What is the author's style in Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns?

Cold Sassy is fairly easy to read. There are few words that the average reader won't know. There may be some references that younger generations may not understand without some explanation. For example, when automobiles first came out, to start them, there was a handle on the outside of the car that one had to crank to start the engine. The book vaguely explains these things, though, making outside resources probably unnecessary.