This book presents an eyewitness view of the events leading directly to the creation of West Virginia as a separate state. The primary author, Granville Hall, was present at most of the events described in the book, in his capacity as a reporter for a Wheeling newspaper. The book was written from the notes that he took at the conventions called in the early 1860's, first in Richmond, then in Wheeling. The Richmond convention described is the one where the delegates voted to secede from the Union. The Wheeling conventions were first called as the 'true' government of Virginia, then went on to create West Virginia and write the state constitution. Recommended highly to anyone who is interested in this period of West Virginia's history.

John Ehle is seen as a "regional writer", which is a shame since I think he deserves a wider audience.

The Road is basically a novel based about the building of a railroad across the appalachian mountains shortly after the civil war. It is very well researched; so its accurate to NC history, and if you have been to the Asheville NC area you might recognize some of the landmarks.

But Ehle makes his characters realistic so that you come to care about them, so it is a novel more than just historical. This is really about people dealing with very hard country in the frontier, and Ehle lets us in on what the people might have been like and why they were motivated to endure so much in order to expand the frontier.

Ehle has written a series of books about this region, the Landbreakers is the first and the Road is second. Each book stands on its own so its not necessary to enjoy these sequentially.

One of my favorite pasttimes is hiking, and I have always wanted to try the whole Appalachian Trail . . . I also have a degree in English from Penn State, so when I heard that a PSU professor had written a book on my two favorite subjects, I just had to have it. Anybody who has hiked the old mountains of the mid-atlantic can appreciate the vivid descriptions and thoughtful insights that Story Line offers. One of my favorite parts of the book postulates a meeting between Thoreau and Melville, noting how the shapes of the mountain near Melville's home looked like a whale, noting similarities of otherworks, and knowing that the two men did, indeed, hike the same path. If you like the outdoors and have a passion for literature, this is money well spent!

I found this book to be quite interesting and informative. It discusses not only the trails themselves but their history. The physical descriptions of the trails are excellent, however I would have liked to see more detailed maps. It is a wonderful book to use as a reference.

This book gives you a spectacular, vivid, and unique look at the mountains of New England as only Thoreau could provide. This book is a compilation of peak-by-peak short stories which include Thoreaus' own journal writings along with commentary by the author. You join Thoreau as he explores many of New England's more famous mountains. Originally published in the 19th Century, Thoreau gives a glimpse of the mountains before roads, well-graded paths, or even maps gave the average tourist easy access to their beautiful heights. Thoreau explores such peaks as Katahdin in Maine, Lafayette, Monadnock, and Washington in New Hampshire, as well as Greylock and Wachusett in his home state of Massachusetts. The author gives modern day reference points as you follow Thoreau on his adventures across New England. Thoreau even teaches, unintentionaly, some important do's and don'ts for the modern day explorer. As you will discover Thoreau even learned a few lessons that can still be seen to this day! Overall, a very interesting read, especially for anyone at home in the mountains of New England. A book sure to bring out the adventurer in you.

I was uplifted and very satisfied to be exposed to the range of women who have fought for basic humanitarian rights in the southern coal regions. These are normal people making their small difference in a world they seem to love. I would have loved to hear more about the assumed women listed such as Mother Jones, Sara Ogen Gunning, Alice Lloyd, Bessie Smith (all of whom can be looked up). Most especially, I would love to know more about Granny Hager, and Widow Combs. They are mentioned in this book briefly and there seems to be no other record of them.

Overall, the book is a wonderful taste of the differences that women make today and have made in the past. I would love to hear more detail from the authors on the infamous women of the region who never made it into the Seneca Falls Women's Hall of Fame or any Encyclopedia.

The young heroine of this story, a young girl lost in a very dank woods, is certainly admirable and strong and courageous, and we root for her.

But the obstacles thrown in her path, while certainly dangerous, feel far too mundane to really get our blood racing. And King's fawning use of the Red Sox as a form of salvation and connection for the girl really doesn't work. Maybe if you're a fanatical Sox fan, but even then, I think the device is thin, at best.

Once again, as King does from time to time, he takes a perfectly acceptable short-story (or maybe novella) and pads it to book length. He did this with CUJO, but that book had such momentum and drama behind it that we actually enjoyed the unnecessary detail, but it kept us in that world a while longer. But as with GERALD'S GAME or FROM A BUICK 8, TOM GORDON simply feels padded. And this makes it seem a bit tired and uninspired. It's rare to read a King book that feels rote and uninspired, and therefore I feel particularly harsh towards it. He's certainly got enough money without needing to release work that clearly didn't fully fire his imagination. Less is more, on several levels.

The only positive to this book, I would say, is that if you have younger kids (like 12-15) and you want to introduce them to King without full immersion in his better, but bloodier and rawer, books, then TOM GORDON might be an okay way to start. But I'd go with EYE OF THE DRAGON, which he wrote with a younger audience in mind. THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON, sadly, is one of the very few Stephen King books I can't recommend.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is another success in my eyes by Stephen King.

A little 9-year-old girl, who is completly innocent and in some cases ignorant to the unfair events in her life, is spending another weekend with her mom, who is bound and determined to spend quality time with her children on the weekend. However, the repeated challenging and rechallenging of decisions made by both her mother and her brother drives Trish crazy on a hiking trip.

Looking for a break in the action as it were, Trisha steps off the trail for a moment so she can relieve herself. The result however, gets her very lost, very fast in the woods.

As the days wear on for poor Trisha McFarland, and the batteries on her walkman (her only link to the real world) slowly begin to fade, Trish begins to de-evolve.

The doubt that slowly begins to eat through her mind, and up to the conviction that is she is going to die, followed by a stupour and related halluciantions begin to drive Trish insane.

Stephen King has again vividly described an excellent story of fiction in the horror genre. I highly recommend this book to any fan of the genre, and particualry to those, who like me, just LOVE the writing of Stephen King.

I read the book, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King. I enjoyed this book and its many twists and turns. This book has very vivid details which make you feel as if you are Trisha, lost in the woods with a creature you made up out of your own personal fears. Although the fears of Trisha McFarland may not be your own, you absorb her pain because of the way the author portrays her fears. One of my favorite details is,"She could hear the sough of the wind through the big old west-countrey pines, she could hear the sqwuak of a jay and the far-off hammering of a wood pecker digging his mid-morning snack out of a hollow tree, she could hear a couple of freshley arrived mosquitoes(they were buzzing around both ears now)but no humans."(p.g 28) Another breath taking moment in this book is, ""The world is a worse-case scenario and I'm afraid all you sense is true," said the buzzing wasp-voice. Its claws raked slowly down the side of its head, goring through its insect flesh and revealing the shining bone beneath.(p.g 145)
I think this books theme was very clear. Although this book can be seen in many different ways, about a girl lost in the woods, creatures in the woods, or a girls obsession with a base ball player; I believe that the theme of the book and the message the author was trying to get across was to never give up and to keep the important things in life close to you. He shows this by again and again putting Trisha through horrible situations, although because of her strong love and compassion for Tom Gordon her life time idol, she chose not to let go so she could one day meet him.
This is one of my favorite books I have ever read. It is breath taking and chill giving. I reccomend this book to every one. It is something that will keep you on the edge with suspense, but at the same time teach you the true meaning of hope.

I have a high tolerance for suffering in books, but Gap Creek will test anyone's limit for pain and hardship. Set in North and then South Carolina, it tells the story of 17 year old Julie Harmon's first year of marriage to 18 year old Hank Richards at the turn of the 20th century. Poverty, hardship, and austerity prevail over their lives. The hardship doesn't subside until they've been victims of fire, flood, malnutrition, and deceit. I kept hoping the tide would turn for them, but there would be no tangible positive changes to their lives; if anything, Julie and Hank grow to accept their fate. Their decision to become members of the local church, where they find kindness and support from the Preacher Gibbs and fellow members, figures strongly in their ability to cope with their hardscrabble life. Hank, who at first shows less mettle than Julie, gains maturity and responsibilty after the couple suffers a devastating loss. Julie finds redemption in the catharsis of hard physical labor. That child could clean her way to heaven! While it's a well written book, Gap Creek tested my tolerance for pain and suffering and left me emotionally devastated. Warning: Do not read this book while you are the least bit depressed; it'll have little to give in the way of hope.

In all my life I have never read such a gripping first chapter of a novel. Morgan thrusts the reader right into mountain life a century ago. From page one I could tell that Gap Creek was going to be full of surprises. I was glad that Julie was portrayed as a strong woman but not as some kind of unrealisitc feminist. Morgan made Julie human by making her hard-working and smart but also gullible and sensitive to pleasing her husband. It was refreshing to read about a woman who has real feminine feelings for once. I'm so tired of modern day literature creating liberated women who have no human qualities. I have to admit that three quarters of the way through the book I began to get a little annoyed because nothing good happened to the characters. But as I read further I noticed a spiritual transition take place within Julie and Hank. No matter what happened to them they always had their hope and the couple seemed to find peace. Hopefully, Morgan will write a sequel to Gap Creek. The ending leaves plenty of possibilites for a sequel. I would love to read more about Julie and Hank.

After the death of her brother and father, 17-year-old Julie Harmon leaves her mother and sisters in the mountains of North Carolina to start a new life in the valley of Gap Greek in South Carolina with her one-year-older husband Hank Richards. The young couple soon faces a series of challenges brought along by the hard life around the turn of the century.

Through his protagonist Julie, Robert Morgan has given the hard-working women of the late 19th century a voice. Julie's observations, thoughts, and feelings are presented in a simple and clear way without pathos. It seems as if the reader sat opposite Julie, listening to her telling her life story.

"Gap Creek" is a captivating book which the reader can't almost put down -- maybe because the central themes are timeless. The fate of Julie and Hank touches but never turns into being kitschy. All in all, "Gap Creek" can be absolutely called a small literary jewel.

I always spend my lunch break, at work, reading fiction novels. I can partially gauge how much I enjoyed each book by how often I have to work late, making up the time I lost when I couldn't stop reading. While I was reading my latest acquisition, Icy Sparks, I had to work late a lot.

I was pulled into Icy Sparks immediately by the interesting prose and became completely immersed during the sequences when Icy would struggle to control the outbursts brought on by her disorder. The excellent narration of these events is fluid and believable.

Although the narrative is excellent, a well-crafted plot is what makes Gwyn Rubio's first published novel outstanding. The novel describes the universal plight of a young girl trying to understand the differences which set her apart from her peers. The plot unfolds in a natural way, with Icy, a victim of Tourette Syndrome, trying to come to terms with her undiagnosed condition. Her search for acceptance and understanding culminates in a beautifully written scene which is charged with emotion.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

Gwyn Hyman Rubio's "Icy Sparks" is an exceptional book. She has created an unforgettable character in Icy -- a young girl suffering from Tourette's syndrome. Set in rural Kentucky during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the reader is consistently challenged to question their response to the incidents and situations that occur in this novel.

The book is so rich in detail that the reader is often left feeling as though they have actually witnessed one of Icy's outbursts. The question is -- from which point of view? One of Gwyn Hyman Rubio's strongest assets is her ability to convey the shock and horror of those around Icy as she "jerks" and "croaks," while at the same time describe Icy's self-hatred of the inablity to control her body.

In the end, this book is not simply about Tourrette's syndrome. It is about human igonrance, fear and tolerance. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

I enjoyed reading this book, because I learned about a subject I knew nothing about before. This is a wonderful coming of age novel set in rural Kentucky in the 1950's. The main character is an orphan named Icy Sparks. She suffers from Tourette's syndrome which causes her body to jerk involuntarily. Tourettes also causes Icy to repeat curse words uncontrollably. This condition leads to much embarassment at school in her early years. She is teased and shunned by her classmates. Icy spends some time in a mental hospital upon the suggestion of her school principal and grandparents. She makes friends with other disabled people there. She also learns new ways to deal with her disorder during her stay. Miss Emily is a compassionate fat woman. She is Icy's best friend throughout the book. I loved the relationship between these two characters. She teaches Icy her academic subjects and about life too. I loved the ending of the book. It is so touching when Icy finally finds her gift. I highly recommend Icy Sparks.

THIS ROCK was my first encounter with Robert Morgan. I had heard many great things about GAP CREEK so my book club decided THIS ROCK would be a great book for our next selection.

Unfortunately not many of us enjoyed it.

The main character is a farm boy named Muir. He has led a rough life with a bully for an older brother. His mother plays a significant role in his decision makings. He is beyond confused about what he wants to do with his life. Yet he makes many decision throughout the book to escape everyday life. Not all of his decisions are foolproof.

Moody, the older bully brother, is also a significant character. Muir appears to hate him on the outside. But from the inside I felt it was different. He looked up to Moody and cared for him greatly. Moody and Muir go through the book dealing with personal problems, and family problems.

The ending was not what I expected. I was not too happy with the abruptness of the finale. The book felt as if it was missing a true story line. There were many aspects of Muir's life discussed but not enough substance to really show the reader what you needed to see in order to feel for him. Something was missing. I just cannot put my finger on it.

I must admit that Gap Creek was the first book by Robert Morgan that I have read. I became of a fan immediately. His story line is as multilayered as his characters. In This Rock, one brother, Muir, struggles to find himself. He seems to be heading for a life lived in the word and serving his God. The other brother, Moody, seems to do nothing more than a little bootlegging. Moody wants to lose himself. He suffers from some deep hurt we are never privy to. Robert Morgan takes these two characters and wraps a novel around them. Two brothers as different as hot and cold, living a basic life filled with the struggle to survive and yet their lives seem to be so much richer that ours.
Other characters, Hank and Julia from Gap Creek make an appearance. It was nice to see their progress. Ginny, Muir and Moody's mother is a strong woman left to get by on her own after her husband dies.
I won't give anymore away. The book is an interesting read. It appeals to the intellect and the heart. If you're looking for a techno thriller you better keep looking. This Rock isn't for you. If you're looking to be touched emotionally and spiritually, then you won't be disappointed.

Robert Morgan recreates the tough life of the 1920's in the Carolina mountains. This is a tale of two brothers searching for the meaning and purpose in their lives. One brother Muir tries many different things, from preaching, to hunting, to building. Moody the older brother appears to be a callous, uncaring young man with a penchant for alcohol and trouble. Their mother attempts to let them lead their own lives but the clashes that are the result are heartbreaking for her. This is a great story of family and faith. Robert Morgan delivers the unique dialogue that breathes life into this tale of a poor mountain family. A delightful surprise is the appearance the main characters from his novel Gap Creek, which brings the feeling of familiarity to the story for those who have had the pleasure of reading that novel. Robert Morgan is a gifted Southern writer who spins a vivid and poignant narration of life for Ginny and her sons, Moody and Muir.