This is by far one of the best books I've read in a long time! I couldn't put it down!

First of all, I just have to start off by saying what a huge impact this book made upon me. There are tons of books that I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that I love. However, there are only a select few that I can say leave a lasting effect, long after the final page has been turned. Cold Rock River is among those select few.

Jackie Lee Miles has a distinct talent of weaving the reader right in with the characters of the story. Cold Rock River is comprised of two touching stories, interwoven together. First there is the main character, Adie, who has lost a beloved baby sister, grown up knowing a tragic secret, gets married, has a baby and all before the age of seventeen. Her husband is having an affair and often times Adie feels isolated. However, she has befriended an elderly woman, Willa Mae Satterfield and it is through her that Adie discovers the diary of Tempe Jordan, a seventeen-year-old slave girl. After this, Adie's life is forever changed.

Cold Rock River is the story of both Adie and Tempe. The chapters are set up to smoothly transition between each time frame, leaving the reader anxious to see what will happen next with each girl. Tempe's story takes place during the close of the Civil War, while Adie's is more of the present day. Each girl has a very different life, however they both must reach within and find an inner strength to endure.

The author's characterization and story descriptions are amazingly vivid and bring the book to life. I was drawn to, and felt an enormous affection for, both Adie and Tempe - as well as many of the secondary characters - Willa Mae, Margaret Mary and Murphy. Though Cold Rock River is a story of strength of endurance, there is a bit of a mystery to the entire thing - a mystery that will not let itself known until the very end, changing several people's lives forever.

I cannot express enough how much I loved Cold Rock River. Once I started reading, it was torment to have to stop, for any reason - and made coming back to it absolutely wonderful. I wanted to mention, also, that for me there is something intriguing to the cover. I can't say exactly what it is, but it seems like a portrayal of lone fragility. It is a cover which drew me in, even before the words of the story engulfed me.

Cold Rock River has easily made my favorites of 2008 list, as well as all time favorite books. This was the first work by Jackie Lee Miles that I have had the pleasure to experience, however I anxiously await getting my hands on more by her!

Again, I give Cold Rock River my highest recommendation and know that once you start reading, you won't want to stop!

Having read the raving customer reviews, I bought this book and found it enchanting. I loved the story and I thought the writing style was unique and made it even more memorable. But I feel compelled to point out a fatal flaw with the storyline. Near the end of the novel, the main character comes to the end of Tempe's journal and is crushed to find that pages have been torn out. The diary describes the rape of Heart, the birth of Rachel and ends with the words "Rachel married to dat nice young man what owns all the land be's round here, and she be's ready to hab dat li'l baby she gwine hab and den one" ... and that is the end of the Tempe's journal. (This passage is near the end of Chapter 38.)

In Chapter 39, the protagonist learns that Rachel died clutching the pages that had been torn out of the diary and her husband burns the pages. How could Rachel die holding the pages that were written about her own death?

Honestly, this ruined the story for me. I felt so let down that I couldn't feel the characters anymore... they just became 2-dimensional cartoons that I no longer cared about. The inconsistency killed the ending for me.

One of the best novels I have read in quite some time --- rates right up there with "The Glass Castle."
The dialect did not bother me -- just relax and let it flow. The story draws you in immediately and doesn't let go.

Cold Rock River by J.L. Miles is a wonderful, captivating piece of southern fiction that will draw you into the lives of its characters, as well as the rural Georgia setting.

Miles creates such a strong sense of what Adie, the narrator of Cold Rock River, is up against. No one in Adie's family has been the same since Adie's sister Annie died years ago. The cause of Annie's death is not revealed until the end of the book, but the reader knows it has happened and that it has created a gaping tear in the fabric of the family.

When Adie finds herself pregnant at age 17, she marries the father of her baby. She thinks she loves him, but she also sees marriage as her only option. Unfortunately, her husband turns out to be incapable of both marital fidelity and holding a job.

What makes Adie and her story special is how she responds to all this misfortune. Adie is unique in that she wants more from life than everyone around her has. She is strong, smart, motivated, and imbued with an endearing integrity.

I found myself hoping that Adie could rise above her circumstances. I grew to care about several secondary characters also. I also enjoyed the excerpts from the diary of a liberated slave woman that Adie read and shared with the reader throughout the book. Besides having an air of mystery, the diary became an important element in Adie's compelling story.

First off, DON'T READ THE SYNOPSIS on the book jacket, as it totally gives away the entire book! What's the point of reading the thing then? Whoever is in charge of that needs to learn the fine art of subtlety while enticing the reader.

Thanks to someone here, I was forewarned, so I resisted the temptation and just began to read. However, this book gets 3.5 stars out of 5 because of Miles' overuse of FORESHADOWING. There were so many "Signposts" along the way that all of the major climatic moments in the book were only lukewarm, "yeah-so-what" moments for me, at best, as it I was led down the road of predictability instead of anticipation. How frustrating!

It's a real shame, because this is a good story with wonderful pearls of wisdom and tangible, memorable characters. That's where the book succeeds.

But emotionally I couldn't shed a tear, as the dramatic tension had become so diluted by all of that hand-led wording (ie. foreshadowing). The art of suspense, the finess of mystery, were lost on me -- instead, it was like being shown the hills and valleys from a distance, knowing what to expect as they inched forward, with no surprises when they're suddenly underfoot. Such potential dramatic arcs were lacking for me.

After finishing reading what felt like a deflated, lukewarm ending, I decided to read that overly-revealing fly leaf. I am really glad that I waited, or I would have felt even more disappointed in the book.

JLM, please give stop hitting us over the head with word-laden mallets of forewarning. It ruins your otherwise beautifully told stories.

As an avid reader of southern fiction, i really got swept into this book and couldn't put it down. I felt like i was in this story observing everything that took place. At some points it was like recalling parts of my own childhood. This is a great book!!!

Loved the characters so much I hated to see it end. Almost wish I could catch up with them while sipping sweet tea while rocking on the porch on a hot summer day.

beware... don't read the jacket description first. I can not even believe how much of the story is outlined in the description. I think I would've enjoyed the story a bit more had I not read the inside jacket.

I did enjoy this book. It was a quick read with characters that I cared about. There are lots of little surprises in the story that keep you interested. This is the first book I've read of Miles, and I plan to purchase the other she has out.

I recommend this book. It was so interesting-it had so many plot twists that I couldn't put it down.

Adie reads the journal of a slave girl, Tempe. The journal was so gripping because it chronicled the horrible things that happenend to Tempe. After "the freedom" came, Tempe was able to enjoy her life because of her strong strength of character. Adie gains strength from the journal and is able to come to terms with a family tragedy that happened when she was 7.

As a born and bred Southern belle, I love Southern fiction, but as a former teacher and life-long reader, I'm picky about what I give five star ratings to. I picked up a copy of Cold Rock River, and to my husband's exasperation was still reading at 3 AM, because I couldn't put it down. The characters tug at your heartstrings, the action keeps you turning pages as fast as you can read, and you almost want to cry when you realize the book is almost over. In the spirit of Lee Smith's Fair and Tender Ladies and Robert Morgan's Gap Creek, this one is destined to become a favorite of all Southern fiction addicts. I just picked up a copy of her Roseflower Creek and can't wait to get started on it. I even wrote to the author and begged for more books!

The story was engaging and sometimes humorous, but I got really bogged down in the vernacular. I ended up skimming and skipping because the dialect and grammar were so tedious.

I bought this author's latest book and this one was listed in the front so I picked this one up, too. Let me tell you, the entire reason I purchased her first book was because our last names are the same. Kind of a stupid reason, I know, but it turned out okay. I really enjoyed the first one I read and then I read this one and it just blew me away. It's the story of two young women born a century apart and I got so caught up in the story I can't tell you. If you like to read a good book that doesn't bore you and keeps you turning the pages, then get this one. Bridget Miles

I enjoyed this book very much. It held my interest until the end, which was somewhat predictable, but very much worth reading. Good book!

Just when you are immersed in the character in the present, you are then in the past reading from the diary of the second character and which you then become equally immersed. They grab you heart and soul. You root for each one and your heart breaks with their heartaches. It is also amazing to me when you laugh out loud at some of the funny parts. These are the best characters, ones that you never forget. It is one of those great books, we all love, where the characters stay with you even after you've closed the book and moved reluctantly on.

Just when you are immersed in the character in the present, you then are read from the diary of the second which you then become equally immersed. They grab you heart and soul. You root for each one and your heart breaks with their heartaches. It is also amazing to me when you laugh out loud at some of the funny parts. These are the best characters, ones that you never forget.

Roseflower Creek was one of the most moving novels I have ever read--my heart broke for that poor child--she was so ever-optimistic--wish I could have put my arms around her and told her everything would be all right--even knowing it never would be in that situation--would have carried her away! Cold Rock River was also moving, but not as much. I love this author.

excellent book HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS ! interesting-
heartwarming- so true to life--we are all so closely "related" inspite of our lack of awareness and prejudices

You'll never forget the characters in this novel, or the twists and turns their lives take. Their sins, sorrows and secrets commingle to create a drama that wrenches the heart. Twin drama's actually, as Adie reads the journal of a slave woman of long ago. Cold Rock River is as intriguing and intricate as a well-composed mystery.

This is the story of a lonely young pregnant bride who is caught up in the journal of a slave girl while trying to deal with her own tribulations. This book hooked me from the very beginning and didn't let me go. The characters are beautifully detailed and the storyline is fascinating. The book was full of plot twists that were totally unexpected. It was a definite page turner and a pleasure to read.

I read her first one in two days and this one kept me up half the night because i just could not put it down. VERY WELL DONE!! Great books are hard to find and she has outdone herself with this one! A must read!

I enjoyed everything about this southern book.Takes you right into their lives.Left me wanting more,now !

Cold Rock River is the remarkable journey of two young brides born a century apart. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed. The characters leap off the page and the story is amazing. The novel offers endless opportunities for discussion. Book clubs rejoice! I'm now reading this author's debut novel Roseflower Creek, which is equally fascinating. I cannot understand why this author is not nationally known. I read the reviews on amazon.com before purchasing Cold Rock River. One reviewer wrote, "This is how all novels should be written." I couldn't agree more.