John Omwake

The Education of Neelyrose Waller John Omwake

Growing up around the middle of the last century, Neelyrose Waller, the youngest of sixteen children, dreams of becoming the first member of her poor Tennessee mountain family to go to college. A dedicated teacher shows her the way and, after initial doubts, her barely literate father, Laban Waller, gives his support. Also on her side is her sweetheart, Joel Crabtree, a high-school classmate and aspiring author. Just as Neelyrose's dream nears reality, calamity befalls, testing her grit to the limit. Her story is an uplifting tale of courage and perseverance that will linger in the reader's thoughts long after its final sentence is read.-John Omwake's other books of fiction are Limestone County, Rankin Creek, and Ambience. He lives in southwestern Virginia.