Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey

In this earnest, heartfelt memoir, Ball, assisted by Witter (Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World) tells of a midlife decision to resettle her family. Ball and her husband, Charlie, learning to leverage assets and always looking for the next investment, made a comfortable life for themselves in Austin, Tex. When both of their sons were born with severe disabilities, Ball stayed home to care for them and found ways to keep her industrial spirit intact. But after years of ER visits for their boys from dust and heat, the family sold off everything and started over in Asheville, N.C. Barely settled in to their new Appalachian home, the family attempted to recreate the success they enjoyed in Texas. With more comprehensive resources from the area to help with her sons, Ball found herself with time to begin a project of her own. While her husband worked on his dream project of developing land, Ball took to a new hobby—distilling whiskey. Utilizing newfound friends, research and grit, Ball became the first person in 80 years to apply for a distilling license in western North Carolina, and six weeks later she was the first woman in North Carolina (and the fourth woman in the U.S.) federally permitted to distill hard liquor. Her celebration was cut short however when her husband told her a few weeks later that they were broke. Ball’s Southern charm shines in her memoir as she shares her family’s successes and failures. She never asks for sympathy for the choices they made that led to their financial demise and ultimate perseverance. The histories of Asheville and distilling are woven throughout and add depth to her memoir. [em](Feb.) [/em]