Willadeene Parton is a very wonderful and great writer. She is not only sucessful at writing about her family but she is a great poet and cook as well. Her cook books are Awesome if you are into some great southern cooking. I have ate some of her meals in her cook book prepared by none other than herself, I used to be her Personal Assistant, and let me tell you, she cooks better than anyone I know. The Books are a great Pleasure to read and the cook books are just as much fun. Not just coming from a Friend but form a True Fan. ....

Originally, this book was released as "In the Shadow of a Song" in 1986. I read it then, and I read it again and enjoyed it as much as a second helping of grits and gravy and country ham. Brandon B., Tampa, FL

I have read this book front to back three times!! I was born in Appalachia and have lived in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee all my life. I related to the deep family roots, and loving atmosphere their family had growing up. Willadeene captured not only their family spirit but, the pain, laughter, and triumphs of the Appalahcian people.

This book is an excellent source of information about the cantilever barns and some of the people to built them. I am a decendent of John Trotter, whose family built several of the barns. I visited Sevierville yesterday and was able to follow the map and see the barns myself. I didn't know about any of this until I ran across your book in a local store. Thank you very much. Stephanie

I had been waiting for a financial chance to buy this book since it came off the presses and finally, thanks to Amazon.com allowing others to sell on this site, I found it from a wonderful woman whom lived in the area of Sevier County, Tennessee. Had she not lived there for a brief amount of time, had she not been allowed to sell it "used" I would never had been able to afford this book.

If you want to know about Sevier County, Tennessee where many of our ancestors either settled or traveled thru pre 1800 on thru to the late 1800's from PA, NJ, NY, VA, OH, NC and SC this is the book for you. I love it and I can't put it down! Look soon as I'll surely resell the book if only so I can afford to buy another book that aides with my desire to research my family roots.

Hats off to the publishers, "Smoky Mountain Historical Society". Job Well Done!

Madame Sevier was my French teacher in Edmond OK in 1984. Although I was not the best of students, I still remember vividly the stories she told of the war. This is a must read. She is a fantastic and wonderful woman.

James Hunter

This is not a novel and the facts are often understated. It is easy to read, told in an honest and matter of fact way. Too bad it wasn't available to be read by every American before our own Vietnam experience. Now there are hundreds of true stories written by Americans with the same tragic sense that could have been avoided. It is the story of war and what a nurse must go through. You feel like you know Elizabeth well by the end of the book and would want her there for you and as a friend.

"War Without A Front" is an excellent memoir of a young French army nurse during the earlier years of the Vietnam conflict. Madame Sevier's depiction of the culture of the Vietnamese,the sorrows of war and the great personal suffering that was experienced is very well portrayed in this novel. Her commitment to duty for her country along with her heroic courage to care for those injured reflects strongly upon her character and determination to serve the country she loved regardless of the personal cost. Madame Sevier's writing style allows you to feel first hand the anxieties and frustrations shared by everyone as if you were beside her every step of the way.