Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collections
Publication
Tor Books (2011), Ebook, 352 pages
Description
"No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the mountains of East Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations. . . . Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa, has returned from Iraq, wounded in body and spirit, but her troubles are far from over. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, while a restless "haint" has followed her home from the war. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once a part of her. With death stalking her family, will she ever again join in the song of her people, and let it lift her onto the night winds? "--… (more)
Media reviews
Now we return to the world of the Tufa in Bledsoe’s Wisp of a Thing, and the mysteries revealed in The Hum and the Shiver deepen more as we’re drawn further into life of the tiny town of Needsville—an ironic name, given that the town neither needs nor wants anything from outside itself.
Show More
Within is another matter. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member amanderson
I'm not quite sure how I'd categorize this novel... fiction with fantasy elements, or urban fantasy but set in the rural mountains of Tennessee, although it doesn't have the action filled plot of most urban fantases. Fans of Charles de Lint might like it. It's a quiet novel. Bronwyn, or the
You see, this community has been living in these hills since before the Europeans arrived, as the story goes, although they aren't Native American; they call themselves the Tufa. They have a very musical tradition, with a supernatural slant, and they all look like each other and keep to themselves. Bronwyn would like to pick up her mandolin again, but her injuries and/or trauma have made her forget how to play. Lucky they heal very fast at home in the hills. She also must contend with portends of death in her family, a haint (ghost) that wants to speak with her, the expectations of her community that she stay there (I was going to say "to conform", but really they seem to do whatever they want so what's to conform to?), and a bad-news former boyfriend who wants to bring her back to her wild, rebellious, sexually free days again (a bit graphic in parts, this book, fyi, not so much a "crossover" YA book, even though the protagonist is 20). An attractive brand new preacher trying, unsuccessfully, to gain congregation members among the Tufa, a psycho cop, and a dispirited reporter who starts to discover his Tufa heritage also feature.
The plot could have had more to it, the preacher and reporter parts felt a bit tacked on, Bronwyn felt rather guy-like rather than ringing entirely true as a wild girl (but it worked ok), and the whole thing somehow felt thin. It's a family drama, really, but the characters weren't deeply developed in my view. It felt like this book was setting up the scene and community for later books, though I don't know if sequels are planned. However, the setting was well-realized and the idea of hillbilly folk music as the supernatural underpinnings and the isolated Tennessee community as modern day fairies was novel and appealing.
Show More
"Bronwynator", is a young woman coming back as an injured war hero to her small rural community, whose members don't really care about her heroism but want her to take up the mantle of being a "First Daughter" among them. You see, this community has been living in these hills since before the Europeans arrived, as the story goes, although they aren't Native American; they call themselves the Tufa. They have a very musical tradition, with a supernatural slant, and they all look like each other and keep to themselves. Bronwyn would like to pick up her mandolin again, but her injuries and/or trauma have made her forget how to play. Lucky they heal very fast at home in the hills. She also must contend with portends of death in her family, a haint (ghost) that wants to speak with her, the expectations of her community that she stay there (I was going to say "to conform", but really they seem to do whatever they want so what's to conform to?), and a bad-news former boyfriend who wants to bring her back to her wild, rebellious, sexually free days again (a bit graphic in parts, this book, fyi, not so much a "crossover" YA book, even though the protagonist is 20). An attractive brand new preacher trying, unsuccessfully, to gain congregation members among the Tufa, a psycho cop, and a dispirited reporter who starts to discover his Tufa heritage also feature.
The plot could have had more to it, the preacher and reporter parts felt a bit tacked on, Bronwyn felt rather guy-like rather than ringing entirely true as a wild girl (but it worked ok), and the whole thing somehow felt thin. It's a family drama, really, but the characters weren't deeply developed in my view. It felt like this book was setting up the scene and community for later books, though I don't know if sequels are planned. However, the setting was well-realized and the idea of hillbilly folk music as the supernatural underpinnings and the isolated Tennessee community as modern day fairies was novel and appealing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LadyMaryEStafford
This book by Alex Bledsoe is a mystical and magickal experience into the world of the TUFA- The Appalchian Fae and the musical heritage of the Appalachian life. Expect the unexpected and loose yourself and then find yourself again as a Tufa and reunite yourself with the Hum and Shiver that you feel
Show More
all around you. Follow Manderlay and the Seelie and Unseelie courts as their worlds and ours become one. This book is brilliant and an excellent bridge into the worlds of reality and mysticism. Step into the TUFA world and see what you find in their realms. A MUST READ!!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
A lovely book - with the perfect amount of mystery to explanation. I especially like the main character is a war veteran. She is both strong, and vulnerable.
The story moves gently, without any large action or world ending experiences. I found the Minister character to be secondary, without given a
The book doesn't explain what the Tufa are. You figure out that through reading the book. Explanations are few to none. I suspect some readers who like everything explained will find this book trying.
Its a quiet sort of book. Mostly character based rather than action.
The story moves gently, without any large action or world ending experiences. I found the Minister character to be secondary, without given a
Show More
bigger part. I especially liked the secondary story of the reporter finding his roots.The book doesn't explain what the Tufa are. You figure out that through reading the book. Explanations are few to none. I suspect some readers who like everything explained will find this book trying.
Its a quiet sort of book. Mostly character based rather than action.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
I tried to like this book, but I found it completely lacking in atmosphere (one of the few things I require from a faery story - and the Tufa are faeries, no doubt about it). I abandoned it when the romantic relationship was introduced on page 74; that was the end of my tolerance. This might be a
Show More
good book for someone, but it is not a good book for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member JessLibrarian
In Cloud County songs can heal... and kill... In Bledsoe’s latest fantasy Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and the close-knit enigmatic community of the Tufa she ran from two years before. Still recovering from injuries, she must immediately take up her song and
Show More
face her obligations and fears, because death is stalking her family and she’ll need all her strength to confront it. Bledsoe describes a fascinating community in Cloud County, including the Tufa—dark, secretive, imbued with music and dedicated to the night winds—and the non-Tufa and part blood residents who make up the rest of the county’s population. This novel has great world-building and characters—with flaws and development. Fans of N. K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms might like the strong female lead coming home to her obligations aspect—though this book is set solidly in the present day. Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsycab79
I liked this book more than I thought I would. Totally not something I would have chosen for myself, but I did join my book club for new reading experiences.
LibraryThing member agarcia85257
Part of what is enjoyable about reading and belonging to reading groups is finding stories that you would not regularly pick up. Taking the time to invest in a new writer that you have never heard of and open your mind and heart to explore a brand new world. That is what I love so much about public
To write much about Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver is to open up a Pandora’s box of possible spoilers that once started could not be stopped. So I will avoid that trap and only say that this may be one of the best small novels I have read all year.
The Tufa of the Smoky Mountains were settled before the first white men arrived. But are they white, are they black, are they native or are they something quite different? Rooted in ways and beliefs that precede any religion that crossed the seas to find them, they remain true to themselves. They are their own religion, their own belief, their own law. The Tufa exist in our world and somewhere else beyond it.
Bronwyn Hyatt returns home to her family and reluctantly to take her place among the Tufa as a pureblood. She returns home a war hero, a highly decorated soldier from the war in the Middle East. But it is the battle raging in the Smoky Mountains among the Tufa themselves that she must face now.
“…Bliss kissed Bronwyn on the top of her head, then saw the figure Ed had given her. She picked it up and looked it over, paying special attention to the delicate wings. “Pretty good resemblance,” she observed.
“Maybe two years ago,” Bronwyn said.
“You’ve been through a lot. But you’re home, and we care for our own.” She put down the carving and made a slow, elaborate hand gesture. “You know that.”
Bronwyn responded with another similar gesture, but it was weak and weary, as she was now. “I know. But they tried that with Humpty Dumpty, too. Didn’t work out.”
Bliss smiled. The authority of a leader was replaced with a sisterly affection. “They just didn’t know the right song.”…
The right song, for songs are power for the Tufa. The power to heal and the power to raise up. Also the power to destroy. There is a war among the Tufa and Bronwyn must decide where she stands if she decides to stand at all.
…”Daddy thinks it’s because the war over there was easier to fight than the one here.”
“Was it?”
She shrugged. “It was different. It took a lot of nerve just to stand there, knowing that a bullet or a bomb could come from anywhere. But you also didn’t know the people shooting at you or blowing you up. Here…well…they’re family.”
So the Tufa must go on and Bronwyn must decide if she returns to the outside world or stays home. Will she spread her wings, give in to her full Tufa nature and ride the night wind? Which song will she sing?
The Hum and the Shiver will work its way into your senses until you desire to sing your own song.
Show More
libraries. They offer the reader the opportunity to explore new genres and new literature at no cost. But on to the review.To write much about Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver is to open up a Pandora’s box of possible spoilers that once started could not be stopped. So I will avoid that trap and only say that this may be one of the best small novels I have read all year.
The Tufa of the Smoky Mountains were settled before the first white men arrived. But are they white, are they black, are they native or are they something quite different? Rooted in ways and beliefs that precede any religion that crossed the seas to find them, they remain true to themselves. They are their own religion, their own belief, their own law. The Tufa exist in our world and somewhere else beyond it.
Bronwyn Hyatt returns home to her family and reluctantly to take her place among the Tufa as a pureblood. She returns home a war hero, a highly decorated soldier from the war in the Middle East. But it is the battle raging in the Smoky Mountains among the Tufa themselves that she must face now.
“…Bliss kissed Bronwyn on the top of her head, then saw the figure Ed had given her. She picked it up and looked it over, paying special attention to the delicate wings. “Pretty good resemblance,” she observed.
“Maybe two years ago,” Bronwyn said.
“You’ve been through a lot. But you’re home, and we care for our own.” She put down the carving and made a slow, elaborate hand gesture. “You know that.”
Bronwyn responded with another similar gesture, but it was weak and weary, as she was now. “I know. But they tried that with Humpty Dumpty, too. Didn’t work out.”
Bliss smiled. The authority of a leader was replaced with a sisterly affection. “They just didn’t know the right song.”…
The right song, for songs are power for the Tufa. The power to heal and the power to raise up. Also the power to destroy. There is a war among the Tufa and Bronwyn must decide where she stands if she decides to stand at all.
…”Daddy thinks it’s because the war over there was easier to fight than the one here.”
“Was it?”
She shrugged. “It was different. It took a lot of nerve just to stand there, knowing that a bullet or a bomb could come from anywhere. But you also didn’t know the people shooting at you or blowing you up. Here…well…they’re family.”
So the Tufa must go on and Bronwyn must decide if she returns to the outside world or stays home. Will she spread her wings, give in to her full Tufa nature and ride the night wind? Which song will she sing?
The Hum and the Shiver will work its way into your senses until you desire to sing your own song.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KarenIrelandPhillips
A charming, dark contemporary fantasy, with a wounded Iraq veteran at the center. Bronwyn, or, as she had been known in the small community of Needsville, Tennessee, the Bronwynator, survived a horrific attack that killed her comrades, and captivity that she avoids thinking about.
Her return to
Outsiders are interested in the Tufa too, but this secretive people welcome only those who are of the blood - or have other uses.
Major themes of this work include war, women, and power; the politics of small communities, and magic - but this last you'll have to discover for yourself.
Her return to
Show More
Needsville is a national event, but she's quickly enmeshed in the local politics. The locals are "Tufa", a people who were in the Smokey Mountains when Europeans arrived. Bronwyn holds a hereditary Tufa position of power which she's loathe to claim. Outsiders are interested in the Tufa too, but this secretive people welcome only those who are of the blood - or have other uses.
Major themes of this work include war, women, and power; the politics of small communities, and magic - but this last you'll have to discover for yourself.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnnyPanic13
I read this book a few months ago, I jumped right into another book when I finished and didn't write my thoughts down at the time. Thinking back, I've forgotten most of the book. I remember a few high points, but most of the characters and relationships were forgettable.
The concept behind the book
I had a hard time understanding the characters. Both the good and the bad. I just didn't buy into why they did the things they did. The relationships between characters ranged from unrelatable to uncomfortable. The relationship between the main character and her mother was the one I had the hardest time with. It seemed like every time that relationship was explored I just dropped out of the story.
The ingredients are there. But unless I hear that the next book is a vast improvement, I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.
The concept behind the book
Show More
is intriguing. The sense of place and atmosphere in general are well developed. But the over all plot (and supposed reveal that you're going to guess way before it's spelled out, enough that you'll probably find yourself saying "just get it over with and spill the beans already) and character development are where the book gets stuck. I had a hard time understanding the characters. Both the good and the bad. I just didn't buy into why they did the things they did. The relationships between characters ranged from unrelatable to uncomfortable. The relationship between the main character and her mother was the one I had the hardest time with. It seemed like every time that relationship was explored I just dropped out of the story.
The ingredients are there. But unless I hear that the next book is a vast improvement, I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Her_Royal_Orangeness
After suffering a nearly fatal injury while stationed in the Middle East, Bronwyn Hyatt returns to her home in Tennessee. Bronwyn is much more than a soldier, however. She is a pure-blood Tufa, a mysterious magical clan that has resided in the Appalachian mountains for centuries, and now she must
The essential idea of this story, based upon Celtic mythology, is fascinating. The Tuatha Dé Danann were supernatural, angelic-like beings who came to Ireland and fought for dominance against the inhabitants. Though they were at first successful they were eventually defeated and rather than leave Ireland they chose to remain, living underground in caves and burrows. The Irish believed it was bad luck to call the Tuatha Dé Danann by their proper name and instead used various euphemisms, such as hill folk, the gentry, and wee folk. Over time, one of these euphemisms - fair folk - was shortened to the more commonly recognized “fairies.”
In The Hum and the Shiver, descendents of these “fairies” came to reside in the hills of Tennessee and became the Tufa. This is a very clever idea but unfortunately it was poorly executed. The mythology is not explained, the history of the Tufa is murky with many unanswered questions, and the magical skills the Tufa employ border on silliness (like obscure hand gestures to invoke spells).
In addition to the weak back story, I found there were multiple problems with the book. The writing quality is mediocre, the characters are unlikable and underdeveloped, and the plot is riddled with holes. Plus, there is excessive sexual content (both implied and explicit), general vulgarity, and foul language. The overall impression I had was that this was a book that might have been written by a 16 year old boy who receives Bs in English class.
From the pen of a more gifted author, The Hum and the Shiver could have been extraordinary. As written, though, I found it hugely disappointing.
Show More
face her obligations as a First Daughter of the Tufa.The essential idea of this story, based upon Celtic mythology, is fascinating. The Tuatha Dé Danann were supernatural, angelic-like beings who came to Ireland and fought for dominance against the inhabitants. Though they were at first successful they were eventually defeated and rather than leave Ireland they chose to remain, living underground in caves and burrows. The Irish believed it was bad luck to call the Tuatha Dé Danann by their proper name and instead used various euphemisms, such as hill folk, the gentry, and wee folk. Over time, one of these euphemisms - fair folk - was shortened to the more commonly recognized “fairies.”
In The Hum and the Shiver, descendents of these “fairies” came to reside in the hills of Tennessee and became the Tufa. This is a very clever idea but unfortunately it was poorly executed. The mythology is not explained, the history of the Tufa is murky with many unanswered questions, and the magical skills the Tufa employ border on silliness (like obscure hand gestures to invoke spells).
In addition to the weak back story, I found there were multiple problems with the book. The writing quality is mediocre, the characters are unlikable and underdeveloped, and the plot is riddled with holes. Plus, there is excessive sexual content (both implied and explicit), general vulgarity, and foul language. The overall impression I had was that this was a book that might have been written by a 16 year old boy who receives Bs in English class.
From the pen of a more gifted author, The Hum and the Shiver could have been extraordinary. As written, though, I found it hugely disappointing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
In this created world of the Tuftas, Bledsoe has given us an outstanding story and wonderful characters. Mixing magic with a war hero, superstitions with instruments and songs , haints and omens, a family must come together with their history and their place in the world and finding a way to be
Show More
true to their culture while at the same time true to themselves. Very enjoyable and novel read. Show Less
LibraryThing member revslick
move over Charles de Lint because Alex Bledsoe is definitely a new urban fantasy writer deserving of attention. The Hum and the Shiver is pure Appalachian Fantasy - modern, subtle and enticing. He puts a new twist on an old myth of the folk faerie without being wildly extreme. It is one thing to
Show More
write fantasy in which all creatures of magic and mystery are out and in the open, but to write of the hidden and haunted takes talent. Bledsoe doesn't disappoint and the intertwining theme of song into the mythos is superb. Show Less
LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum
No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their
Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.
With death stalking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .
Show More
origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music—hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.
With death stalking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .
Show Less
LibraryThing member kalky
THE HUM AND THE SHIVER is a well written contemporary fantasy novel set in the fictional town of Needsville, Tennessee. In Alex Bledsoe's book, faerie folk called Tufa landed in the eastern Tennessee hills long before the first settlers arrived, and they remain there today. THE HUM AND THE SHIVER
What follows is the story of the Tufa people and their place in the world, and Bronwyn's struggles to find where she belongs. There are other characters in THE HUM AND THE SHIVER who are also trying to find their place including Craig Chess, a young preacher who is attempting to build a congregation where others have failed, and Don Swayback, a reporter with unexplored Tufa heritage who has lost his enjoyment of life.
All of the characters come together through action, mystery, and music, and Bledsoe does a good job moving the story along while putting his words together in a lovely manner. He builds the Tufa's world so well that I became fully immersed in it, and without having actually heard their music, I find it stuck in my head long after finishing the book. Thank goodness it's the first of a series so the song can continue.
Show More
focuses on one of the Tufa, Bronwyn Hyatt, the sole daughter of a prominent Tufa family. Bronwyn left the safety of her home to join the Army, and as the book opens, she is being returned a broken American hero.What follows is the story of the Tufa people and their place in the world, and Bronwyn's struggles to find where she belongs. There are other characters in THE HUM AND THE SHIVER who are also trying to find their place including Craig Chess, a young preacher who is attempting to build a congregation where others have failed, and Don Swayback, a reporter with unexplored Tufa heritage who has lost his enjoyment of life.
All of the characters come together through action, mystery, and music, and Bledsoe does a good job moving the story along while putting his words together in a lovely manner. He builds the Tufa's world so well that I became fully immersed in it, and without having actually heard their music, I find it stuck in my head long after finishing the book. Thank goodness it's the first of a series so the song can continue.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kmajort
Really wanted this to embrace the fairies/elves left UK, ended up in Appalachia.... Really, really.
But it doesn't. Not even much magic. Could have been so much more.
But it doesn't. Not even much magic. Could have been so much more.
LibraryThing member kaylaraeintheway
This was a very interesting book, and while I liked it, I wish I liked it more. Bledsoe introduces a very intriguing and mysterious group of people (the Tufa) who live in a valley of Tennessee and keep mostly to themselves. When Bronwyn, a young war hero and Tufa First Daughter, returns from Iraq
Show More
after a dramatic and televised rescue, several people are caught up in her struggle to maintain her own fierce identity while also feeling the magical pull of the music of her people. It was very clear to me that Bledsoe is a Male Writer, as he focuses a lot on the sexuality of Bronwyn in a way that kind of made me cringe (it can be done well, folks). But I kept reading because I liked Bronwyn as a character and wanted to see where things ended up. This book is the first in a series, so we'll see if I feel the draw back to the Tufa... Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Suppose there was a group of people, deep in the heart of Appalachia, who arrived before the first Europeans -- who had music buried deep into their cultural soul, resounding in all that they do. Whose origins were lost in history, but glimpses could be caught in the very songs that weave through
The book has mystery, a deep-seated spiritual strength, and some folklore. Who are the Tufa and what can they do is more compelling than what happens in the plot at some times. It's an ingenious blending of different worlds.
I cannot remember what prompted me to add this book to my wishlist, but I'm glad I did. And I'm glad Tor Books sent it my way. I'd not read this author before, and liked the way the story flowed. Plus there was enough olde lore to match the Child Ballads and other old songs brought to life in the book. It's interesting that the same painting mentioned in this book has been mentioned in another book, with a totally different plot line. SPOILER ALERT (of a minor sort) STOP HERE!!
The painting is Richard Dadd's The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, which is a bit of a mystery in itself. It hangs in the Tate Museum. The author leaves it up to the reader: are the Tufa descendants of the Faerie folk who fled the old country? Read the book, have a look at the Fairy Feller's Master Stroke, and decide for yourself.
Show More
their lives. Suppose these people, the Tufa, rarely leave the glens and hollows of Cloud County, remain close knit, and wary of outsiders. This is the world, her home, that Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns to, after being seriously wounded in Iraq. Once home, there are signs and whispers that point to trouble coming maybe even death. Bronwyn, who was a wild girl in the days before her enlistment, must confront her past, the signs, a haint (ghost for you non-southerners), her vicious ex-boyfriend, to help her family find a balance, a place within the hum and the shiver. And, she must find her music again, plus find her own heart, and her place in the Tufa world. The book has mystery, a deep-seated spiritual strength, and some folklore. Who are the Tufa and what can they do is more compelling than what happens in the plot at some times. It's an ingenious blending of different worlds.
I cannot remember what prompted me to add this book to my wishlist, but I'm glad I did. And I'm glad Tor Books sent it my way. I'd not read this author before, and liked the way the story flowed. Plus there was enough olde lore to match the Child Ballads and other old songs brought to life in the book. It's interesting that the same painting mentioned in this book has been mentioned in another book, with a totally different plot line. SPOILER ALERT (of a minor sort) STOP HERE!!
The painting is Richard Dadd's The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, which is a bit of a mystery in itself. It hangs in the Tate Museum. The author leaves it up to the reader: are the Tufa descendants of the Faerie folk who fled the old country? Read the book, have a look at the Fairy Feller's Master Stroke, and decide for yourself.
Show Less
LibraryThing member devilwrites
The premise: ganked from publisher's website: No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the
Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.
With death stalking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .
My Rating: Worth Reading, with Reservations
I'm not the most objective reviewer for this book, because I'm so close to the setting itself that I either nitpick or can't recognize blanks if they hit me upside the head. At times Bledsoe captures that small, town, creepy Southern atmosphere right on, but it's not always consistent. Still, I was fascinated by the Tufa themselves and wanted to learn more about them: about their music and their magic and how the two intertwined. The characters, while not always totally sympathetic (and some not sympathetic at all), kept me interested for how all their story-lines interacted. I was invested, and I wanted to learn more. It's an interesting read and I'd love to see where else Bledsoe goes with this series (or trilogy), because despite hiccups and flaws, I was still enchanted. And certainly, there are some enchanting moments in the prose.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. It's a relatively new book, so I want to leave it unspoiled. However, if you're super-paranoid, just skip to "My Rating," and you'll be fine. Oddly, I'll be talking about how this compares to Graveminder, because they're weirdly similar books, yet I had two utterly different experiences with them. The full review is in my blog, which is linked to below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Alex Bledsoe's THE HUM AND THE SHIVER
Happy Reading!
Show More
hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music—hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.
Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.
With death stalking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .
My Rating: Worth Reading, with Reservations
I'm not the most objective reviewer for this book, because I'm so close to the setting itself that I either nitpick or can't recognize blanks if they hit me upside the head. At times Bledsoe captures that small, town, creepy Southern atmosphere right on, but it's not always consistent. Still, I was fascinated by the Tufa themselves and wanted to learn more about them: about their music and their magic and how the two intertwined. The characters, while not always totally sympathetic (and some not sympathetic at all), kept me interested for how all their story-lines interacted. I was invested, and I wanted to learn more. It's an interesting read and I'd love to see where else Bledsoe goes with this series (or trilogy), because despite hiccups and flaws, I was still enchanted. And certainly, there are some enchanting moments in the prose.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. It's a relatively new book, so I want to leave it unspoiled. However, if you're super-paranoid, just skip to "My Rating," and you'll be fine. Oddly, I'll be talking about how this compares to Graveminder, because they're weirdly similar books, yet I had two utterly different experiences with them. The full review is in my blog, which is linked to below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Alex Bledsoe's THE HUM AND THE SHIVER
Happy Reading!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Fence
Bronwyn Hyatt is coming home. A war hero. Or so some people say, others say she hasn’t changed a speck from the trash Tufa slut she was before she left, but to her family all that is important is that she is home. Back among the Tufa. And who are the Tufa? Well that no on seems quite sure of.
hum and the shiverFirst off I really enjoyed parts of this book. It is well told and it certainly kept my interest. My usual 5 minutes read before heading to work this morning was a little longer than planned because I got so engrossed in the story. But that doesn’t mean it was all positive. I had a slight issue with the idea of “pure-blood” and with the separate roles for men and women within Tufa society. Actually thats a bad way of putting it, but saying that such and such was a woman’s song, whereas a different one was a man’s didn’t sit well with me. However at the same time it was clearly a cultural thing, as was the importance of blood-lines. And even that part of it was being questioned by characters in the book. So points for that :)
I liked Bronwyn as a character, I’m not sure I got her all the time, but that’s okay. I got enough of her to not get too annoyed at her mistakes. The rest of the family is less well drawn than she is, but there are other characters there. The pastor in particular I thought was a good character. All too often in fiction being religious is short-hand for being crazy. That isn’t the case here, which is nice :)
This is a very different book from the previous ones I’d read by Bledsoe, but is shared some aspects. Easy to read, engaging, and with plenty of humour.
It also has the feel of a book in a series, well a ‘verse more likely I think. And I’d be interested in reading more if that were the case.
Show More
They’ve been in the mountains of east Tennessee since before anyone can remember. Closely knit, and prizing musical ability, they live apart from other people. And Bronwyn is a true, pure-blooded Tufa, a First Daughter. But a haint is visiting, and there are ominus signs everywhere her people look.hum and the shiverFirst off I really enjoyed parts of this book. It is well told and it certainly kept my interest. My usual 5 minutes read before heading to work this morning was a little longer than planned because I got so engrossed in the story. But that doesn’t mean it was all positive. I had a slight issue with the idea of “pure-blood” and with the separate roles for men and women within Tufa society. Actually thats a bad way of putting it, but saying that such and such was a woman’s song, whereas a different one was a man’s didn’t sit well with me. However at the same time it was clearly a cultural thing, as was the importance of blood-lines. And even that part of it was being questioned by characters in the book. So points for that :)
I liked Bronwyn as a character, I’m not sure I got her all the time, but that’s okay. I got enough of her to not get too annoyed at her mistakes. The rest of the family is less well drawn than she is, but there are other characters there. The pastor in particular I thought was a good character. All too often in fiction being religious is short-hand for being crazy. That isn’t the case here, which is nice :)
This is a very different book from the previous ones I’d read by Bledsoe, but is shared some aspects. Easy to read, engaging, and with plenty of humour.
It also has the feel of a book in a series, well a ‘verse more likely I think. And I’d be interested in reading more if that were the case.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ralphd00d
The thought passed my mind as I began to read this story, that maybe I had picked up a sequel. However, the story took off, and the that idea quickly disappeared. Bledsoe did a wonderful job in building up a character that is easy to relate to (even if I am not a female). I really enjoyed the story
Show More
concept (don't want to give spoilers). After finishing, I do wonder about the need for some characters, as I didn't see, or recall at least, their importance in the story itself. But I see that there is another book to follow this one, and perhaps Bledsoe introduced them here, to help build them up for a portion that is in the next book. Either way I enjoyed reading this one, and read it straight through in one afternoon. Looking forward to the next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member Treebeard_404
This book particularly appealed to me because it takes place in a thinly-disguised town in the next country from where I grew up in East Tennessee. And the Tufa people are a fantasy re-imagining of the Melungeon people who do, in fact, live in the area.
That said, I enjoyed the story, but only
[Audiobook note]: The audiobook is performed by two readers: one when the narration mostly comes from a female character; the other when it comes from a male. While I can understand why the producer chose to do this, I'm not sure it was the best decision. The female reader (Emily Janice Card) does a much better job of capturing the mountain accent. And the story might have been smoother without the back-and-forth transition between readers.]
That said, I enjoyed the story, but only
Show More
modestly. I may well read the sequel because Bledsoe does such masterful job of evoking my homeland. But it isn't a burning ambition at the moment.[Audiobook note]: The audiobook is performed by two readers: one when the narration mostly comes from a female character; the other when it comes from a male. While I can understand why the producer chose to do this, I'm not sure it was the best decision. The female reader (Emily Janice Card) does a much better job of capturing the mountain accent. And the story might have been smoother without the back-and-forth transition between readers.]
Show Less
LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
Clever and compelling, this is one of those books that sneaks up on you. In the beginning, I was barely interested, just reading to read. A few chapters in, however, I couldn't put it down. Bledsoe's characters are striking and interesting, not to mention believable, and his plot carries off a
Absolutely recommended.
Show More
perfect balance of tension and description. I'm honestly not sure whether I'd classify this as general fiction, fantasy, or magical realism, but whatever your reading interests, it's a fascinating and fast-paced read.Absolutely recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member juniperSun
This was an enjoyable story of a strong woman who learned how to acknowledge her path and become stronger. The first strength is mainly physical agility, willfulness and a natural attractiveness. The second strength is being able to sense what is right for herself, and then pursue that.
The new
Maybe more foul language & loose sex than I usually select in a book, but it's nothing I haven't heard before.
The new
Show More
culture Bledsoe invented is intriguing, easily assumed to be Native American (it's not), and includes traits we can internalize, e.g. making music together as community building, songs as a source of inner strength.Maybe more foul language & loose sex than I usually select in a book, but it's nothing I haven't heard before.
Show Less
Awards
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Science Fiction and Fantasy — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2011
Physical description
304 p.; 5.51 inches
ISBN
0765327449 / 9780765327444
Local notes
No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music—hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations. Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets.