One of my favorite pastimes is to read stories about the area I live in or near, so it was natural to read Caldwell's second book about the folks living in the Cataloochee area which is just over the mountains from East TN. The author says this is a pretty good story, but it is not history. I think he writes convincingly enough to allow me to believe the characters and their behavior are pretty representative of what happened when these folks were forced to leave their beloved homesteads so the Great Smokey National Park could be established.
This story is about the power of our environment to shape our lives for better or for worse and how powerless we are most times to do anything about it except accept our fate and move on as best we can. Reminded me of the saying "God deals the cards, but how we play them is up to us". You had to respect these folks for their fortitude, their self-reliance, their humor. It is a shame that it seems to always come down to an either-or choice.