"Blue" by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

Joyce Moyer Hostetter, Catawba County author, delivers in her novel "Blue" a warm and moving story set in 1940's Hickory, through the words of a 13 year old girl, Ann Fay. It was a time of war and crippling disease that could easily have broken the spirits of our community and neighbors but in her historical fiction, Mrs. Hostetter relates tha truth of how the courage and strength and caring hearts of our people gave rise to a miracle here on Lake Hickory.

Ann Fay's life is turned upside down with the departure of her father who is off to fight in the war and she is left with much hard work to help her mother with the home and family. The situation is made even worse when one of her siblings falls gravely ill with polio. She is then mother and father to her sisters, as her mother has to stay at the makeshift emergency hospital with the sick child. Her story is entertaining and delightful at the same time as it is touching and poignant.

Mrs. Hostetter's faith and wisdom (not to mention her superior literary talent) shines through in her writing, making us proud of those who came before us but also showing us the strength that lies within us all to rise above adversity and fear to victory over chaos. Reviewed by Judy Shirley

Comfort by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

There's no sequel let down when you read "Comfort" the heartfelt continuing encounter with "Blue"s Ann Fay as she struggles with polio, her father's return, segregation and even a burgeoning interest in boys. Add to that a naive country girl's intimidating adventure into the Warm Springs, Ga. hospital scene made famous by President Franklin Roosevelt.

"Comfort" confirms that Ms. Hostetter can observe and research the human condition and events and then skillfully personalize them into the lives of her characters. Each one, even minor characters like the "strange" Otis, becomes alive and resonates in the reader's heart. The frustration generated by her father's post traumatic stress disorder is intensified by our knowledge that such a thing was unheard of before WWll.

The author - sometimes gently, sometimes "in your face" - takes us into Ann Fay's life as her boundaries expand and intensify. "Comfort" is more than a sequel; it is the stand alone examination of a young teenager's life on many levels. Reviewed by Shirley Cunningham