Whisper Mountain

By Vivian Higginbotham Nichols

There's a reason why we have the saying "truth is stranger than fiction".  If Whisper Mountain was a fiction book, I might have come away saying that it is a great story, but some parts just seemed too extreme to happen in real life.  Since Whisper Mountain IS a true story and these things really DID happen, I walked away saying, "WOW! What a story, and what a life!"

It seemed more common than not that people of "older generations" were more selective in sharing details of certain experiences that life dished out to them. I know my grandfather and father-in-law who were both in WWII barely spoke about the details of their war experiences be they tragic or heroic.  It seems the same for Ida Williams.  If it weren't for her granddaughter's discovery, Ida's important and heroic story might never have been told. What a blessing it was that Vivian found her grandmother's journals! 

Ida Williams and her siblings amazed me with their resilience and fortitude. Even when death was staring Ida in the face, she stared right back and didn't give up. Much of what their mother put them through was unimaginable, but Ida and her siblings fought hard to help each other to survive.  This is a story of hardship, love, murder, determination, greed, and forgiveness.  

I must confess, when I first saw that Whisper Mountain took place in the late 1800's and early 1900's, I thought, "Uh Oh, no TVs, no indoor plumbing, no telephones, no excitement."  Boy was I wrong!  I was so engrossed in Ida's story, that once I started reading it, I couldn't stop.  I also liked the fact that much of it took place in Arkansas, since I am somewhat familiar with that area already. 

This story is definitely worth the read!