Yellow truck coming...

I can't even say enough about this book right here!!  Velva Jean Learns To Drive.  It's definitely now one of my favorites.

Velva Jean Hart is ten years old when she gets saved.  Shortly after, her whole little world falls apart and she starts to question the "whole Jesus thing".

Set in pre-World War II gold-mining and moonshining Appalachia, this story is one that will stay with you forever.  Velva Jean's dream is to sing at the Grand Ole Opry and wear a satin and rhinestone dress and play a Hawaiian guitar.  She's a beautiful girl with a phenomenal voice but as it does sometimes, life gets in her way and she finds herself instead marrying Harley Bright, a handsome bad-boy-turned-revival-preacher who adores her but eventually tries to squash her spirit and her dreams.

She inherits an old yellow truck from her brother-in-law Danny and, keeping it a secret, she teaches herself to drive it.  Apparently in the early 1940's, guys didn't want their wives to drive.  They really didn't want them doing much else but laundry, cooking and cleaning.  And they certainly didn't want them dreaming of singing at the Grand Ole Opry.  The Good Lord knew exactly when to let me come into this world.  Just sayin'.

When I was reading this, I tried to remember when I was first learning to drive.  No way could I have taught myself!  I wouldn't have known where to start.  This girl made me so proud of her!!

It's a wonderful coming-of-age story and I absolutely loved it.  Velva Jean writes a song about that old truck, "Yellow Truck Coming, Yellow Truck Going".  A girl named Briana Harley has recorded it.  Squeeeee!!!!

"Yellow Truck Coming, Yellow Truck Going" | Jennifer Niven | Audio | Red Room