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Bearskin to Holly Fork: Stories from Appalachia
Public Radio commentator Bob Sloan's debut collection of short stories. With an introduction by novelist Lee Smith.
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
15 people want to read
About the author
Bob Sloan
3 books1 followerBob Sloan is a working writer who doesn't have, and isn't pursuing an MFA. He and his wife Julie live on thirty hillside acres east of Morehead, [Kentucky,] in a house that was his grandfather's, and his father's.
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 28, 2019
Oof. Not even I, living close to Appalachia in Kentucky, knew this dark side of the region. It's really sad, to put it plainly. And in short story form, which is what comprises this book, a happy ending is not guaranteed. In fact, I'm not sure there was one happy ending in this short story compilation.
Setting: Midland, Kentucky, various years. One particular short story was set during the Great Depression, but most of the stories were set in more contemporary times. However, due to the setting of Appalachia, the time period might seem more historical than it really is. All in all, though, it's obvious these stories are set in backwoods rural areas. The back of the book claims these are true stories, and the characters were portrayed accordingly. Without this setting, these stories would be unrealistic. With the setting, they are completely natural, albeit shocking (even for me).
Characters: Although each short story had its own characters, some of the last names overlapped, and sometimes a person (such as the sheriff) appeared in more than one. In cases of shared last names, I wondered if they might be related. Or, alternatively, if it's just like Appalachia, where some last names are very common (and they may or may not be fifth cousins twice removed). Since they are short stories, the characters didn't have deep character development, but they were written very well.
Content: Well, this is the dark side of Appalachia. The characters' lifestyles seemed to go from bad to worse. There was a fair amount of foul language in many of the short stories, and in most of the stories, men drank alcohol freely. Affairs (some secret and others not so secret) were common, and such things as abortion, marijuana, a strip club, and possibly other distasteful subjects, were present in these stories--and shown in a non-negative light, to say the least.
Writing style: Smooth, matter-of-fact, almost careless. Some stories were first person, some were third. Some stories were written in past tense, some in present. The writing style is that of someone from Appalachia, which of course is fitting. Sometimes, though, a sentence here or there would be difficult to understand (but sometimes that's the way it is in real life, anyway).
I would recommend this collection of short stories only to someone who is very interested in the culture and lifestyles of backwoods Appalachians. To someone who wishes to be educated in this area of the United States, this is a very enlightening book. To someone looking for a pleasure read, this isn't for you.
Setting: Midland, Kentucky, various years. One particular short story was set during the Great Depression, but most of the stories were set in more contemporary times. However, due to the setting of Appalachia, the time period might seem more historical than it really is. All in all, though, it's obvious these stories are set in backwoods rural areas. The back of the book claims these are true stories, and the characters were portrayed accordingly. Without this setting, these stories would be unrealistic. With the setting, they are completely natural, albeit shocking (even for me).
Characters: Although each short story had its own characters, some of the last names overlapped, and sometimes a person (such as the sheriff) appeared in more than one. In cases of shared last names, I wondered if they might be related. Or, alternatively, if it's just like Appalachia, where some last names are very common (and they may or may not be fifth cousins twice removed). Since they are short stories, the characters didn't have deep character development, but they were written very well.
Content: Well, this is the dark side of Appalachia. The characters' lifestyles seemed to go from bad to worse. There was a fair amount of foul language in many of the short stories, and in most of the stories, men drank alcohol freely. Affairs (some secret and others not so secret) were common, and such things as abortion, marijuana, a strip club, and possibly other distasteful subjects, were present in these stories--and shown in a non-negative light, to say the least.
Writing style: Smooth, matter-of-fact, almost careless. Some stories were first person, some were third. Some stories were written in past tense, some in present. The writing style is that of someone from Appalachia, which of course is fitting. Sometimes, though, a sentence here or there would be difficult to understand (but sometimes that's the way it is in real life, anyway).
I would recommend this collection of short stories only to someone who is very interested in the culture and lifestyles of backwoods Appalachians. To someone who wishes to be educated in this area of the United States, this is a very enlightening book. To someone looking for a pleasure read, this isn't for you.
Displaying 1 of 1 review