Based upon a true story of a young farm girl, Lesson of the Harvest is the riveting account of life on an impoverished farm during the Great Depression and how injustice prevailed during those extreme times in the backwoods of South Georgia.
        As a desperate young woman, Mattie McCarey struggles to recover from the bitterness and trauma of circumstances caused by this lawless society. This compelling story embarks upon Mattie’s love and devotion for a black tenant farmer’s wife, Sarah, and tells of her youthful comradeship with Sarah’s son, Little Tom, and his dreams of escaping the disadvantages of illiteracy and poverty of South Georgia. It encompasses the hurt and pain Mattie feels from the rejection of the mother who gave her away. Eventually, Mattie, who is rooted deep in the country’s soil, is forced to leave the land she loves to bring back what is left of her family and to restore normalcy in her home left marred by unwarranted events.
        Lesson of the Harvest bristles into an explosive encounter between Mattie and the man responsible for the rape and death of a young girl on a neighboring farm. Mattie must come to terms with lessons learned from her devoted and wise grandmother. Does she succeed or does she allow her anger and despair to burn deep within her soul like the burning cross of the Ku Klux Klan?

A native of Randolph County, Georgia, Jenny Massey was born and raised in the small, southern town of Shellman, Georgia. Her formative years on the family’s southwest Georgia farm fostered such an appreciation for the wholesome values taught by farm life that Jenny will forever consider herself a daughter of the soil. Bound by family heritage and grassroots, her love for the land overflows as she recalls images and aromas of freshly plowed ground in the spring and the celebration of the harvest in the fall. Never far from her roots, she feels that it is important to have lived in the world about which she now writes.

As a young girl, sitting at her grandfather’s feet, she listened to countless stories from her rural heritage. Her keen interest in the lives of strong and inspiring women of the backwoods of rural Georgia, was eventually cultivated into one of the stories of her first book, Lesson of the Harvest. By sharing the extraordinary stories of ordinary men and women, she presents a wondrous message about life’s lessons to all.

Her heart still nurtures the land where she and her husband own a small cattle farm in a sleepy, little community called Gooseneck near Glennville, Georgia. Jenny holds a Master’s degree in education and teaches in a Statesboro, Georgia middle school while pursuing her love for writing.

Reviews:

Review: J. Moore (Dallas, TX) From the first page, I was drawn into depression-era Georgia. Through her heroine, Mattie, the author allows us to experience the good and bad of a culture that is disappearing. With Mattie, we live the bucolic lifestyle of a child, dreaming in the warm sun on a flat rock, swimming in the nearby swimming hole. We remember a day when contracts were sealed with a handshake. Then we see the despair of poverty and meanness of racial hatred. Cover to cover- I didn't put it down.

Reviewer:Mary C. Lee (Statesboro, GA) A wonderful story which captures the reader's attention from page one about the trials and tribulations of Mattie a young girl growing up in the Deep South during the Great Depression. Rejection by her mother, loss of her best friend (Little Tom) to a cruel and unjust fate, and revenge for her sister, Rosie's violation brought to realization through a fighting, family spirit bred into Mattie's soul in rural South Georgia. This is one you can't lay down after the first page.

Reviewer: P.M. Radford (Portal, GA) (Even if readers are not knowledgeable about rural life, they will find themselves walking along Shanahan Lane with Mattie. Jenny Massey has done an excellent job of portraying Mattie's victories and anguishing pains life handed her. Senses will be aroused in the reader: the smell of the freshly ploughed dirt, the stench of burning flesh, the weltering of tears in one's eyes of love and pain, and the touch of God's hand in Mattie's life through her grandmother. Mattie's feisty spirit, determination, love and loyalty to family and friends personify why Lesson of the Harvest captures the hearts of reader's young and old.

A kid’s review: Author Jenny Massey entices the reader with her heartwarming struggles of Mattie McCarey who embodies the essence of family, spirit, friendship, and goodness. She faces life in the old South with muster-never giving up. The reader cannot get enough of Mattie who compels one to want more as Mattie becomes alive in the reader's mind. Her struggles become the reader's struggles. She is a compelling character who draws one in immediately and intrigues one to the end.

Reviewer:Mark Oliver (Statesboro, GA)I was captivated and intrigued by Lesson of the Harvest. The book details farm life during the Great Depression which has always been an interesting era for me. I was particularly involved in the chapter about Shantyville. Massey captures the isolation and rejection the homeless felt when they were evicted from their homes. My compliments to the writer on a great read!

Reviewer: Paula K. Todd (Georgia) Great reading! Many childhood memories flooded back. Being free and safe to roam acres of woods at will is a liberty that my children have missed. The conflicts, and more important, the strength of family runs strong in "Lesson of the Harvest". I was so caught up in the story that I read cover to cover in one sitting. Can't wait for the next one!

Reviewer: Janet Massey (Claxton, GA)An easy read with a wealth of history and depth. Mattie's story, as told by Massey, draws the reader into the depression era and weaves the emotion through your soul. I'm anxious for the next chapter in Mattie & Sarah's story!

Reviewer: D. Borck -I enjoyed reading about Mattie and her family in Lesson of the Harvest. Massey's portrayal of life in rural Georgia during the Depression captures your attention. The hardships that the family must endure are heartbreaking and makes the book a real page-turner. I am looking forward to reading the sequels that the author is working on.

Reviewer: Sandy L. Lane -I could not put the book down....I could imagine the story in my mind as I read the book. What a wonderful interpretation of life during the trials of the depression and the life in the deep South. The second book is already overdue. Jenny Massey seems to be a wonderful sincere and truly blessed woman.

A kids review: Lessons of the Heart" is a rich, sweeping description of an era whose "roots" scan and empower the very essence of every reader's character. Mattie McCarey's personal triumph and tragedies reach from the backwoods of Georgia to every nation that reflects the "truth that sets all men free..."

Reviewer: Mini (Statesboro, GA) I think that the Lesson of the Harvest was an awesome book. Some of it was actually based on some of my relatives in Korea. I just loved it. It was one of the best books I've ever read.

Reviewer: Samuel S. Lastinger -Lesson of the Harvest is one of the most suspenseful books that I have ever read. You get hooked on the story from chapter one. What is so amazing is that this book is based on a true story. You can bet there will be a movie made in the near future.

Reviewer: R. Adams (Statesboro, GA) A refreshing look at the unconditional love of human beings and an emotional trip to a time long gone. Mattie exemplifies the kind of love that we should all have for our fellow man. Family is the oldest institution on earth and we should all work as hard as the character in this book to preserve it. I personally cannot imagine the depths of the Great Depression, but this book has allowed me to put into perspective some of the things that my ancestors might have faced. This is a great story that draws you into the pages and involves your heart. The characters are heart warming, scary and totally believable. A must read for those who enjoy history and/or fiction.