About Eva Gerber
Eva Gerber, author of Watermelon Winter, has lived in Appalachia for all of her 71 years. Her writing is born from four generations of women whose stories were passed down like family quilts—stitched with laughter, laced with grief, and strengthened by survival.
With deep roots in southern Ohio, Eva gives voice to the women history often overlooks—the midwives, mothers, caretakers, and quiet rebels who held their families together through hardship. Her debut novel honors these women, capturing their unshakeable love of family, unflinching sense of justice, and deep knowing that beauty and strength are forged—not gifted.
In Eva's words: "The strength I carry—the courage to speak, the stubbornness to know my worth—was forged on the backs of Appalachian women who came long before me. I carry it with me, and I will pass it on."
Why I Wrote Watermelon Winter
This novel began with family voices—stories passed down across four generations—about a neighborhood store, cold winters, and a town that could be both tender and unyielding.
I wanted to honor the women who made do, made beauty, and made a way: midwives, mothers, daughters, and the neighbors who stood with them. Writing Watermelon Winter let me set their courage on the page, in a place I know by heart: the Ohio River valley, where a blue hole could be holy and a loaf of bread could feel like mercy. I wrote it to remember, to reconcile, and to celebrate how a young woman learns to choose her own life without losing where she comes from.
What Inspires My Writing
Inspiration comes from the everyday beauty and struggle of Appalachian life.
- The Appalachian landscape—hemlocks, creek beds, first snows, and the hush after a storm.
- Women's work and women's wisdom: steady hands, quiet bravery, everyday sanctuaries.
- Small-town rituals—porch talk, church suppers, the bell over a shop door.
- Family lore told around kitchen tables, where truth and memory braid together.
- Ordinary moments that reveal extraordinary grit.
