Review of Lilly Of The Mountains

[Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Lilly Of The Mountains" by D. L. Yoder.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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The book Lilly of the Mountains by D.L. Yoder takes place in the early 1940s in Clayton, Colorado. The people of the town are going through tough times following the 1929 stock market crash. They did not know where to go for help with their financial problems, as the banks were closed. There was one man who did not believe in banks and had kept his money hidden somewhere on his property. Levi Perkins gladly lent these people money, and when they couldn’t pay, he took everything from them with no mercy. Charles Crandle was one of the individuals who faced financial distress. His wife died, he lost his job, and he had a daughter to look after. The only job that he could come up with was to join the merchant navy. What would he do with his daughter, Lilly? Levi had the answer. He told Charles that he would give him $650 if he would give Lilly to him, and he would marry her and take good care of her. Having no other option, Charles agreed.

The first few months were not too bad, but suddenly, Levi turned into an abusive monster. If his clothes were not properly pressed, he would beat Lilly. If dinner was late or not to his liking, he would beat Lilly. He would not let her touch his things or enter his office. If she did, he would beat Lilly. One day, after seven years of an abusive marriage, Levi and his car dove over a cliff, and Levi was killed. Finally, Lilly was free from this pitiful excuse of a man and husband. She did not, however, expect the people of the town to turn on her, being Levi’s widow. Levi took their money and property, and now she had it all. She was no better than he was. The problem was that Lilly did not know where the money was. Levi had hidden it well, and she had no idea where it was.

Does Lilly ever find Levi’s money? Do the townspeople ever understand that she had nothing to do with Levi’s dealings? Does she ever find her true love and live a happy life? Read the book to discover what happens to Lilly and whether she ever finds happiness.

This story is about a woman who did what she had to do to survive. Finally getting out of an abusive marriage, she perseveres all by herself, alone in a world where she isn’t accepted. Lilly learns to defend herself against ever being harmed again, and not only teaches herself how to drive but also how to run her household.

The book was enjoyable to read. The two things I disliked about the book were that you didn't find out what happened to some of the characters at the end, and you didn't find out how Levi’s death occurred. Did he go off the road accidentally? Was it a mechanical failure? Did someone try to murder him? You are just left hanging. For these two reasons, I am deducting two stars and rating the book 3 out of 5 stars. The book was well-edited, although I found a few errors. For those of you who like the story of a courageous woman who keeps fighting against all odds, this book is for you. I recommend this book to young adults and adults alike. There is very little profanity or sex in the book. There is abuse, but it is not described graphically or offensively.

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Lilly Of The Mountains
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[Seetha E]

The father's decision to "give away" her daughter for money was wrong to start with. What Levi did was expected given his previous actions. But Lilly's character and the fact that the society turned against her, even though she had no clue of where the money confuses me. Guess I'll have to read to find out more
Thank you for an engaging and interesting review.