What readers think of Sweeping Up Glass, plus links to write your own review.

A community gripped by fear exhibits inappropriate and unhealthy behaviors. An unspeakable secret is at the core. One brave girl and admiration for her father unravel the secret and change the course. A fast read that tempts you to read it in one sitting would appeal to anyone between sixteen and one-hundred sixteen.

"Sweeping Up Glass" is one of the best debut novels I have read recently. The author does a wonderful job of drawing one into the lives of the characters. Definitely recommend for book clubs.

This is a powerful story of a woman caught between history and her own difficult family relationships. Olivia Harker Cross is raised on a mountain in Kentucky, an existence that challenges her resourcefulness. A bittersweet first love, coupled with the dysfunction of her mentally ill mother, her estranged daughter and the grandson she cherishes pulls her in many directions. Underlying her life are the mysterious dealings of her father and a group of local men whose racism is brought to light in a startling revelation. A meaningful and explosive story that holds the reader's interest to the last page.

This is a powerful book containing many facets. The book speaks of devotion, love and hatred, of secrets, bigotry and mystery. Sounds like a lot, but the author with great facility delivers all of this with sensitivity and insight uncommon to a debut novel. I found myself drawn in more and more as I read and wanting more when it ended. I look forward to Ms. Wall's next book.

What a surprise! Didn't see where the book was leading until it was right in front of me. I read it in a weekend. If you like a mystery, love story and a part of history, this is your book. Book clubs will have quite a few items to discuss after reading this hard to put down book.

I loved this book from beginning to end. The writing is smooth, the characters gritty and real and the embedded secrets are deep. When I started this book I was hooked, but I did not expect the last 100 pages to be so full of twists and turns and so action packed! Towards the end I was reading so quickly I had to force myself to slow down and absorb it all. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story and who cheers for the underdogs.

Carolyn Wall’s novel begins in the future and quickly steps back into the past where the reader learns about Olivia’s childhood, setting the stage for the events to come. What begins as a quiet novel picks up intensity in the second half, particularly in the final 100 pages or so, as everything comes to a head. It almost seemed like two different novels in a way: the first half being more of a life story and the second being the suspense-filled mystery. And while I could fault another novel for this, I actually thought it worked quite well. The transition happened gradually and the story threads were interwoven from beginning to end.

The novel is set in the late 1930’s, at least in terms of the “current” story thread. The time period plays an especially important role in the novel. Life was hard all over the United States at that time and in the decades preceding it, people struggling to make ends meet. In Pope County Kentucky, where the novel is set, it was no different. Carolyn Wall captures the desperation of the times as well as the adaptability of the people. People bartered with food and services when they could not pay. Segregation was commonplace and racism ran rampant.

Told in the voice of Olivia, the narrative is uncomplicated, her wry humor coming out now and then. The pages are filled with characters well worth getting to know, and Olivia’s story is one that will surely touch the reader’s heart. The secrets uncovered are chilling and the resolution is satisfying. The novel is as complex as Olivia Harker. Sweeping Up Glass is a love story, a mystery, and historical novel that touches on social issues that still reverberate today.

What a wonderful mystery. I could not turn the pages fast enough. In a small town in Kentucky, Olivia Harkins lives with her grandson. Everyone assumes she knows something that she really does not know. A mother who doesn't understand her and a father that has died, make her life difficult to say the least. Racial prejudice adds to the story. Olivia runs her store and sews quilts. But there is much more going on.

You will really enjoy this book. To say more will destroy the mystery. Besides being a mystery, it is a study of US history and family relations. It is a very good book.