"Thompson perfectly captures the Carolina Piedmont’s sights, sounds, and flavors and convincingly depicts the turn-of-the-century South—haunted by the Civil War, and embracing old-time religion and new-fangled machinery and ideas. Underlying and uplifting his narrative is Mary Bet’s vivid point of view."  -- Publishers Weekly

"...the voice of the narrator feels authentic to the era, and Mary Bet springs off the page as a character. She is confident but conflicted, and her realistic journey will keep readers engaged."  -- Booklist

“A seamlessly told and scrupulously detailed history of the Hartsoe clan of Haw County, North Carolina, Love and Lament is that rare novel that brings the gritty, rural past to vivid life.  I could very nearly smell the moonshine (the moonshiners too!).  Pass a few hours with Mary Bet Hartsoe and family.  You won’t regret it.” -- T. R. Pearson, author of Jerusalem Gap and A Short History of a Small Place