Light Comes to Shadow Mountain

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Author(s)

Toni Buzzeo

Publisher

Holiday House

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

July 11, 2023

ISBN

978-0823453849

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It’s 1937 and the government is pushing to bring electricity to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. It’s all Cora can think of; radios with news from around the world, machines that keep food cold, lightbulbs by which to read at night! Cora figures she can help spread the word by starting a school newspaper and convincing her neighbors to support the Rural Electrification Act.

But resistance to change isn’t easy to overcome, especially when it starts at home. Cora’s mother is a fierce opponent of electrification. She argues that protecting the landscape of the holler—the trees, the streams, the land that provides for their way of life—is their responsibility. But Cora just can’t let go of wanting more.

Lyrical, literary, and deeply heartfelt, this debut novel from an award-winning author-librarian speaks to family, friendship, and loss through the spirited perspective of a girl eager for an electrified existence, but most of all, the light of her mother’s love and acceptance.

Back matter includes an Author’s Note; further information on the Rural Electrification Act, the herbs and plants of Appalachia, the Pack Horse Library Project, and more; and a “Quick Questions” historical trivia section for readers.

Editor review

1 review

I thought about this book for DAYS!

August 09, 2023 (Updated: June 04, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Cora lives with her family in southeastern Kentucky in 1937 in the mountain town of Spruce Lick. Her father is working with the Civilian Conservation Corps, and her pregnant mother has her hands full with Cora and her toddler twin brothers as well as her work as an herbalist. Their small community is close knit and has everything they need, but Cora is excited to learn that electricity may be coming to her area. Her father even takes a new job with the Southeast Counties Rural Electrical Cooperative Corporation, organizing supplies and equipment to install this network. Her mother, who has suffered the loss of her parents as well as Cora's older sister to the flu, thinks that electricity will disrupt their quiet way of life, and is against it. Cora and her best friend, Cielly (whose parents both died in a house fire, and who now lives with a great aunt), want all of the benefits of electricity, and are especially excited to bring it to their school. Unfortunately, there have to be a certain number of subscribers to have the lines put in place, and it is expensive. The school would have to have the initial $5 to join, and would then have to pay $3 a month for service, which is money that the school doesn't have. Cora and Cielly organize a pie sale, asking neighbors to donate pies, and selling them to raise funds. After a poor start, this does bring in the needed funds, but their teacher tells them the board still won't agree. Cora's cousin Glenna has just moved in with the family from Michigan, and there are some hitches in the girls' relationship, but they do try to get along. Cora is vaguely aware that Glenna has been abused, and has sought shelter in Spruce Lick. When one of the twins is badly burned in an outdoor fire, he must spend weeks in the hospital fighting an infection, and the money is used for that. Glenna is very helpful when Cora tries to sell embroidered handkerchiefs to replace the money for the school. Cora's mother goes into labor prematurely, and the baby arrives in need of help. Will Cora be able to get the baby to the hospital for needed intervention, and will the hospital's use of electricity convince her mother of the importance of this new technology?

Good Points

There's so much to love in this book, and I have had more students asking for historical fiction lately. The Great Depression is quickly slipping away from collective memory, and I am glad that this book does such a great job of showing readers what life was like during this time. At the beginning, there is a brief mention that even in October, Cora is still going barefoot instead of wearing "expensive shoes"! Cora likes her small town, but wants to experience life outside of it. I loved the feeling of community, with the women (who probably have very little) willing to donate pies to help out the school. The fact that Cora's sister died of the flu and Cielly's parents are also gone is sadly common for this time period. There is some interesting information about the role of herbalists in mountain communities, and there are some helpful notes about several topics at the end of the book. The cover by David Dean is fantastic!

I would love to see another Depression era book from Ms. Buzzeo, especially as we approach the 100th anniversary of the stock market crash of 1929. Most of the titles set during this time were written by people who lived thorugh it, and the books are decades old, like Hunt's No Promises in the Wind and Gates' Blue Willow. Meltzer's Tough Times is newer, because the author was over 80 when he wrote it! There are also few books set in Appalachia like Watts' On Snowden Mountain is set during WWII and Vanderpool's Navigating Early.