What do you think?
Rate this book
American Hollow
A companion volume to the HBO film to be aired in November, this documentary look at life in Appalachia focuses on the seventy-year-old matriarch of a clan as she goes through her daily routine. 15,000 first printing.
- GenresNonfiction
117 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1999
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 7, 2021
Loved the documentary film, but I have mixed feelings about the book. The layout was horrible for me. The pages are large, but the print is teeny tiny. Sometimes the writing only took up 1/4 of a page. Sometimes blurry pictures took up the entire page. But that’s just my own preference.
As for the content, I’m sure it was true-to-life. It just angered me to read how the parents don’t try to help their own children work towards a better life. Yes, rural living can be great, but not when you don’t even have indoor plumbing or regular access to healthcare and education. One son had a job opportunity, but his mother wouldn’t drive him because it would be too much of an imposition on her even though she didn’t have a job.
As for the content, I’m sure it was true-to-life. It just angered me to read how the parents don’t try to help their own children work towards a better life. Yes, rural living can be great, but not when you don’t even have indoor plumbing or regular access to healthcare and education. One son had a job opportunity, but his mother wouldn’t drive him because it would be too much of an imposition on her even though she didn’t have a job.
January 7, 2025
Read and used this book as a talking point/research for a class I taught on Appalachian Ecology at summer camp in rural Virginia. Very impactful stories and personal accounts that deeply moved me, even I didn’t directly relate to certain things. It underscored my belief that photography is one of the most beautiful and powerful tools for storytelling.
September 7, 2024
I read this at camp on library duty throughout the summer. I’m not sure if I ever got to read the last few pages, but man this really emotionally impacted me, especially because I was living in rural Appalachia at the time I was reading it. I loved how the only content was what family members said aloud to interviewers. I also loved the pictures. Made my heart ache. Made me love the South even more. Also, in a way, made me long to be a part of a big giant family. I hope to watch the movie soon.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews