The Devil's Back is a beautifully written story of an Appalachian family in the early ...
592676
The Devil's Back is a beautifully written story of an Appalachian family in the early 20th century.  It is a perfect read for individuals, academic classes and book clubs that want to transport their minds to another place, another time, another sect of people.  The writer tells the life journey of a working class family in the hills of Kentucky as they experience economic hardships, family conflicts and resolutions, tragedies, love and simple joys.  The story, which is redemptive in nature, leaves the reader feeling satisfied and hopeful.
3632653
Smoky Trudeau is a wonderful writer with a gift for description. Sitting down to read her debut novel, Redeeming Grace, I was transported to the early twentieth century along the banks of the Choptank River. I could hear the calls of birds and taste the food Grace served her family with the same energy and dedication that she applied to fighting the demons that attacked her loved ones. This is a story of life, death and redemption that I won't soon forget.

I highly recommend this book.
4444407
A beautifully written book that examines a single tragic event from the varied perspectives of three characters-a mother who was forever changed after the death of her husband and her two emotionally neglected, adult daughters.  When one daughter's suicide attempt fails,  the 3 women find themselves under the same roof again after years of intentional separation.  The circle has enlarged to include two children, young girls who have experienced the aftermath of the broken family.  They are brought to live with their grandmother during their mother's recovery.  Their presence breaks the silence and forces the small family to think through the past and how they each responded to the loss of a husband and father.  The prologue reveals a great secret that marks the beginning of destruction of their relationships.  The writing is good and there are passages that were so beautiful,  I highlighted to remember the phasing. This is a touching story of loss, forgiveness, sisters, sacrifice, misunderstandings and new beginnings.
4280584
A beautifully written story about a complex, and intriguing  family. It takes place over several decades, and as I read this sweetly written story you can feel the vibe of the eras (1930-70's approx) as well as the anxieties and successes of the family members, it is well worth reading!
3553677
Given To Me For An Honest Review

Randy Thornhorn has written a great book The Kestrel Waters: A Tale of Love and Devil.  It is about two brothers who sing bluegrass and gospel music.  They have grown up in a very close knit family.  Their family have great belief in magic, music, good, evil and love.  The atmosphere of the story is within the beautiful mountains of Appalachia and historical Savannah.  This book will draw you in once you begin reading it.  It is truly a page turner.  Giving it 5 stars really wasn't enough, I wish I could have given it more.  I highly recommend it to all.  I look forward to more from Randy Thorhorm.
603558
I was born and raised, and still reside, in the beautiful mountains of Virginia. This is a timeless place--as much as things change, they remain the same. The constancy of the mountains is comforting and immovable. Author Joanne Bischof offers a look at life in rural Appalachia in "Be Still My Soul". Lonnie Sawyer and her mother and siblings live under the rule of Lonnie's abusive alcoholic father. Lonnie's refuge is her Aunt Sarah, who offers brief respites from family troubles with readings from the Bible in her home. Lonnie and her mother are both blessed with beautiful singing voices, and at one local musical get-together, her father's pushes her up on stage. When handsome mandolin player Gideon O'Riley walks her home and asks for a kiss, both of their lives are forever changed. At first reluctant, Lonnie agrees to a kiss, but ladies man Gideon wants much more. Ashamed, Lonnie breaks away and runs back to her house before Gideon can have his way. The next day, to her horror, she discovers that her father witnessed the kiss, and he assumes the worst. Lonnie and Gideon are forced by both their fathers into a quick marriage ceremony. Taken away from her family and home, and now married to a resentful man whom she barely knows, Lonnie struggles for emotional survival. Her faith is as indelible as the mountains themselves, but can she endure what awaits? Gideon grew up in a different atmosphere from Lonnie. He was not abused, but he felt trapped by the lifestyle of the generations which had come before him. His music and woodworking skill were his refuge. He was attractive to women, and he went from one to another without a care. Now he was married, and he no longer could drift along through life. Goaded by his friends and emboldened by moonshine liquor, Gideon does have his way with Lonnie, which they both regret. Gideon is not kind to Lonnie, leaving her no choice but to follow him as they walk away from their home area toward a town which may offer work. With no money, and no transportation, they walk and walk, day after day. They find shelter with a kind older couple, Jebediah and Elsie, who have a nice homestead. Having witnessed Gideon's less than kind treatment of Lonnie, Jeb is a stern taskmaster, and Gideon works harder than he ever has in his life. Lonnie discovers that she is expecting a baby, adding to the chains of responsibility which weigh heavily on Gideon. At times, "Be Still My Soul" is tough to read. The poverty, abuse, alcoholism, and lack of education are all part of a continuing cycle. Yet, there is beauty to be found, as faith shines through, and hearts grow together as life goes on. While some never escape from the bleakness of an impoverished existence, others find riches beyond compare in an abiding faith. Gideon and Lonnie endure much, each having to find their own path before they meet as one heart. Highly recommended.

Review Copy Gratis Multnomah Books
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Well, I don't know what the negative reviewers were reading, but they clearly took some offense to components I did not see in this beautiful book.  Having grown up in the mountains of North Carolina, I am always on the lookout for books about life in Appalachia, and "Beauty Before Comfort" has to be one of the best in recent years.  The honesty, reality, humor--they recall Dorothy Allison's "Bastard Out of Carolina" and the poetry of Kathryn Stripling Byer.  Glock deserves a place at the table of strong, stunning Southern women writers.
1895275
In the preface, Peters writes, "The people, places and stories presented in Dog Days and Dragonflies are, by and large, stories of my life." This collection of short stories and poems presents a childhood in Appalachia surrounded by kin, from carefree preschool days spent with a great-grandmother with one leg to a dark day with a friend who whispers the ugly secret of child abuse. Of a young woman who tries to commit suicide to an older one who wishes nothing more than to kill her abusive husband. Of a teenager's driving lessons with her grandfather to a mystical trip with a boyfriend to Salem, Massachusetts. From a cousin running down the ice cream truck to a young child watching her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother wrap meat. All beautifully written, many with a wistful tone, reflecting a time and place free of modern-day electronic gadgetry where families were bonded and held together through the good times and the bad.
747207
Alzheimer's Daughter is a beautifully written story about a couple's undying love and the family that fought against all odds to preserve it.
3948548
I was very pleasantly surprised at the high quality of writing in this book which I grabbed when it was on offer free for the kindle. I was absorbed in the story of May Rose a young wife around the turn of the 19th century living in a remote mountain shack in West Virginia with her husband a logger at the nearby logging camp, who has become taciturn and distant and seems very different from the laughing young man she defied her family to marry.

Lonely and isolated in her cabin whilst he's away working she begins to wonder how on earth she can continue. I felt overwhelming pathos when she pens a letter to her distant cousins not wanting to admit her loneliness and desolation, she describes to them how she spends her days telling her friend Nellie about things she used to enjoy with her cousins, Nellie however is the pig she has raised.

Her life is about to change in many ways and not all for the better, when she has the opportunity to mix with folk again she finds that first opinions aren't always to be relied upon and the story unfolds as we are introduced to the many characters who shape her story as she adapts to life in a small logging town and fights to gain respect and independence despite limited options and unjustified prejudice against her.

It's a lovely story, written with great panache and lots of authority in the rich historical detail which never becomes teachy or preachy. Delightful throughout although I found the ending a little sudden and can only assume a sequel is planned by this new and talented author.
1683515
I won a copy of this book from the author on LibraryThing.

This is the story of the Berry family who immigrates to Canada after suffering many hardships in the industrial and dirty city of Manchester, England. The narrative is comprehensive and gives us the entire story of the family as it begins with Sarah and Thomas and their meeting, courtship and marriage. Thomas, like many others in Manchester, works long hours at a physically demanding job in a textile factory. Thomas is determined to find a better way to earn a living to support his family and becomes a successful porter at a local train station. His untimely death leaves his wife and their five children in dire circumstances. The life that Thomas and Sarah share together and his heart wrenching death is written in beautiful prose and is one of the best parts of the book.

The eldest daughter, Margaret, at a very young age must work to help support the family after the father dies. She works as a maid in the household of the factory owner. The story of Margaret's employment is touching because, although she suffers from the cruel torment of the Mistress of the house, she meets many friends who teach her important life lessons.

In the second half of the book a tragedy makes Sarah realize that she needs to get away from the painful memories and hardships of Manchester and seek out a better life for her children. She decides that the Berry family will move to Canada and live with her older brother, Bertie. The author vividly describes the harrowing journey across the Atlantic on a steamship. It was evident that the author did quite a bit of research for this novel.

The final part of the book describes the Berry family settling in to their new lives as they make new friends, reconnect with family members and begin to move on from the tragedy of their past. Lisa Brown does a masterful job at creating a large family with whom you cannot help but fall in love. THE PORTER'S WIFE is a wonderful read for anyone who loves historical fiction. I am very eager to read Lisa Brown's next book that continues the story of the Berry family.
1056104
Hillbilly Elegy is the story of J.D. Vances life growing up in Ohio and Kentucky. His family originates from the Appalachians and still carry their Hillbilly character. In the process of telling his personal story, the author exposes the reader to the intricacies of the Hillbilly culture. The author discusses how various public policies have affected this working class population, the effects of drug addiction on the families and children in particular, and how the economics of the region have impacted their lives. The story is tragic and hopeful at the same time, and brings awareness to a portion of the population that is largely ignored or forgotten.

I was drawn to this book because I have always had a curiosity about the Appalachian culture. The story is well written and flows in a natural way. The author did a great job of narrating the story and I found the narration to be consistent and well produced. There are some great characters in the authors family and the story kept me fully engaged throughout. This is a great biography and would also be interesting to readers who want to learn more about the culture.
3209133
This is a gorgeous book--beautifully written, beautifully developed, with interesting characters who are profoundly principled.  The story revolves around a family in which all the men--father and and his sons--are all Welsh coal miners.  There is also a younger brother, who is the narrator of the book, and one sister.  She is in love with the local minister, and he obviously loves her.  But their love is never consummated, which is a sad note.  The little brother attends school where he is bullied by his teacher.  Ultimately the teacher is taught a lesson by two family friends who humiliate him in front of his class, making for one of the best scenes in the book.  The novel is full of nostalgia for the green valley of the narrator's childhood that has been covered with sludge from the uncaring rape of the earth for profit.  I recommend this book very highly--it is suitable for adults as well as for young adults.
3217551
This House of Sky is a memoir about the author's experiences growing up in Montana.  Ivan Doig grew up in the small towns and ranches in the rugged valleys of western Montana.  An only child, his mother dying when he is six years old, Doig is raised by his father, Charlie, and his maternal grandmother.  The family moves from place to place as Charlie works various jobs, especially as a sheepherder.  We're taken through the hard life of western Montana, the demands of lambing and terrible storms.

Doig writes with a beautiful, rich prose that provides near-poetic reflections on the landscape of the American West.  He captures and preserves a way of life and a generation of men and women that has almost vanished from America.  It rekindled thoughts of my own mother growing up in a cabin camp in northwest Nebraska.  I would give his writing style five stars.  Although it's a superbly written memoir, I found the story itself to be somewhat mundane.  The story was slow and failed to draw me in as have other memoirs.  I would give the story three starts--nothing special.
1708291
Black Wolf's return is a beautifully woven, richly layered story, written in simple, lean prose that carries the reader along. The cycle of human life follows the timeless cycle of life on the American prairie, generation after generation, leaving the reader with a strong sense of connection and homecoming. Truly beautiful writing.
822833
I hadn't read anything before by this author, but was drawn to it because of the setting being near Charleston, a favorite place of our family.  The characters were so beautifully written;  each with their own distinct personalities,  problems and secrets.  I will definitely seek out other books by this very talented author.  Thank you for bringing such a beautiful story to life!
3262005
Ellendor Robbins is a wife and mother in the Appalachian Mountains in 1936. When her husband unexpectedly dies, shes faced with raising her two young sons alone.  She must decide whether to return to her brother-in-laws home as a charity relative or try to take on her husbands job, which was sheriff of their town.  Ellie is a courageous, independent woman and since the job is mostly paperwork and shell have capable deputies to work with, the town officials decide to give her a chance.  Unfortunately, they have forgotten to tell her one of the duties of the sheriff  to conduct executions of condemned men.

What I love most about Ms. McCrumbs books are the Appalachian superstitions, folklore and traditions that run through her stories. They create such a unique atmosphere that Ive only found in this authors books.  However, this story only refers to one tradition, the Dumb Supper.  The book starts off with a scene of six young women going through the enactment of a Dumb Supper where they supposedly will learn who they will one day marry.  There are ancient rules that must be strictly followed for this magical event to go right and if not, well, there will be consequences.  However, I never felt any connection with the beginning of the story to the supposed consequence.  Plus the book is very slow moving which usually is not a negative to me; however, I did feel that parts of the book were repetitive.

All that being said, I still enjoyed the book very much. Sharyn McCrumb has such a way with words and while the atmosphere created wasn't quite what I usually expect in one of her books, it still placed me right into the time period and location of those gorgeous mountains and its people.  The book is said to be based on a true story.  Elllie Robbins will work her way into your heart with her courage and determination.  Ms. McCrumb is a wonderful storyteller and her characters will long be remembered.

This book was given to me by the publisher through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.