Woods at Barlow Bend (Smith)

The Woods at Barlow Bend
Jodie Cain Smith, 2014
Deer Hawk Publications
296 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781625969705


Summary
A true story about death, loss, and redemption during one of the most tumultuous times in U.S. History, this book follows Hattie from the time she learns of her mother’s horrible death and the murder trial of her father, through her adulthood. Hattie learns of a strength she never knew she had, and that loving someone means forgiving them as well.

One shot fired deep in the pine forests of her youth was all it took to change Hattie’s life forever. At the age of fourteen, Hattie learns that her mother, Addie, is dead, and her father, Hubbard, stands accused of Addie’s murder, along with countless other shocking betrayals.

Overnight, Hattie becomes mother to her three siblings while still very much a child herself. The life she had dreamt of now seems impossible to achieve. How will Hattie break away from the father who prevents her from living the life she desperately wants? Will her heart ever be able to heal in the height of The Great Depression?

Author Bio
• Birth—August 28, 1975
• Where—Mobile, Alabama, USA
• Education—B.F.A., University of South Alabama; M.A.E., Northern Michigan University
• Currently—lives in Columbia, South Carolina


As a teen in Mobile, AL, Jodie Cain Smith listened as her grandmother told her the gripping story of an adolescence spent in 1930’s rural Alabama, the rumors surrounding her parents, and the murder trial that would alter her life. The tale took root in Jodie’s memory until at last it became The Woods at Barlow Bend, her debut novel released in 2015 by Deer Hawk Publications.

While attending the University of South Alabama, where she earned a BFA in Theatre Arts, Jodie met her husband Jay. They began their life on the Army road in 2001 and have not stopped moving since. As an Army Wife, she has lived in six different states spanning from the extreme heat of Texas to the blizzards of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she earned a MAE in School Counseling at Northern Michigan University, to most recently landing in South Carolina.

Jodie Cain Smith’s feature articles and columns have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Military Spouse’s Soul, Petigru Review, Savannah Morning News, and Fort Hood Sentinel. Her second novel with Deer Hawk Publications, Jubilee Bells, will be released in 2016. (From the author.)

Vsit the author's website and her blog The Queendom.

Book Reviews
A week after finishing Jodie Cain Smith’s novel, The Woods at Barlow Bend, I can’t stop thinking about her characters and the mystery that surrounds the death of the beautiful and lively Addie Andrews.... When you open up this novel, you will forget it’s 2015 and that you have a life outside of the story.... But in a matter of seconds, after reading the author’s opening lines, the Alabama setting will be so familiar, you’ll wonder why you ever left... Because Jodie Cain Smith is such a skilled storyteller, her teenage narrator, Hattie, will wrap around your heart and settle in to stay.
Kathleen M Rodgers, author of Johnnie Come Lately and The Final Salute - Military Spouse Book Review


It was a pleasure to read a book that is so well-written. The fact that the novel is based on actual events was captivating from the start. Smith weaves magic, drawing us in to her grandmother's world. We are left not knowing what actually happened at Barlow Bend because only Hubbard Andrews knew.... Wholly satisfying.
Booklover - Amazon Customer Reviews


Cain-Smith is a passionate writer whose descriptive and captivating style grabs your attention and keeps you focused from page one to the end. You feel the fear, the courage, the grief, and the joy...in the character of Hattie.... A must read for mystery lovers as well as history lovers.
Wonderwoman - Amazon Customer Reviews


Couldn't put this book down. It was a quick read that flowed well and was easy to follow. I kept wanting to find out what happened next to Hattie and her family.... The story would be an excellent read even if it was complete fiction, but knowing it is based on a true story makes it all the more intriguing.
Christine Swadley - Amazon Customer Reviews


The book is a good read and descriptive of 1930s Alabama. Jodie Smith told the story for her family but the reading public is fortunate that she chose to share it with them too.
Jim Cox - Clarke County Democrat


"This would make a great book." It's a common thought after hearing a bit of family history, but few of us take the trouble. Kudos to Ms. Smith for sharing her well-researched family saga."
Michelle Strider, author of Homeless, Homecoming, and Hometown - Goodreads


Spirited, Strong Character Story. Great read! Really enjoyed this book. So many different characters and personalities. Lots of ups and downs...just like any of our lives if we are truly living. Highly recommended."
Sue Ann Simpson - Goodreads

Discussion Questions
1. How did you experience Hattie’s story? Did you find her compelling? Was her plight worthy of exploration?

2. What did you take away from Hattie and Hubbard’s relationship? What effect did that relationship have on Hattie’s future actions?

3. Do you think Hubbard was guilty? If so, of what? Why?

4. Describe your feelings toward Hubbard’s treatment of Millie after the trial. Do you agree with his actions?

5. Describe the significance of the inscription on Addie’s headstone: “Mother.” What do you think of the lack of the word “wife?”

6. Do you agree with Hattie’s decision to elope with Gordon? What do you think of her decision to never date or marry again after losing him at such a young age? What would you have done in her position?

7. If you could ask the author one question about the book, what would that question be?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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