Song of the Pines

This book presents family life on a farm in the early 20th century of rural Carmel, Louisiana, as well as the beginning of oil exploration and drilling in the area. The story begins with tales of school days in a one-room schoolhouse. The chief character is a girl with dreams of becoming a school teacher. Her dreams collapse when she is unable to go into town for high school. In her disappointment she walks into the pine woods seeking solace. She stops at the Little Rock Chapel in the woods where she prays for God's help in her life. Here she meets a sympathetic stranger. As they visit, she discovers this new friend is actually a ghost-the spirit of a great-great grandmother. Awakened from her grave by an oil company drilling in the family cemetery, she sought this young grandchild, aware she needed encouragement. She tells Lenora so much, the girls swears she's had a history lesson. Love and faith provide strength for life, even with hardships. There are tremendous challenges to the country girl in this new life. She holds precious the memories of her home in the pine hills, and her beloved family-including the spirit of one she'd never really known in life. Challenge after challenge arises, but with faith in God and stamina learned on the farm, Lenora's new transient family never gives up.