Dirt-poor, sensitive as poets, and proud as kings, the Powell family has lived on a Georgia mountaintop for generations. Then, during the 1960's, young Ursula Powell's father convinces the Tiber family, owners of everything in nearby Tiberville, to commission a huge iron sculpture of a bear for the town. Decades later, the strange sculpture, rejected by the townspeople and left to rust on the Powell farm, symbolizes a family's failure and thwarted dreams. But, unknown to Ursula, it is now worth such a huge fortune that the artist's enbittered son, Quentin Ricconni, is coming to reclaim it, and to change everything Ursula believes about the past, the choices that break a heart, and the redeeming powers of art and love.

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Another wonderful family saga from Deborah Smith. She writes the best family dramas and this one is no exception.

Ursula grows up dirt poor and trying to escape the legacy of the Iron Bear, a sculpture her father spent money he didn't have on. Money that may have kept her mother from dying and her brother from being retarded.

Quentin is the son of the sculptor. He has his own demons to fight, including that his actions may be responsible for his own father's death.

What do these two people possibly have in common?

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I loved this story. I read it a couple of years ago, and, amazingly, still remembered the plot!

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deborah smith is always a good read. on bear mountain the powell family has lived dirt poor for generations. Then, during the 1960's, young Ursula Powell's father convinces the Tiber family, oweners of everything in nerarby Tiberville, to commission a huge iron sculpture of a bear for the town. Decades later the strange sculpture rejected by the townspeople and left to rust on the Powell farm- symbolizes a family's failure and thwarted dreams. But, unknown to Ursula, it is now worth such a huge fortune that the artist's reclaim it... and to change everything Ursula believes about the past, the choices that break a heart, and the redeeming powers of art and love.

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