiny chance of happiness within their grasp.

WHEN THE MOCKINGBIRD SINGS is a moving tribute to what the human soul is capable of when allowed to hope.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

Paperback

Published June 6, 2016

About the author

Katherine was born and raised in Utah where she still resides with her amazing family. She finds joy in everyday life, good food, good people and beautiful words. The Other Side of the Stars is now available on Amazon. When The Mockingbird Sings will be available June 6, 2016. To connect, find her on Facebook or Twitter @KatherineKing_1.

Reviews

[Kimberly Krey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. A beautiful, heart-wrenching journey that will take you from tearing to cheering to praying for these characters. Characters who come to life through the pages. Characters who represent the many untold stories of slavery, sacrifice, and undying hope. Well done, Katherine King. This is one I'll gladly recommend.

[Lauren McGuirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story about love and hope. I truly enjoyed reading this book. As someone who reads mostly YA and fantasy, I had low expectations going into this. The characters brought so many emotions, and originally I was worried it would be too dull for my liking, but I found it quite exciting with the events that took place. One setback I had were the grammatical errors. There was one specific and very important part of the book that would have held so much or an more emotional response from me, had there not been an error in perhaps the most important sentence. It just threw me off, but I'm sure many others will be able to look past it.

All in all, this book surprised me and I'm so happy to have read it. The story was beautiful and I'm looking forward to reading more from Katherine King!

[Jamie Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful tale of slavery. I cried, I fell in love, and I got angry everywhere in this book. This is a book you'll remember long after you read it! Enjoy!

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of When the Mockingbird Sings by Katherine King in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely one of my favorite books I have read this summer. It takes place before and then during the years of the Civil War on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Mattie and her mother Ruby are moved from one plantation to another when the owner's husband dies. Mattie's life changes considerably at the new plantation. She and her mother lived in the master's house on the old plantation where her mother took care of the owner's children. On the new plantation Mattie, now nine years old, is expected to pick cotton in the fields. This was her first recognition that she was a slave and she didn't like it at all. Her acquaintance of the owner's son, James, changes her life in so many ways. When James' mother dies in childbirth, Ruby and Mattie are needed in the master's home to take care of the new baby, Henry and his brother James. Mattie's and James' friendship blossoms over the years and eventually turns to love. This is a study of human nature exploring the morals of slavery and how one treats others and sees them as people. I loved this book! Once I started reading it I could not put it down. I cried and smiled and loved every aspect of this book. I highly recommend it.

[Lauren Wallentine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt underdeveloped and the writing was not matured. The story had potential and was an easy read, but it didn't go deep enough all the conflict was resolved to easily and there wasn't one main conflict or culmination. I found myself rolling my eyes when James talked about his feelings, it was pretty sappy. A lot of it felt unbelievable.

[Donna R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story of the resiliency of the human spirit during the darkest time in U.S. history. Grief, pain, life, death, love, faith and hope mold the lives of the characters in this moving tale. I would recommend this book to readers of all genres.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story!

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review seems to be in the minority but this book was just missing something for me. It felt forced and there was a lack of depth. With such heavy subject matter and a story concept that seemed like it would be so poignant I expected so much more. Many events were full of energy and then were resolved so quickly that it felt very anti climatic. The characters fell flat and their interactions were often overly melodramatic. The writing was almost juvenile and needed more detail and a richness to match the style of a story I’m sure was meant to be powerful. I was really disappointed by the whole thing. I think the idea of the story in the hands of someone like Amy Harmon would have brought it to life much better and in the way I think it must have been originally imagined.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read anything by this author before. I saw the book at the library and randomly picked it up. It is fabulous. It is the right amount of historical fiction, romance, character development, and even a bit of mystery. It is the story of the life and relationship of Mattie and James each growing up together on their side of the black and white issues in Southern Georgia pre and during civil war. It is a story of an underdog situation and making the impossible possible.

Content: uplifting and very clean without sacrificing the story.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book a 3.7. I enjoyed it although I felt it was more of a young adult level read. It was a typical book of plantation life. The struggle of the good vs. bad whites and the struggle of the slaves for freedom.

[Donald Rosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you start reading this book, you can't out it down!

This was a book I had no idea what it was about. Once I started reading it was very interesting. Could hardly wait to see what happens next!

[Ray Phenicie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When James comes marching home again

The way the slavery was explained from the both sides of the subject. The courage that was described by the slaves and the young men at battle and the hope you felt at the end of the book.

[Taffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

opening line:
"To say I didn't realize I was a slave until I was six years of age might seem impossible to some."

Beautiful story of love and kindness and family.

[JANE ACKLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Excellent read! Loved every minute of it. One of those books you just can't out down. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy reading about the old south.

[Tessa Fillpot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written story about a place in time where doing the right thing had bad consequences. The storyline was realistic and beautiful.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical romance set around the Civil War, “When the Mockingbird Sings” presents an interesting take on the time period.

Read full review in the 2017 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Toni Mariani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of plantation life.

If a person has to be a slave, in the south, than this book demonstrates the best possible life one could have. It is very easy to lump all people from area together, but we must remember, it took unity in thought and purpose to end that "peculiar institution"! It took both white and black, slave and free, to get through one of our worst times in history.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy romance story read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This was an amazing book that was so well written. The characters were well developed and the plot sucked me in from the beginning. This is the second book I've read by this author and I have been so impressed by her.