Making moonshine requires careful identification of the different parts of the distillate: the poisonous “foreshots,” the “heads” (which still contain too much methanol for human consumption), and the coveted “hearts,” the smooth sweet middle before the final slick stuff of the “tails.” While Shine becomes an expert at discerning the difference at an early age, she is far less adept at handling matters of her own head and heart—until it’s almost too late. Are you glad she gets a second chance with John?
So very glad she and John ended up together. Shine worked so hard to take care of her family so something good did come out of all the tragedy of losing her Mother, her Father and then her Grandmother.
I agree, I am a fan of second chances if people have grown and learned from the past. Shine cared about her family so I was happy she received some happiness,
Yes! From when we were introduced to John, I thought they’d end up together. I don’t love happy endings for the sake of the ending, but in this book I was really hoping for it!
Yes, over the time she’s learned and grown and knows what she wants and won’t accept.
Absolutely! In fact, I would have been sorely disappointed if the storyline hadn’t resolved itself the way it did. What was the phrase Shine said to Al Capone? “Sometimes the best hiding place is in plain sight”? Originally stuck in their mindset of being on different sides of the law & from different worlds, both Shine & John grew to view each other differently as their exposure to a wide variety of people and experiences increased over time. Still, it took Shine longer to recognize & act on the feelings that were right in front of her when they were together in Hot Springs. While there together searching for McConnell, their rapport grew as did their appreciation for each other’s moral compasses. The author was clever enough to understand that Shine could only move forward with John when she was finally able to let go of holding so tightly onto her past.