Velva Jean Learns to Drive: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Jennifer Niven (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2009

In this spellbinding debut, Velva Jean Hart finds true love-and then risks everything to follow her dreams

Set in Appalachia in the years before World War II, Velva Jean Learns to Drive is a poignant story of a spirited young girl growing up in the gold-mining and moonshining South.

Before she dies, Velva Jean's mother urges her to "live out there in the great wide world". Velva Jean dreams of becoming a big-time singer in Nashville until she falls in love with Harley Bright, a handsome juvenile delinquent turned revival preacher. As their tumultuous love story unfolds, Velva Jean must choose between keeping her hard-won home and pursuing her dream of singing in the Grand Ole Opry.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Niven makes some memorable moonspun magic in her rich fiction debut (after two nonfiction books) about 10-year-old Velva Jean Hart, a North Carolina kid determined to drive and sing at the Grand Ole Opry. After Velva Jean is born again, her daddy leaves and her mother falls ill, and not even Velva's bargaining with God can save her. Her brother, Johnny Clay, is some comfort, but Velva Jean grows up fast after promising her dying mother to heal people with her singing. At 16, Velva marries charismatic Rev. Harley Bright, a moonshiner's son, railroad fireman and part-time evangelist who later resolves to become a full-time preacher. But Velva Jean's independent streak (she wants to learn to drive), her singing (which sounds sinful to Harley's ear) and her friendship with a half-Choctaw, half-Creole blues musician fire up Harley's controlling jealousy. It's a touching read, funny and wise, like a crazy blend of Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, a less morose Flannery O'Connor and maybe a shot of Hank Williams. (Aug.)
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About the Author

Jennifer Niven’s first book, The Ice Master was named one of the top ten nonfiction books of the year by Entertainment Weekly. Her second book, Ada Blackjack, was a Book Sense Top Ten Pick.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Plume; Original edition (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452289459
• ISBN-13: 978-0452289451
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Niven's first book, The Ice Master, was released in November 2000 and named one of the top ten nonfiction books of the year by Entertainment Weekly. A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writer, Jennifer has ten different publishers in ten separate countries, and the book has been translated into eight languages, including German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Danish, and Icelandic.

Jennifer and The Ice Master have appeared in Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Talk, Glamour, The New Yorker, Outside, The New York Times Book Review, The London Daily Mail, The London Times, and Writer's Digest, among others. Dateline NBC, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel have featured The Ice Master and Jennifer in hour-long documentaries, she and the book have appeared frequently on the BBC, and the book has been the subject of numerous German, Canadian, and British television documentaries. The Ice Master has been nominated for awards by the American Library Association and Book Sense, and received Italy's esteemed Gambrinus Giuseppe Mazzotti Prize for 2002.

Jennifer's second book, Ada Blackjack -- an inspiring true story of the woman the press called "the female Robinson Crusoe" -- was released in November 2003, was a Book Sense Top Ten Pick, has been optioned for the movies, was recently translated into Chinese, French, and Estonian.

Jennifer's third book and first novel, Velva Jean Learns to Drive (based on the Emmy Award-winning film of the same name), was released July 2009 by Penguin/Plume. Her fourth book, a memoir -- The Aqua-Net Diaries: Big Hair, Big Dreams, Small Town -- was published in February 2010 by Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and was optioned by Warner Brothers as a television series. Jennifer recently finished work on her fifth book, Velva Jean Learns to Fly, which will be released by Penguin/Plume in September 2011.

She is currently at work on books six and seven, the third and fourth volumes of the Velva Jean series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Velva Jean's Story/Great Book!, July 16, 2009

By 

annie "grannieannie" (Mid-MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Velva Jean Learns to Drive: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

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This is not Jennifer Niven's first book, but it is her first novel, and what a success! I haven't read her other books, but hope to soon. And, I hope this is not her last novel. I love this book and had a difficult time putting it down. I can't wait to share it with friends!

This is the story of Velva Jean Hart growing up in the Appalachians in the 30's & 40's. From a young girl who loses her mother and becomes quite a wild child to a very young preacher's wife, Velva Jean's story is filled with interesting characters. The character descriptions were so good that I felt like I knew each and every one of them -- heart and soul as well as physical appearance. Her grandparents, her brothers, the traveling preachers, the wood carver, the boys who worked on the highway all bring something interesting to the story.

My favorite character aside from Velva Jean is the Wood Cutter who most people are afraid of and believe to be a murderer. He lives alone up on the mountain and he and Velva Jean become the most unlikely of friends; his wisdom and friendship become very important to her. When she seeks counsel from him, he tells Velva Jean ,"The strongest trees are the ones that bend with the storms." Reading the final chapters of the book, I had to remind myself that although she is married, she is still just a teenager facing a lot of difficult decisions.

I highly recommend this book. It is the best novel I have read this year.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tale of a Girl, a Dream, and a Truck, June 4, 2009

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Backroads "Scatter-brained book fan" (Cache Valley, Utah) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Velva Jean Learns to Drive: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

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I have to admit, when looking at this book before getting it, it looked interesting. Then I got it. Then I thought about how I seem to be losing my taste for non-children's fiction. But... I felt obligated to read it anyway.

Where oh where did I get that odd desire not to read this?

While being somewhat on the cutesy side, this is a fantastic first novel that shows more raw talent than a lot of writers out there. Ms. Niven has a gift with words and even though I am a Western girl she managed to make me find a connection with this Appalachian town. The writing is clear, words well-chosen and never flowery, and the story is full of heart and meaning and interest. It is simply a good, down-home story that does not try to be pathetically original or controversial. It's just the story of a girl who wants to be a singer. So, even though that might rub some as the aforementioned cutesy, I for one certainly enjoyed it.

This is the tale of Velva Jean Heart who grows up in a small Appalachian community in the 1930s. Despite various family troubles, she clings to the dream of singing in the Grand Ol' Opery. She has the company of her grandfather, her brother, and a mysterious old murderer. Later, she marries a traveling preacher. They are all wonderful characters, for this is more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven one. And yet there are other characters, such as the Scenic Highway being built through their land that gets different opinions from folk, and the yellow truck her brother-in-law buys.

Niven seamlessly weaves all of this together into a touching, sweet story that explores the subtle changes in people. It's not absolutely perfect, but it certainly is wonderful and Niven should be proud.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Love Southern Fiction.., July 23, 2009

By 

Mercedes L. Johnmeyer "The Most Happy" (Summerville, SC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Velva Jean Learns to Drive: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

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This was a very well written, beautifully descriptive novel right from page one. Velva Jean and her family just jump off the pages and make you feel as though you're right there in 1930's-40's Appalachia with them.

I won't summarize this book as it's already been done here many times, but I absolutely recommend it for those interested. If you're a fan of Southern Fiction, or coming-of-age stories, then you will love this book. There's a little bit of everything here...love, loss, sex, violence, and the finding of one's self, but it's all done very tastefully. There's nothing vulgar or offending about this story. It's just a heartwarming journey with a young child of the mountains.