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A Blessed Life Growing Up on Ocracoke Island
"For years, people have been urging Della Gaskill to tell her childhood stories--and the story of Ocracoke. Happily, she has finally done that, but her memories are more that that. She tells her story in words that resonate with the authentic island voice. The reader can her her speak the brogue!The conversation is personal, but the setting reflects a unique community in time and place..." Walt Wolfram, PhD, Linguistics Director, North Carolina Language and Life Project (from the back cover)
96 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 25, 2017
This book intrigued me, probably because of my affinity and affection for Ocracoke Island, 19 miles off the coast of NC, accessible only by ferry. The writer writes as she speaks, in the authentic, unique brogue and manners of speech that have arisen from this isolated community. Particularly poignant are her descriptions of the observed attacks by German U-boats during WWII, unbeknownst the rest of the country--the conflict came this close to US soil. While the author does ramble and repeat herself, and every food she describes "...is the most delicious in the world that you ever ate...", I give it a high rating due to its authenticity and in acknowledgment that this woman had the fortitude to write and publish her story late in her life.
June 2, 2021
As a yearly visitor to Ocracoke for 7 years now, I have a deep appreciation for this book. This is not written by a professional author. You won’t be transported into some fantasy land when you read it. What you do get is much more powerful. Mrs. Gaskill writes the same way she speaks and it’s beautiful. The stories she tells are an honest depiction of her life. The island has a rich history and I can only imagine the beauty of its past. I love that the simplicity in their way of life hasn’t changed much since she was a little girl. If you’ve never visited Ocracoke or if you want to learn more about it, this book is for you.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews